Authoritative Guides & Standards

Authoritative Guides & Standards

Neutral or semi-neutral references users can rely on when learning TAR or building defensible workflows.

The Sedona Conference TAR Case Law Primer, Second Edition

https://thesedonaconference.org/sites/default/files/publications/Tar-Case-Law-Primer-2nd-Edition-2023.pdf

What it is

  • Direct PDF of Sedona's TAR case law primer
  • Useful for understanding how courts have discussed TAR methodology, metrics, validation, transparency, and disputes
  • A better link than a broad publications catalog because it lands on the actual TAR-focused resource

Topics covered

  • TAR case law, TAR 1.0 and TAR 2.0, validation, transparency, cooperation, unresolved legal issues

Audience: intermediate to advanced. Format: direct PDF. Access: free. Last checked: May 17, 2026. Caveat: legal research starting point, not current-law verification for a specific jurisdiction.

Federal Rules of Civil Procedure - Rule 26

https://www.law.cornell.edu/rules/frcp/rule_26

What it is

  • The core proportionality and discovery-scope rule in U.S. federal civil litigation
  • Essential context for deciding whether TAR, sampling, phased review, or AI-assisted workflows are reasonable
  • Useful when drafting discovery plans and explaining proportionality tradeoffs

Topics covered

  • Proportionality, relevance, discovery scope, disclosures, expert discovery, discovery planning

Audience: beginner to advanced. Format: direct rule text. Access: free. Last checked: May 17, 2026. Caveat: local rules, standing orders, and case-specific orders may add requirements.

Federal Rules of Civil Procedure - Rule 34

https://www.law.cornell.edu/rules/frcp/rule_34

What it is

  • Key rule for document requests, ESI production, objections, and production form
  • Important when TAR decisions affect what gets reviewed, withheld, or produced
  • Helpful for connecting review workflows to production obligations

Topics covered

  • ESI requests, production format, objections, inspection, response timing

Audience: beginner to intermediate. Format: direct rule text. Access: free. Last checked: May 17, 2026. Caveat: TAR protocols should account for privilege, confidentiality, and production format in addition to relevance review.

FTC Model Second Request

https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/Model-Second-Request.pdf

What it is

  • Direct PDF of the FTC's model second request language
  • Useful because it shows concrete government expectations for TAR disclosures in merger investigations
  • Good example of the kinds of method descriptions, statistics, and validation access that can matter in high-stakes review

Topics covered

  • Technology Assisted Review disclosures, search methodology, recall, precision, confidence levels, validation samples

Audience: advanced. Format: direct PDF. Access: free. Last checked: May 17, 2026. Caveat: antitrust second-request context, not a universal civil-discovery protocol.

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