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Business Case
Jakob completed a full month's work in just one day
How Cleardox helped a defense attorney streamline the redaction of 30,000 documents in a financial crime case, saving time and ensuring data security.
Emilie Eriksen
4 minutes
Jakob completed a full month's work in just one day – Secure and efficient redaction in a financial crime case with 30,000 documents
November 12, 2024
Introduction
Jakob, a defense attorney at Arrevad Gottlieb law firm, needed to anonymize 30,000 documents for a case involving financial crime. In criminal cases, defendants cannot simply be handed all the evidence in their case without them first being redacted.
As a defense attorney in cases such as financial crime, there are two options for allowing the defendant to review the case documents:
- One option is to sit next to the client while they go through all the documents, for instance, on the attorney's screen. This can work in cases with only a few documents. However, with 30,000 documents, this solution becomes an extremely time-consuming and unrealistic one.
- Alternatively, the documents must be redacted before they are provided to the defendant. Either the prosecution handles this, or the defense attorney needs to do it themselves. In this case, the prosecution had not done so.
Trust in the Manual Process – and the Search for a More Innovative Approach
So, how does one manage such an anonymization process to ensure that sensitive information (such as social security numbers, bank account details, etc.) is removed in a case with 30,000 documents?
Jakob was facing the daunting task of manually printing all the pages, crossing out the sensitive information with a black marker, copying all the pages again to ensure everything was removed, and then reassembling the entire case in a binder. This would be an extremely heavy task, not only due to the time required for manual anonymization but also the mental load of ensuring all sensitive data was properly redacted, not to mention the environmental impact of printing and copying.
Jakob estimated that this manual process would take him at least a full month to complete.
So, what to do? Was there a smarter, more secure redaction solution available, or would Jakob have to resort to the first option of sitting with his client and going through all the papers on his PC, which would also take at least a month?
The Advantages of Cleardox – Balancing Time-efficiency and Security
Fortunately, the solution to this challenge appeared after an internet search: Cleardox, an intelligent anonymization software that streamlines the redaction process and improves security by eliminating the manual effort.
Jakob reached out to Oliver from Cleardox, and they quickly set up a meeting. Jakob was able to anonymize 25,000 of the 30,000 files (5,000 of which couldn’t be disclosed) in just a single 8-hour workday – saving him a whole month of work.
For Jakob, Cleardox’s redaction software tool was easy and intuitive to use. Cleardox automatically identified the information he needed to redact, and with the autoflow feature, he was able to quickly review and anonymize the sensitive data, streamlining the entire process.
Jakob had only a couple of minor questions during the process, but otherwise, everything ran smoothly and flawlessly.
Cleardox – A Tool for the Modern Attorney
It is crucial for attorneys to avoid disclosing personal data to their clients without authorization, as this can have serious consequences not only for the individuals whose data may be wrongly shared but also for the attorney, who could face administrative fines.
Jakob recognizes a distinct need for Cleardox’s anonymization solution in criminal cases with large volumes of documents, such as financial crime cases like this one, or cases involving encrypted messages, phone surveillance, and more.
After using Cleardox for this criminal case, Jakob has recommended the redaction tool to several of his fellow defense attorneys in two seminars.
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Protecting Your Data, Simplifying Your Workflow
At Cleardox, we are committed to protecting data while minimizing the workload of the anonymization process and still making it possible to share data securely.
Contact us today for a trial period or a non-binding offer at contact@cleardox.io, or try our demo.
We’ve also developed a solution specifically for attorneys in addition to Cleardox Redact, called Cleardox Legal Binder, which further streamlines the process of setting up legal binders in relation to court cases. Read more about that here.
What was the main challenge Jakob from Arrevad Gottlieb law firm faced when handling 30,000 legal documents?
Jakob faced the challenge of anonymizing 30,000 documents in a complex financial crime case. The sheer volume made manual redaction extremely time-consuming and difficult to manage within a reasonable timeframe, while still ensuring full accuracy and compliance.
Why is redaction necessary in criminal and financial crime cases before sharing evidence with defendants?
Redaction is necessary to protect sensitive personal information such as social security numbers, bank details, and other confidential data before evidence is shared. Without proper anonymization, there is a risk of exposing private information and violating legal and data protection requirements.
How did Jakob from Arrevad Gottlieb law firm use Cleardox to complete a full month’s work in just one day?
Jakob used Cleardox to automate the redaction of 25,000 out of 30,000 documents in a single 8-hour workday. The system quickly identified sensitive information across large amounts of documents at once and allowed him to review and approve redactions efficiently through an intuitive workflow.
What features in Cleardox made the redaction process faster and more efficient for Jakob from Arrevad Gottlieb law firm?
Key features included automated detection of sensitive data, bulk processing of large document sets, and an easy-to-use review workflow. These features significantly reduced manual effort and allowed Jakob to complete in hours what would otherwise take weeks.
What alternatives did Jakob from Arrevad Gottlieb law firm have before using Cleardox for document anonymization?
Before using Cleardox, Jakob either had to manually redact all documents by printing and blacking out sensitive information or review all materials together with the client. Both options were extremely time-consuming and impractical for a case involving 30,000 documents.