The nonprofit Association of Litigation Support Professionals adopts mission to establish
global standards through collaboration, education and certification.
CHICAGO (25 September 2007)— Enron. Andersen. WorldCom. These are but a few cases that have grabbed the headlines recently — and would never have come to light without the practice of litigation support.
During the past several years, litigation support professionals have worked outside the limelight to research and uncover illegal activities not only in corporations, but also in drug discovery and development, insurance claims, environmental abuses and myriad other settings. Their work has changed the way many organizations operate — and revolutionized our ability to monitor companies’ commitment to ethical, safe and socially responsible practices.
“As our industry continues to grow and evolve, so too does the complexity of requirements and demands placed on the practice of litigation support,” said Karen Brookman, ALSP Steering Committee member and president of Commonwealth Legal.
Yet the litigation support profession itself — which compromises as many as 200,000 people around the world — has faced challenges in projecting a unified voice. The profession has yet to develop a coalition of cross-functional litigation support team members capable of supporting globally accepted standards and certification, mentoring and community-building across all sectors of the field. But that’s all about to change.
A group of highly respected litigation support experts — widely acknowledged as the top minds in the field — have formed the Association of Litigation Support Professionals. This recently incorporated nonprofit is dedicated to advancing the profession and contributing to the career development of practitioners around the world.
“Through ALSP, we are able to leverage global knowledge and expertise across various litigation support disciplines to develop a common approach and a set of best practices, which help support and advance both the profession itself and those working within it. It is an honor to be involved with the development of this organization,” Brookman said.
ALSP is the only organization whose members represent all sectors of the profession: litigation support managers and analysts, attorneys, paralegals, technical support staff, consultants, software developers and judiciary. These motivated individuals have established an ambitious list of objectives for the coming weeks and months, which includes:
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Beginning the process of implementing generally accepted professional standards for the litigation support process
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Establishing a plan and timeline for developing certification, education and mentoring programs
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Assisting the legal community in analyzing, recommending, anticipating and preparing for impending developments
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Providing a collaborative forum for disseminating information among litigation support professionals and organizations
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Developing education focused on technical and managerial skills necessary for success in the field
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Creating membership, and structure for regional working groups and sponsors
“We’ve made some great strides already. We’ve established ALSP as a 501(c)(6) organization, launched our Web site, and activated key individuals in the legal community to serve on ALSP’s Board of Directors to assist in guiding our committees,” said ALSP Steering Committee member Joe Howie of Syngence LLC. “But we have quite a bit to accomplish between now and the end of 2008. Our first objectives are to drive membership growth, as well as ALSP’s Charter Sponsor program, which will fund important initiatives such as education and certification development.”
For more information about ALSP, membership and the Charter Sponsor program, visit the association’s Web site at www.alsponline.org. Or contact:
Marcie Valerio, ALSP media and marketing manager
312.673.5811; mvalerio@alsponline.org
Chris Hansen, ALSP executive director
312.673.5838; chansen@alsponline.org
Barbara O’Connor, ALSP membership and administrative manager
312.673.5744; boconnor@alsponline.org
Janet Gow, ALSP sales and sponsorship manager
312.673.5777; jgow@alsponline.org
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About ALSP
The Association of Litigation Support Professionals is the only organization whose members comprise the full range of individuals involved with litigation support: litigation support managers and analysts, attorneys, paralegals, technical support staff, consultants, software developers and judiciary. With a mission to establish global standards for the litigation support profession through collaboration, education and certification, ALSP is dedicated to advancing the profession and contributing to the career development of practitioners around the world. For more information about ALSP, educational and chapter activities, and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.alsponline.org or contact ALSP headquarters at info@alsponline.org, 800.430.6651 or 1.312.321.5168