About ACEDS
ACEDS is the world’s leading educational organization specializing in training and certification in e-discovery, information governance, and related legal disciplines. ACEDS provides training and professional development courses to law firms, corporate legal departments, software and service providers, the government, and academic institutions. ACEDS is also a professional association with more than 2500 active members who gather and network in 29 chapters formed in major U.S. cities, Canada, Ireland, the U.K., Benelux, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
Since 2010, ACEDS has offered the legal community the only psychometrically sound e-discovery certification exam. Qualified candidates who pass the rigorous examination are awarded and earn the right to use the Certified E-Discovery Specialist (CEDS™) credential.
Through our partnership programs, ACEDS also offers software and service providers, law firms, and other organizations opportunities to amplify their brands and promote products and services via our webinars, digital marketing and publishing platforms to our members and 40,000 followers.
ACEDS is a division of The BARBRI Group, a global legal education company that provides legal and professional development training and education to students, lawyers and other legal professionals.
Our Vision
We exist to inspire and educate, to have a unifying influence in the development and use of technology in the legal profession, and to validate the technical competence of legal professionals.
Our Mission and Purpose
The mission of ACEDS is to help students and professionals in the legal community to improve and validate their e-discovery knowledge and skill, increase their technology competence, and to create opportunities to advance their careers and increase their contacts in e-discovery and related fields. ACEDS accomplishes this mission by providing:
- Live and online training and education, professional development programs, workshops, webinars, and mentorship.
- The Certified E-Discovery Specialist (CEDS) certification, which meets the highest standards for sound credentialing and competency assessment.
- News, scholarship, information and analysis from industry experts and partners; and
- Community-building through in-person and online events providing networking opportunities through local chapters organizations.
The purpose of ACEDS is to grow and evolve expertise in e-discovery and related disciplines for legal professionals. Through access to indispensable resources and unparalleled experts, ACEDS offers career-elevating education and mentorship that establishes credibility and leads to advancement. ACEDS exceeds standards of technical competence by offering the only psychometrically sound certification in e-discovery. Our training programs are designed by experts to instill true knowledge, and our certification examination is vetted by data scientists with adherence to sound credentialing standards, leading to objective, quantitative measurement of knowledge and skills and making the difference between mere competence and expertise. Our programs level the legal technology playing field by elevating competence, thereby enabling the practitioners to keep pace with the evolution of technology and improve the legal profession.
ACEDS operates on the simple principles that training, certification, continuing education, and networking are instrumental to professional success in the legal community.
ACEDS core pillars aim to:
- IDENTIFY and promote the fundamental skills, knowledge and talents required to advance the body of knowledge for managing projects in e-discovery and related disciplines.
- OFFER quality education to foster professionalism and contribute to the development of best practices in the management and delivery of professional services in e-discovery and related disciplines.
- CREATE a forum within the legal community for the exchange of ideas, guidance, and practices that continue to evolve in legal technology.
- COLLABORATE with other organizations, law firms, corporations, and government to encourage education and career development in e-discovery and legal technology.