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Looking to jump start your legal technology career but don't know how? Jared Coseglia of TRU Staffing Partners writes a monthly column on certifications to know and training to acquire in the industry for Legaltech News. This month's piece takes a look at new certifications offered by Relativity.

In 2012, there were only 239 professionals in the world with a Relativity Administrator Certification (RCA). As of this month, there are now 1,690 RCAs in the global e-discovery workforce. This massive acceleration in accreditation of the community in one specific product has validated Relativity as the dominant e-discovery technology utilized across the globe and has focused the evaluation and hiring of talent precisely on the skills associated with that technology.

While the unique value and professional leverage the RCA has for certified users and their employers are far from diluted, specialties in the Relativity certification ecosystem are getting more and more attention. Where once the RCA was a differentiator equating to potential for a higher compensation or billable hour rate from a client, the RCA is now broadly considered the foundation of expected proficiency to win business and better job opportunities. The power to clearly distinguish yourself or your organization from a crowded sea of talent and service providers who have all largely adopted Relativity will soon lie in the advanced certifications being offered in several core areas of expertise.

A total of eight Relativity Certifications are available to users (please note that some of the acronyms are unofficial, though often used on resumes): Relativity Certified Administrator (RCA), Relativity Certified Sales Professional (RCSP), Relativity Certified User (RCU), Assisted Review (RAR), Analytics Specialist (RAS), Processing Specialist (RPS), Infrastructure Specialist (RIS) and Project Management Specialist (RPMS).

Combining an RCA with two other specialty certifications earns you “Expert” status. Combining an RCA with four additional specialty certifications earns you “Master” status. The RCSP does not count toward Expert and Master status. There are currently 146 “Experts” and 55 “Masters” in the Relativity ecosystem.

Talent openly market their certification holdings on resumes and LinkedIn profiles with the certifications above placed proudly after their name. Service providers can list the number of employees on their payrolls with each individual certification on a Partners webpage hosted by Relativity. Employers can also achieve “Best in Service” distinctions—in Blue level, or better Orange—and having a certain numbers of employees on staff with each certification is part of the “Best in Service” evaluation and designation.

Three Relativity certifications stand out from the pack for the lowest number of individuals possessing them: the Infrastructure Specialist with 103, the Project Management Specialist with 47 and the Processing Specialist with only 17. These low numbers are largely due to how new the certifications are, but as the RCA becomes increasingly a required standard and not a unique distinction, earning additional specialist certifications in Relativity could be the difference between getting a new job, a raise or promotion or winning new business.

For the duration of 2017, Relativity is offering 33 percent off the cost of taking any of these three certifications. The following is a snapshot of each:

Relativity Project Management Specialist: According to Katie Simon, senior certification specialist at Relativity, the RPMS involves learning “the EDRM from a Relativity perspective.” This means the designation distinguishes itself from the RCA by focusing on process and engaging users on the proper applications or utilizations of the software based on real-life hypotheticals that demand a command of Relativity workflow.

Simon adds that, “The main driver for creating a Project Management Specialist exam was to provide Relativity project managers a way to certify their knowledge and expertise in Relativity workflow by creating a certification that covers all Relativity products and fills the gap between the Certified User and RCA exams.” In other words, the RCA may be more pinpointing how you do something in core Relativity while the RPMS is concerned more with the why and when to integrate certain functionalities of Relativity. Relativity finds that users often achieve the RCA before getting the Project Manager certification, but that is certainly not a requirement.

Relativity Processing Specialist: Processing was added to the Relativity stack in 2012, and the Relativity Processing Specialist certification has been available since 2016. Simon attributes the low number of RPS certification holders to the newness of the test, but also to its difficulty. “The Processing exam is very challenging,” says Simon, “It covers the Relativity Processing Console (RPC) and web processing, which is what most people are using, and processing is no different in RelativityOne, though the workflows may vary a bit.”

With increasing demand for fully integrated usage of Relativity across all aspects of the EDRM among law firm, corporate and service provider partners, the processing certification could quickly become a highly prized delineator for individuals whose core professional focus in e-discovery is around the processing of data. Relativity offers a specialized one-day training for those pursuing this certification.

