Patent ID: 8200642

Claim:
A method for processing electronic documents for use in a legal proceeding, comprising: a. storing a request for production of a document in a record in a table in a database; b. obtaining a set of electronic documents stored on a computer readable medium without altering a predetermined set of characteristics of the set of electronic documents with respect to the computer readable medium; c. using a first software process to obtain a first set of description data of each of the electronic documents; d. using a second software process to extract text content from each of the electronic documents to the extent that each electronic document contains extractable text content; e. storing the first set of description data in a first predetermined set of fields in a record in a table in the database, at least one of the predetermined set of fields of stored data containing data relating the stored first set of description data with its respective electronic document; f. storing the text content if present into a second predetermined set of fields in a record related to its respective electronic document in a table in the database; g. obtaining a document relevance decision criterion related to the request for production; h. analyzing the description data and the text content for responsiveness to the document relevance decision criterion; and i. creating an association in the database of each of the electronic document with the request for production if that electronic document is at or above a responsiveness threshold with respect to the document relevance decision criterion as determined by matching at least one of the description data and the text content with the decision criterion.