Creating Redaction Logs

This technical note provides step-by-step instructions of how to create a Redaction Log in Lexbe eDiscovery Platform (LEP).

Redaction Background 

LEP enables users to redact documents in the Document Viewer or upload documents redacted locally. LEP displays the redacted version in the Document Viewer under the Redacted tab. Only the redacted versions of documents will be included productions under the PDF, TIFF, and TEXT sub-folders.  LEP automatically withholds the underacted version of documents from the ORIGINALS sub-folder. 

PDFs must be redacted within the LEP Redaction Editor or uploaded within the Document Viewer>Doc tab>Redaction section, for the production feature not to include unredacted documents.

Documents may be redacted by users for many reasons, based on user needs, including removal of confidential information and removal of Privileged or Work-Product from documents otherwise to be produced.

How to Filter on Redacted Documents

When a document is redacted in LEP using the built-in capabilities, a field entitled Show Redacted Only is automatically set. Filter on this field in Browse or Search as follow:

Select Filters>Select Custom Filters from the left margin. Select which filters to apply from the drop down menus. Click Apply and the document set will be filtered in Browse.

The user may also select the field Is Redacted from the Show Fields>Built-in fields available from the Browse and Search pages.

How to Keep Annotations of Why a Document is Redacted

In order to track why a document was redacted for a Redaction Log or otherwise, create a custom text field as follows:

Go to the Management>Manage Custom Doc Fields. 

Click the Add Coding Section hyperlink and create section title named Redaction Detail.

Click the Add Coding Field hyperlink and create a text box title named Reasons for Redaction.

When redacting documents the user may add the custom tag Redaction Detail>Reasons for Redaction to the files that have been redacted. This may be done individually from the Disc Tab or with the Multi Doc Edit function from the Browse or Search pages.  Select multiple files to tag by applying text to a text field for redaction reasons, or by marking the check-box if used.

In LEP the redaction displays a white overlay check-box that the user may optionally edit with the Redaction Text feature (e.g. Financial Records), so that the reason for redaction will show on the redacted text.  This does not happen automatically and the custom tag information will not automatically print on the redacted text.

Alternatively, set up check boxes instead of a single text box as follows:  

 Section: Reasons for Redaction

Check-box Field 1: Confidential

Check-box Field 2: Atty Eyes Only

Check-box Field 3: Privilege

Check-box Field 4: Work Product

In the second example, if redaction is used to remove Privileged or Work Product information from documents or families of related documents and attachments, then a log of this removal can be kept.  (Once a Privileged or Work-Product document is redacted to remove privileged or work-product information, the redacted document may no longer be considered to be privileged or work-product.)

Only Account Admin Users can set up Custom Coding fields (although all users can view and use).  

Making Annotations in LEP

LEP also allows attorneys and others doing case review to highlight and create text notes in the PDF version of files, without affecting or automatically modifying the original. See Annotation for more information.  

Create a Redaction Log 

From Browse or Search the user may filter on Custom Doc Fields to include specific information about the documents being redacted, and this can be downloaded as a Redaction Log as follows:  

Step 1-Choose Fields for Redaction Log 

Choose the fields for the Redaction Log.  We suggest:   

Custom Doc Fields. Related to the redacted files (e.g. Redaction Detail).

Bates. This field refers to the Bates number of the redacted document.

Confidential. Documents marked as such. 

Document Date. Indicates the date of a document.

From. Indicates the author(s) of the document.

To. Indicates the recipient(s) of the document.

Cc. Indicates the recipient(s) copied.

Bcc. Indicates blind carbon copy.

IsRedacted.  Indicates a document is redacted.

Redaction Detail.  Custom Text Field created to describe why a document was redacted.  

A list of all the fields selected during a session is automatically saved to the current data table under the Show Fields hyperlink. The user does not have to select the same fields each time a Custom Privilege log previously created is opened. 

Field Quick Links: The default link titles are under the Recent Field YYYY-DD-MM format.  To rename, click the Edit hyperlink (e.g. Redaction Log). The user may also pin and share the most used fields, delete existing records or Cancel. Field Quick Links section is divided into three subsections:

•Shared. View shared saved fields under this section. To share or unshare fields with users in the current case click Edit and from the Shared/Pinned Fields dialog box check or uncheck the shared icon check-box. This option will share the fields with all current users that have access to the case.

•Pinned. Click the Edit hyperlink, select recent fields by the title and then use the check-box under the pin symbol to pin fields. Click OK to save the changes or Cancel. The pin icon will move the selected recent fields up to the Pinned section.

•Recent. Shows the history of fields that have been selected.

The user may also add any custom fields created, such as Atty Privilege Comments. 

Step 2-Apply Filters

Go to Filter>Select Filters and apply filters to show only redacted files.

After coding documents and selecting specific fields, use filters to narrow down results to a specific division or document to exclude certain files.  This feature also allows the user to save and share filters and fields in LEP. For example, to find documents redacted as as part of a certain Production, select the Production in question from the filter to show redacted documents within that production.

Step 3-Save and Share Filter

To save and share this filter, go to the Filter Quick Links section. Filters are automatically saved after application from the Browse or Search pages and are listed under the Recent section with filter hyperlinks to open specific set of documents. The default link titles are under the Recent Filter YYYY-DD-MM format.  To rename, click the Edit hyperlink (e.g. Redacted - Confidential).

Step 4-Download and Save Custom Redaction Log

Select the documents shown with the filter and click Export To Excel. 

LEP supports the two most recent versions of Excel for Excel integration (2010 and 2013) and we recommend an upgrade from previous versions of Excel before exporting logs.

Download Redacted Documents

To download the actual redacted files and save them to the desktop, select all the documents and then click Export To Briefcase. 

Use as a Supplemental Privilege Log

One use of a Custom Redaction Log would be too keep track of privileged or work product documents that have been redacted to remove privileged or work product information from a document or email family that otherwise will be produced.  In this case the Custom Redaction Log could serve as a supplemental privilege log to show documents redacted for privilege (i.e., partially withheld).  This is an efficient way to handle email families in which some parts are produced and some are not.  In doing this we recommend adding an additional custom check-box field: Redacted for Privilege, to mark documents redacted for privilege reasons, rather than other reasons to redact (e.g., non-privileged confidentiality).  That field would be used for a custom filter.

Custom Privilege Log

LEP also allows the to create custom privilege logs from the Browse or Search pages.

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