[Podcast] HaystackID® in the EDRM Illumination Zone: Esther Birnbaum, EVP of Legal Data Intelligence
Editor’s Note: In this engaging episode of the EDRM Illumination Zone, Esther Birnbaum, EVP of Legal Data Intelligence at HaystackID®, shared her unique journey from a document review attorney to a key leader driving innovation in legal technology. With hosts Mary Mack, Kaylee Walstad, and Holley Robinson, Birnbaum discussed how generative AI (GenAI) is redefining how legal teams approach discovery and data strategy. Her perspective, shaped by both in-house experience and her current role, offered a practical look at the real-world impact of AI on legal workflows. She explained why defensibility and expert oversight are critical in GenAI implementations and how AI will make legal processes smarter and more informed. Listen to the full episode for valuable insight and inspiration on how to thrive in the changing legal tech field.
[Podcast] HaystackID® in the EDRM Illumination Zone: Esther Birnbaum, EVP of Legal Data Intelligence
By HaystackID Staff
In the latest episode of the EDRM Illumination Zone podcast, hosts Mary Mack, Kaylee Walstad, and Holley Robinson sat down with Esther Birnbaum, Executive Vice President of Legal Data Intelligence at HaystackID®, for a thoughtful and energizing conversation. Birnbaum shared how her career started as a document review attorney during a tough job market and how that foundation led her to build a successful career in eDiscovery and legal tech. Now, as a key leader at HaystackID, she’s helping shape the future of how legal teams approach data—moving beyond traditional discovery into what she calls legal data intelligence.
Throughout the conversation, Birnbaum talked about how her time as a HaystackID client gave her a unique perspective before joining the team. She shared her experience working with HaystackID’s data science teams to explore early generative AI (GenAI) proof-of-concept projects, which ultimately sparked her transition into her current role. Now, she’s focused on building smart, defensible solutions that integrate GenAI into real legal workflows—like Core Intelligence AI™, which combines cutting-edge technology with expert legal guidance.
One of the key themes Birnbaum highlighted is just how much GenAI is changing the game in legal, saying: “GenAI is going to completely change the way the legal process works because we will understand what is in our data and make rational decisions about what the parameters of discovery in a matter should be. It’s going to be a much smarter way to deal with litigation and investigations because of the amount of information you’ll have about a dataset.”
Whether you’re a legal tech enthusiast or just curious about how AI is reshaping the legal world, Birnbaum’s insight, energy, and practical experience make this a conversation you won’t want to miss.
More About Esther Birnbaum
With a robust background in complex litigation and regulatory compliance, Esther brings a wealth of knowledge and practical experience to the table. She uses her unique expertise at the intersection of technology, data, and law to develop best practices and drive innovative workflows across many areas of the business. She enjoys sharing her insights with the wider eDiscovery community and frequently speaks at conferences, webinars, and podcasts on topics related to law and technology.
The podcast is available on your favorite listening app, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Play. The podcast is available on the EDRM website and is provided below for convenience.
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About the Electronic Discovery Reference Model
Empowering the global leaders of e-discovery, the Electronic Discovery Reference Model (EDRM) creates practical global resources to improve e-discovery, privacy, security, and information governance. Since 2005, EDRM has delivered leadership, standards, tools, guides, and test datasets to strengthen best practices throughout the world. EDRM has an international presence in 136 countries, spanning six continents. EDRM provides an innovative support infrastructure for individuals, law firms, corporations, and government organizations seeking to improve the practice and provision of data and legal discovery with 19 active projects. Learn more at EDRM.net.
About HaystackID®
HaystackID solves complex data challenges related to legal, compliance, regulatory, and cyber events. Core offerings include Global Advisory, Data Discovery Intelligence, HaystackID Core® Platform, and AI-enhanced Global Managed Review powered by its proprietary platform, ReviewRight®. Repeatedly recognized as one of the world’s most trusted legal industry providers by prestigious publishers such as Chambers, Gartner, IDC, and Legaltech News, HaystackID implements innovative cyber discovery, enterprise solutions, and legal and compliance offerings to leading companies and legal practices around the world. HaystackID offers highly curated and customized offerings while prioritizing security, privacy, and integrity. For more information about how HaystackID can help solve unique legal enterprise needs, please visit HaystackID.com.
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Source: HaystackID