Relativity Infrastructure Specialist: The Infrastructure certification is the oldest of these three specialist certifications, having been established in 2013, and has the highest number of certification holders of the three at 103. This is the quintessential “back end” certification for the software and offers its own specially designed training curriculum.

Currently, Relativity offers a one-day on premise infrastructure training that can be complemented with a wealth of web tutorials and online documentation. The demand for professionals who are Relativity infrastructure experts may not be as broad as the demand for project managers and processors, but the vertical and financial leverage having this certification gives is undeniable. RIS certification holders can find themselves competing with fewer people for fewer jobs, but these jobs can often pay 20-40 percent more than traditional PM roles in e-discovery.

One important feature of the certification program that is worth noting is that all specialist exams are available online. The RCA is going online soon, but for now, the elimination of geographic barriers to administering the specialist exams should entice Relativity users seeking certification to test their skills from the comfort of their homes or offices immediately.

When asked why Relativity has chosen to give a discount on these three certifications, Simon notes that, “We've seen the number of certified folks in these exams gaining momentum in the industry, and we feel these exams are a very positive investment for individuals looking to differentiate themselves in the market.” All exams have no writing, no fill-in blanks and no essays, but they do have scenario-based questions. All training and certification tests already reflect the latest user interface. All questions have clear “right or wrong answers” and are not intended to be subjective or open for interpretation.

If you are not sure what certification is right for you or your staff, check out the Quick-start guide. This offers a useful overview of all Relativity certifications, who should take them, what they cover and where to find study materials. No code is needed to get the 33 percent discounts for taking the RIS, RPMS or RPS exams.

Jared Coseglia is the founder and CEO of TRU Staffing Partners, an Inc 5000 Fastest Growing American Company 2016 and National Law Journal's #1 Legal Staffing Agency, and has over 13 years of experience placing thousands of professionals in e-discovery, litigation support, cybersecurity and broadly throughout legal and technology staffing.

Relativity logo

Looking to jump start your legal technology career but don't know how? Jared Coseglia of TRU Staffing Partners writes a monthly column on certifications to know and training to acquire in the industry for Legaltech News. This month's piece takes a look at new certifications offered by Relativity.

In 2012, there were only 239 professionals in the world with a Relativity Administrator Certification (RCA). As of this month, there are now 1,690 RCAs in the global e-discovery workforce. This massive acceleration in accreditation of the community in one specific product has validated Relativity as the dominant e-discovery technology utilized across the globe and has focused the evaluation and hiring of talent precisely on the skills associated with that technology.

While the unique value and professional leverage the RCA has for certified users and their employers are far from diluted, specialties in the Relativity certification ecosystem are getting more and more attention. Where once the RCA was a differentiator equating to potential for a higher compensation or billable hour rate from a client, the RCA is now broadly considered the foundation of expected proficiency to win business and better job opportunities. The power to clearly distinguish yourself or your organization from a crowded sea of talent and service providers who have all largely adopted Relativity will soon lie in the advanced certifications being offered in several core areas of expertise.

A total of eight Relativity Certifications are available to users (please note that some of the acronyms are unofficial, though often used on resumes): Relativity Certified Administrator (RCA), Relativity Certified Sales Professional (RCSP), Relativity Certified User (RCU), Assisted Review (RAR), Analytics Specialist (RAS), Processing Specialist (RPS), Infrastructure Specialist (RIS) and Project Management Specialist (RPMS).

Combining an RCA with two other specialty certifications earns you “Expert” status. Combining an RCA with four additional specialty certifications earns you “Master” status. The RCSP does not count toward Expert and Master status. There are currently 146 “Experts” and 55 “Masters” in the Relativity ecosystem.

Talent openly market their certification holdings on resumes and LinkedIn profiles with the certifications above placed proudly after their name. Service providers can list the number of employees on their payrolls with each individual certification on a Partners webpage hosted by Relativity. Employers can also achieve “Best in Service” distinctions—in Blue level, or better Orange—and having a certain numbers of employees on staff with each certification is part of the “Best in Service” evaluation and designation.

