Catalyst announces release of TAR for Smart People (third edition)

Global News

16
Oct
2018

Editor

Third edition provides an advanced primer on the cost and time saving benefits of continuous active learning and TAR 2.0

Catalyst today announced the release of TAR for Smart People (Third Edition). Originally released in 2015, the third edition provides important new information about advances in continuous active learning (CAL), a primer for both novices and advanced students of modern technology-assisted review (TAR), and new case studies. From inception, TAR for Smart People has been and continues to be the definitive book on using TAR 2.0 methodologies with CAL.

TAR 2.0 provides dramatic savings in both review costs and time for corporations and their legal counsel compared to linear review, keyword search and early TAR 1.0 methods. This book discusses the problems inherent with the first generation of TAR applications, while showcasing the newer, more advanced protocols coming with TAR 2.0. Benefits include eliminating the need for senior lawyers to conduct the training, the ability to handle rolling collections and finding relevant documents even when richness is low. 

TAR for Smart People has been read tens of thousands of times and adopted by legal professionals as the authoritative guide on TAR. It also has been used widely as a text for e-discovery courses, helping law students learn about TAR, and judges worldwide have used it at judicial conferences to help educate colleagues on the latest TAR methods.

The third edition contains new sections including: 

1. A TAR Primer
2. How Can I Use TAR?
3. Putting TAR to Work
4. Validating a TAR Review
5. Case Studies

The book answers basic questions such as: How does TAR work? What is the difference between TAR 1.0 and TAR 2.0? How do I know TAR worked? How much can TAR 2.0 save? It also takes on more advanced issues such as how to use TAR for investigations and knowledge generation tasks, using contextual diversity to find out what you don’t know, putting an end to inefficient family review, and using algorithmic QC for privilege protection.

"TAR has been a game changer for e-discovery professionals both in terms of cost savings and review time," said John Tredennick, Catalyst founder and lead author of TAR for Smart People. "As one of the first uses for AI and machine learning in the legal profession, TAR has proven that discovery can be done more efficiently without sacrificing review quality. While TAR 1.0 had glaring limitations that held the industry back, TAR 2.0 removed those roadblocks and is now the industry standard. We are proud to have played a part in moving the industry forward and bringing real savings to our clients.”

“There have been significant advancements in TAR from 1.0 to 2.0, and this book explains the technology simply and thoroughly,” said Tom Gricks, managing director, professional services at Catalyst who previously was lead e-discovery counsel in Global Aerospace v. Landow Aviation, the second case in the United States to authorize the use of TAR over the objection of opposing counsel. “This book is a guide to modern TAR written for both novices and experts alike.” 

TAR for Smart People, Third Edition, is available in print and in a downloadable PDF format. To request the printed edition, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Insight Predict, Catalyst’s TAR 2.0 platform, has been used on nearly 400 cases in the past six years.

Praise for TAR for Smart People: 

• “This book is superb, and I don't apply that word lightly. Superb!” Craig Ball, e-discovery consultant and author, Ball in Your Court
• “There is a book about TAR that is clear, incisive and actually fun to read. Lawyers now have no good reason to avoid understanding a technology which will transform discovery as nothing else has ever done.” U.S. Magistrate Judge John M. Facciola (Retired).
• “I am happy to recommend John’s book to all legal professionals who want to learn more about predictive coding, and to take their search for evidence to the next level.” Ralph Losey, Chair, e-Discovery Practice Group, Jackson Lewis; author e-Discovery Team Blog. 
• “We are pleased to recognize Catalyst for embracing continuous active learning which according to our research advances the state of the art in technology-assisted review.” Professors Maura R. Grossman & Gordon V. Cormack.