ACEDS REVIEW 2026 STUDY GUIDE WITH
TESTED ANSWERS GRADED A+
⩥ You are in charge of litigation support at your law firm. Company A, a
large corporate client of the firm, and John Smith, a member of the
client's management team, have been named in a lawsuit alleging theft
of intellectual property (including computer code) and violation of a
non-compete agreement. The lawsuit stems from Smith's departure from
Company B, a direct competitor of Company A. You have been tasked
with coordinating the collection of ESI from the client, Company A.
Given the importance of the client to the firm, the highly technical issues
involved, and the fact that computer code may need to be preserved,
who would be best suited to perform the collection of ESI?
A) The IT manager at the client who is certified in Microsoft
infrastructure
B) A forensic expert familiar with ESI collection in litigation
C) An expert consultant who is familiar with computer code relevant to
the case
D) You, as the person in. Answer: B
⩥ A data forensic examiner is asked to perform an acquisition of a
computer hard drive. In addition to the collection, he is asked to perform
the most thorough quality control (QC) of the data.
What method of QC is likely to be most thorough?
A) Verify file numbers and sizes.
,B) Verify MD5 or SHA1 hash values.
C) Copy data to a working hard drive and verify that all files function as
intended.
D) Verify file names, date created fields, and time created fields.
Answer: B
⩥ During a large-scale review involving many contract attorneys
performing document review, the review center manager overseeing the
document review is concerned about the potential for data leakage. The
facts and circumstances of the case are sensitive, and any leaks of
documents or information could impact a key revenue stream and
embarrass the client's leadership.
Which step below is the most effective way the review center manager
may reduce the risk of data leakage?
A) Prohibit all cell phones in the review center.
B) Disable USB ports on the reviewer workstation computers.
C) Limit certain reviewers' access to only certain documents.
D) Have all reviewers sign an NDA and monitor their review activities
Answer: D
⩥ A partner at a law firm in the U.S. called his U.S.-based client's legal
department in Germany to start the legal hold process for an important
new case in which ESI will need to be transferred across international
borders. The partner did not speak German and the in-house attorney in
Germany spoke and understood English, but only haltingly. The in-
, house attorney refused to send a communication to potential custodians
in Germany directing them to preserve ESI in connection with the case.
What is likely to be the most productive next step the U.S.-based partner
should take?
A) Engage the client's data protection officer.
B) Fly to Germany to speak to the client in person.
C) Immediately hire the best forensic team to collect the data after
business hours.
D) Document that the client is uncooperative and file it away internally.
Answer: A
⩥ An e-discovery service provider has had several power outages and
disruptions to business operations and the law firm that hired them is
frustrated. To vent their frustration, the law firm has decided to withhold
payment from the service provider. The law firm also made the decision
to switch to another service provider. The original service provider is
now threatening to withhold access to the law firm's data. Technically,
the withheld data belongs to the client of the law firm.
What service provider contract elements should be assessed before
terminating the service provider contract?
A) Service level agreements, data return and data ownership terms.
B) Data ownership and attorney work product ownership.
C) Confidentiality and payment terms and conditions.
D) Warranties by the service provider. Answer: A
TESTED ANSWERS GRADED A+
⩥ You are in charge of litigation support at your law firm. Company A, a
large corporate client of the firm, and John Smith, a member of the
client's management team, have been named in a lawsuit alleging theft
of intellectual property (including computer code) and violation of a
non-compete agreement. The lawsuit stems from Smith's departure from
Company B, a direct competitor of Company A. You have been tasked
with coordinating the collection of ESI from the client, Company A.
Given the importance of the client to the firm, the highly technical issues
involved, and the fact that computer code may need to be preserved,
who would be best suited to perform the collection of ESI?
A) The IT manager at the client who is certified in Microsoft
infrastructure
B) A forensic expert familiar with ESI collection in litigation
C) An expert consultant who is familiar with computer code relevant to
the case
D) You, as the person in. Answer: B
⩥ A data forensic examiner is asked to perform an acquisition of a
computer hard drive. In addition to the collection, he is asked to perform
the most thorough quality control (QC) of the data.
What method of QC is likely to be most thorough?
A) Verify file numbers and sizes.
,B) Verify MD5 or SHA1 hash values.
C) Copy data to a working hard drive and verify that all files function as
intended.
D) Verify file names, date created fields, and time created fields.
Answer: B
⩥ During a large-scale review involving many contract attorneys
performing document review, the review center manager overseeing the
document review is concerned about the potential for data leakage. The
facts and circumstances of the case are sensitive, and any leaks of
documents or information could impact a key revenue stream and
embarrass the client's leadership.
Which step below is the most effective way the review center manager
may reduce the risk of data leakage?
A) Prohibit all cell phones in the review center.
B) Disable USB ports on the reviewer workstation computers.
C) Limit certain reviewers' access to only certain documents.
D) Have all reviewers sign an NDA and monitor their review activities
Answer: D
⩥ A partner at a law firm in the U.S. called his U.S.-based client's legal
department in Germany to start the legal hold process for an important
new case in which ESI will need to be transferred across international
borders. The partner did not speak German and the in-house attorney in
Germany spoke and understood English, but only haltingly. The in-
, house attorney refused to send a communication to potential custodians
in Germany directing them to preserve ESI in connection with the case.
What is likely to be the most productive next step the U.S.-based partner
should take?
A) Engage the client's data protection officer.
B) Fly to Germany to speak to the client in person.
C) Immediately hire the best forensic team to collect the data after
business hours.
D) Document that the client is uncooperative and file it away internally.
Answer: A
⩥ An e-discovery service provider has had several power outages and
disruptions to business operations and the law firm that hired them is
frustrated. To vent their frustration, the law firm has decided to withhold
payment from the service provider. The law firm also made the decision
to switch to another service provider. The original service provider is
now threatening to withhold access to the law firm's data. Technically,
the withheld data belongs to the client of the law firm.
What service provider contract elements should be assessed before
terminating the service provider contract?
A) Service level agreements, data return and data ownership terms.
B) Data ownership and attorney work product ownership.
C) Confidentiality and payment terms and conditions.
D) Warranties by the service provider. Answer: A