Three Relativity certifications stand out from the pack for the lowest number of individuals possessing them: the Infrastructure Specialist with 103, the Project Management Specialist with 47 and the Processing Specialist with only 17. These low numbers are largely due to how new the certifications are, but as the RCA becomes increasingly a required standard and not a unique distinction, earning additional specialist certifications in Relativity could be the difference between getting a new job, a raise or promotion or winning new business.

For the duration of 2017, Relativity is offering 33 percent off the cost of taking any of these three certifications. The following is a snapshot of each:

Relativity Project Management Specialist: According to Katie Simon, senior certification specialist at Relativity, the RPMS involves learning “the EDRM from a Relativity perspective.” This means the designation distinguishes itself from the RCA by focusing on process and engaging users on the proper applications or utilizations of the software based on real-life hypotheticals that demand a command of Relativity workflow.

Simon adds that, “The main driver for creating a Project Management Specialist exam was to provide Relativity project managers a way to certify their knowledge and expertise in Relativity workflow by creating a certification that covers all Relativity products and fills the gap between the Certified User and RCA exams.” In other words, the RCA may be more pinpointing how you do something in core Relativity while the RPMS is concerned more with the why and when to integrate certain functionalities of Relativity. Relativity finds that users often achieve the RCA before getting the Project Manager certification, but that is certainly not a requirement.

Relativity Processing Specialist: Processing was added to the Relativity stack in 2012, and the Relativity Processing Specialist certification has been available since 2016. Simon attributes the low number of RPS certification holders to the newness of the test, but also to its difficulty. “The Processing exam is very challenging,” says Simon, “It covers the Relativity Processing Console (RPC) and web processing, which is what most people are using, and processing is no different in RelativityOne, though the workflows may vary a bit.”

With increasing demand for fully integrated usage of Relativity across all aspects of the EDRM among law firm, corporate and service provider partners, the processing certification could quickly become a highly prized delineator for individuals whose core professional focus in e-discovery is around the processing of data. Relativity offers a specialized one-day training for those pursuing this certification.

Relativity Infrastructure Specialist: The Infrastructure certification is the oldest of these three specialist certifications, having been established in 2013, and has the highest number of certification holders of the three at 103. This is the quintessential “back end” certification for the software and offers its own specially designed training curriculum.

Currently, Relativity offers a one-day on premise infrastructure training that can be complemented with a wealth of web tutorials and online documentation. The demand for professionals who are Relativity infrastructure experts may not be as broad as the demand for project managers and processors, but the vertical and financial leverage having this certification gives is undeniable. RIS certification holders can find themselves competing with fewer people for fewer jobs, but these jobs can often pay 20-40 percent more than traditional PM roles in e-discovery.

One important feature of the certification program that is worth noting is that all specialist exams are available online. The RCA is going online soon, but for now, the elimination of geographic barriers to administering the specialist exams should entice Relativity users seeking certification to test their skills from the comfort of their homes or offices immediately.

When asked why Relativity has chosen to give a discount on these three certifications, Simon notes that, “We've seen the number of certified folks in these exams gaining momentum in the industry, and we feel these exams are a very positive investment for individuals looking to differentiate themselves in the market.” All exams have no writing, no fill-in blanks and no essays, but they do have scenario-based questions. All training and certification tests already reflect the latest user interface. All questions have clear “right or wrong answers” and are not intended to be subjective or open for interpretation.

If you are not sure what certification is right for you or your staff, check out the Quick-start guide. This offers a useful overview of all Relativity certifications, who should take them, what they cover and where to find study materials. No code is needed to get the 33 percent discounts for taking the RIS, RPMS or RPS exams.

Jared Coseglia is the founder and CEO of TRU Staffing Partners, an Inc 5000 Fastest Growing American Company 2016 and National Law Journal's #1 Legal Staffing Agency, and has over 13 years of experience placing thousands of professionals in e-discovery, litigation support, cybersecurity and broadly throughout legal and technology staffing.