The reference model that has defined electronic discovery practice since 2005 is being redrawn for the AI era, with information governance as its foundation, disposition elevated to a core phase and analysis extended across the entire discovery lifecycle. Public comment on EDRM 2.0 is open until 30 July 2026.
The Electronic Discovery Reference Model (EDRM) organisation opened comment on 30 June. EDRM 2.0 is the first substantive update to the model since it incorporated the full Information Governance Reference Model (IGRM). It was developed over two years by approximately 150 practitioners across the global EDRM community, including in-house counsel, law firm practitioners, service providers, technologists, academics and members of the judiciary. Feedback can be submitted at edrm.net.
Key changes include grounding the discovery lifecycle in the IGRM as a foundational layer, reflecting how governance principles shape every downstream discovery activity. Identification, preservation, collection and processing are grouped within a unified Data Acquisition framework, recognising these activities increasingly operate together rather than as strictly sequential steps.
Disposition is now represented as a discrete phase, acknowledging the practical, legal and ethical responsibility to address data once it is no longer required. Analysis becomes an activity spanning every phase of discovery, reflecting the growing role of legal judgment, analytics, data science and AI throughout.
"EDRM remains the best entry point for understanding eDiscovery, and Model 2.0 gives the profession a stronger foundation for the future," said Shannon Lex Bales, EDRM 2.0 co-project trustee. "Its increased focus on Analysis reflects where legal technology is headed: toward better insight, better strategy, and more informed decision-making."
EDRM 2.0 builds on IGRM version 4.1, released in June 2026. Together they provide an integrated reference for how organisations manage information from creation through final disposition, with discovery activities grounded in the broader governance lifecycle.
"The volume, variety and velocity of data in the agentic AI era challenges familiar digital evidence workflows with an intensity we haven't seen since our beginnings," said Mary Mack, CEO and chief legal technologist for EDRM. "Public comment is where the EDRM community makes our community consensus work better."
Project trustees will review every submission and determine whether additional committee review or revisions are warranted before final publication. EDRM says commercial support does not weight or accelerate any comment, with trustees adjudicating on substance alone.