[author: Cory Flynn]
As we step into 2026, it’s an ideal moment to reflect on the trends that shaped discovery over the past year. In 2025, legal teams navigated rapid innovation, evolving data types, and rising client expectations around speed, accuracy, and efficiency. This retrospective looks back at the eDiscovery trends that had the greatest impact in 2025—and how forward-thinking teams are using legal technology to stay ahead in the year to come. At Array, we witnessed these changes firsthand. Supporting matters from early data management through managed review and subpoenas gave us unique insight into how these shifts influenced workflows, staffing models, and case outcomes. Below are the five trends that left the biggest mark on eDiscovery in 2025.
2. Data Volumes Grew—But Review Costs Didn’t (Thanks to Smarter Analytics)
Collaboration platforms, mobile messaging, voice data, and AI-generated content expanded review sets again in 2025. Yet costs didn’t rise at the same pace for teams that embraced modern analytics.
Legal team increasingly relied on:
- Advanced threading and conversation reconstruction
- Near-duplicate detection and clustering
- Continuous Active Learning (CAL)-based prioritization
- AI-enhanced search that surfaces context, not just keywords.
Early adopters prevented runaway review costs—even on matters with millions of documents—especially where analytics were paired with clear governance and consistent workflows.
3. Multijurisdictional Matters Drove Demand for Scalable Global Infrastructure
In 2025, privacy laws and data residency requirements made cross-border litigation and discovery more complex.
As organizations expanded across borders, discovery teams encountered new challenges:
- There were more countries with strict rules about accessing data
- Localized review environments became increasingly necessary
- Security infrastructure needed to adjust according to regional demands
- Increased emphasis on defensible, documented transfer processes
Consequently, legal teams began searching for service partners who could quickly operate across different and global jurisdictions. While global support was previously a “nice to have,” it is now essential for any matter dealing with international data.
4. Litigation Timelines Compressed, Demanding More Efficient Processes
In 2025, growing expectations from courts, clients, and regulators for faster results led to a more compressed litigation timeline, compelling teams to streamline each stage of their discovery workflow.
In response, firms took several strategic steps:
- They outsourced time-intensive responsibilities such as project management, managing subpoenas, and conducting large-scale reviews
- Automated data intake and processing systems were embraced
- Standardized playbooks were put in place to limit inconsistencies
- Real-time dashboards were utilized to track progress and assess potential risks
The firms and legal departments that excelled in 2025 were those that replaced ad hoc processes with predictable, repeatable systems—reducing both turnaround time and error rates.
5. Discovery Management Shifted from Operational Execution to Strategic Impact
Discovery matured into a strategic pillar of litigation in 2025.
Instead of viewing discovery as a tactical phase, leading organizations treated it as a core component of case strategy, client value, and risk management. This mindset shift manifested in several ways:
- Litigation leaders included discovery planning in upfront case strategy
- Corporate legal teams evaluated discovery partners based on long-term value, not just cost
- Departments worked closely across legal, IT, compliance, and privacy
- Legal teams took a portfolio-level view of discovery processes, not a matter-by-matter approach
Adopting this elevated perspective enabled organizations to better foresee potential challenges, minimize unexpected issues, and achieve superior results.
Looking Ahead
The trends of 2025 underscored a critical insight: legal teams that invest in scalable processes, analytics, and advanced technology are well positioned to address increasingly complex caseloads while maintaining high standards of quality and oversight.
As legal teams establish their priorities for 2026, the lessons learned over the past year offer valuable guidance. It is essential to integrate AI solutions with careful consideration, adopt global and hybrid review models, streamline workflows, and approach discovery as an integral element of comprehensive legal strategy.
