WASHINGTON, D.C., April 5, 2012 — The development of new technologies such as social media, electronic storage and GPS tracking software raises new challenges, ethical considerations and questions about the costs of utilizing such tools during investigations and trials. These topics will be explored in depth at the 2012 Spring Conference, “E-Discovery in Government Investigations and Criminal Litigation,” hosted by the American Bar Association Criminal Justice Section on April 13, at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles.    

Judges, prosecutors and defense lawyers from around the country will gather to address key issues surrounding electronically stored information in governing post-indictment, search warrants and subpoena compliance. Social media’s impact on jurors, clients and investigations will also be discussed.

Erwin Chemerinsky, dean, University of California, Irvine School of Law, will discuss electronic searches as well as United States v. Jones, a case that ruled that the government’s attachment of the GPS device to the vehicle constitutes a search under the Fourth Amendment, during the A-List luncheon.

Program highlights include:

• Investigation and subpoena compliance;
• ESI and the Fourth Amendment;
• Post-indictment discovery and trial evidence;
• The Internet, social media, ethics and juror issues; and
• Cost-effectiveness approaches to dealing with ESI.

The online conference agenda provides a complete list of meeting programs and speakers.

What:      2012 Spring Conference
                    “E-Discovery in Government Investigations and 
                     Criminal Litigation”

When:     April 13

Where:    Millennium Biltmore Hotel, 506 S. Grand Ave. Los Angeles

There is no charge for media covering this event. For media credentialing and conference materials, please contact Rabiah Burks at 202-662-1002 or rabiah.burks@americanbar.org.

With nearly 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is the largest voluntary professional membership organization in the world.  As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law.

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