Legal Scanning vs. Document Scanning

Legal document scanning may sound like a walk in the park compared to other tasks performed by a paralegal or lawyer on a regular basis. After all, standard document scanning happens every day in-house at any law firm. Document scanning, also known as document imaging, helps you deal with the rapidly increasing burden of maintaining your organization's paper archives. However, legal scanning is not the same as regular document scanning. It requires a level of expertise that not every scanning company possesses, and the volume of documents that need to be scanned is so immense that no individual paralegal can handle it alone. Moreover, in the legal community, perfection is demanded and expected by U.S. Courts and arbitration associations like the American Arbitration Association (AAA) or the Financial Industry Regulatory Association (FINRA), from in-house recordkeeping to discovery productions and trial and hearing exhibit exchanges.

Depending on the magnitude and scope of the project, legal document scanning can be surprisingly too arduous, laborious, and unduly burdensome for most to perform. It can also be a waste of valuable time for paralegals or lawyers who could focus on other critical assignments instead of standing at a copier machine. At Pinnacle, we are well-equipped to handle the most demanding legal document scanning tasks, both on and off-site, leaving you free to focus on other essential tasks.

Pinnacle Discovery Solutions provides high-quality, high-volume document scanning services and document management solutions for organizations across various industries, focusing on improving efficiency, reducing costs, and staying up-to-date with the latest standards. We specialize in serving law firms and businesses of all sizes, and our scanning services range from digitizing single files to entire storage rooms of boxes. Our cutting-edge scanning technology converts your paper documents into digital images that are fully indexed, easily searchable, and retrievable in seconds.

Indexing: The smart way to manage your documents

Document indexing is the process of assigning specific information as key identifiers to scanned documents. This is typically done during the production phase of document scanning, allowing immediate access to the documents through text search. Pinnacle's scanning operator will assign names to the files as they are scanned, following the naming instructions provided by you. Common indexing instructions include naming files after the dates, client or vendor names, and invoice numbers. Still, whatever the instructions are provided, they will be executed with the utmost accuracy and precision. Indexing is a critical step in organizing digital records to mirror the appearance of paper documents, enabling efficient retrieval and management of information.

Electronic Bates & Exhibit Stamping

Electronic Bates stamping is a process of electronically adding a unique identifier or page number to each page of a digital document or set of documents. This electronic identifier is commonly called a 'Bates stamp,' named after the physical stamping machines previously used for this purpose in paper-based document management. Electronic Bates stamping is widely used in the legal industry to organize and identify large sets of electronic documents, especially during the discovery phase of a case. In addition, it helps ensure that each page can be easily located and referenced during legal proceedings. Typically, electronic Bates stamping involves a three-letter prefix followed by sequential numbering that is added to the bottom right-hand corner.

Electronic exhibit stamping is the process of adding an electronic stamp or label to digital documents that are being used as exhibits in legal proceedings. For example, to present evidence during a trial, the initial stage involves marking the evidence with an exhibit sticker for identification and submitting it to the court's possession. The stamp typically includes identifying information, such as the case number, exhibit number, and date and serves to authenticate and track the document. Electronic exhibit stamping must be added to the first page of every exhibit in your trial exhibits. Typically, the defense uses blue stickers, while plaintiffs utilize yellow stickers.

OCR: Optical Character Recognition

OCR, short for Optical Character Recognition, is a technology capable of recognizing text within a digital image. PDF is one of the most common file types that benefit from OCR. By utilizing OCR software, a document can be transformed into a searchable PDF. With this feature, pressing Ctrl+F (or Command+F on a Mac) will display a search box that enables users to search for keywords within the document. Pinnacle's cutting-edge OCR software goes beyond standard text recognition by capturing handwritten notes on documents and automatically rotating images to the correct orientation. This enhanced functionality ensures that all text, whether printed or handwritten, is accurately recognized and processed, saving users valuable time and effort in manual adjustments. This significantly reduces the time needed for document review saving you time and your client money.

High Volume Productions: Instant Access on a Rolling Basis

Rolling productions are an excellent option for large-scale projects. With this approach, we scan, perform quality control, and upload the production as it is produced, providing you with immediate access to data for document review. This swift turnaround allows you to start your review process without delay, making it easier to stay on top of the project timeline and manage time-sensitive situations effectively. For instance, if we pick up 50 boxes from your office today, by the same day or evening, we usually have 4 or 5 boxes uploaded for your review, with more expected to be available by the next morning. Additionally, this approach can help you gain extra time when facing tight deadlines with your adversary.

On-Site Scanning: All We Need is an Outlet!

Legal cases often involve handling and exchanging highly restricted confidential documents that cannot be removed from their stored location. In some cases, adversaries may be uncooperative and refuse to allow the discovery documents to leave their client's premises. To address such situations, we offer an on-site scanning solution that sends a professional team equipped with high-volume scanning equipment to the location to find the "smoking gun."

Our team of trained professionals and high-volume scanning equipment can be assembled within hours to establish a scanning environment, utilizing similar equipment and workstations as our own production facilities, without disturbing the location's regular business operations. Then, with just access to an electrical outlet, we can efficiently scan and digitize the documents on-site, making them readily available for your review.