electronic discovery

Showing off has never been easier. The Association of Certified E-Discovery Specialists (ACEDS) has released a new digital certification badge that members can use to have their credentials validated with a single click to their social media pages, online résumé or signature line.

ACEDS created the badge in partnership with credentials solutions developer Credly Acclaim. It was developed as a tool that could be used to prevent fraud or remind people that their certifications won't renew themselves.

“We've had feedback from people who were concerned perhaps that some folks were putting initials after their names or keeping initials after their names even if they hadn't re-certified,” Mary Mack, ACEDS executive director, said.

Some of it isn't even deliberate fraud.  There are also the cases of garden-variety forgetfulness triggered by hectic schedules and the barriers people have erected to stem the flood of different communications channels.

“You just sort of forget that you have to re-certify. We communicate via email, and these days it's really hard to get through spam filters. People move jobs, and so they may not even know that their certification is expired,” Mack said.

The badge was originally developed with an eye towards helping one of ACEDS' strategic partners refer sales leads to organizations that would be staffed and equipped to serve them at a certain level of expertise.

As of two weeks ago, it's now available to members holding ACEDS' Certified E-Discovery Specialist credential. The badge can be posted to Facebook, LinkedIn or inside an email, where a single click will redirect users to a secure third party site maintained by ACEDS.

“Certainly, it would probably save a step for a reference check. Or if you were checking people's credentials, you'd be able to just press on the badge, and then you would see when the candidate certified and if they were still in good standing,” Mack said.

The other side of the employment equation also stands to benefit. Job candidates on the prowl can use the badge to check the status of their own certification and receive instructions on how to re-qualify.

To be sure, nobody will force you to use the digital badge if you really don't want to—but it might be worth considering nevertheless. According to Mack, ACEDS is on a campaign to let people know where they stand with regards to their certification.

“What we've told people is, 'Get your certification cleaned up, because now we have a way to look at this a little bit differently,'” Mack said.