If you work in the legal world, you have either just heard the term load file for the first time, or you hear it more than you would like to admit. eDiscovery, document review, and court presentation software are becoming the new norm in litigation, and it's vital that legal professionals understand the language and function of these tools.
What is a load file in eDiscovery?
According to Nuix, it is a file (usually a text file, a .CSV, or more complex formats like .MDB, .DAT or .OPT) that specifies how to organize data to import or export documents in a specific format. It makes it easy for the documents to be viewed, searched and filtered in the eDiscovery or court presentation tool. When electronically stored information (ESI) is produced with load files, information for each document is contained in multiple files. A load file defines which individual pages or files belong together to make up a document, whether attachments are included, and where each document begins and ends, among other attributes.
Why do you still need load files?
The short answer is: you don't always need them, but they can make sharing your evidence easier. Today, many eDiscovery tools allow the import of native files. Rather than using a load file to decode a corresponding database, tools like Nuix Discover extract the information that was traditionally available in a load file directly from the document. This means that once you have loaded the document, the date, title, sender and recipient, etc. are already associated with the documents. But what if you have scanned or converted documents, or the documents do not have accurate information to extract? In those cases, a load file will provide that information, all connected to the file itself. Without a load file you will be unable to determine which information goes with which file, and where particular files begin or end.
In eDiscovery document exchanges, the parties are often protecting privileges with redactions and sharing large amounts of metadata and coding. These load files can be very complex.
The good news is that a load file can be a simple as a spreadsheet listing the information you want to associate with each file, by the filename. Tools like the eTrialToolkit make loading files extremely easy.
When you do have to produce a more complex load file, or someone sends you a .DAT or .OPT with their documents, we are always happy to help!
