National eDiscovery Leadership Institute 2025
The National eDiscovery Leadership Institute (NeLI) is a premier educational event dedicated to advancing the understanding and practice of electronic discovery (eDiscovery) among legal professionals. Organized by the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) School of Law, NeLI has been providing high-quality educational opportunities since its inception in 2014. The 2025 conference is scheduled for September 11-12 at the UMKC Student Union in Kansas City, Missouri.
The 2025 agenda features a comprehensive range of topics pertinent to eDiscovery. Sessions include a mock client interview addressing issues like Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies and artificial intelligence (AI) integration, a mock meet and confer focusing on AI in document review and mobile device collection, and discussions on evolving state privacy laws and their impact on eDiscovery. Additionally, the conference will host a judicial panel providing insights into recent developments and ethical considerations in the discovery process.
Attendees will have ample opportunities for networking, including a reception and plated dinner on the first day. The event will also feature notable speakers such as Hon. Lisa J. Cisneros, Hon. Young B. Kim, and Hon. Andrew J. Peck (ret.), offering valuable perspectives from the bench and bar. These sessions are designed to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing among participants.
Legal professionals involved in litigation, compliance, and information governance are encouraged to attend NeLI 2025. The conference offers a unique platform to stay abreast of the latest trends and challenges in eDiscovery, gain practical insights from industry leaders, and earn Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits, enhancing both professional development and practice effectiveness.
Speakers(21)
Amy Ambroson Reid
Director of Litigation Solutions & GTM at UnitedLex
Amy Ambroson Reid focuses on strategic solutions that solve client legal challenges and bringing new solutions to market. With 16 years of experience in eDiscovery, she specializes in creating customized centers of excellence for corporate and law firm clients.
Andrew J. Peck
Senior Counsel at DLA Piper LLP
The Honorable Andrew J. Peck served for 23 years as a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Southern District of New York. At DLA Piper, he advises on litigation strategy and discovery issues, leveraging his extensive judicial experience.
Chance Hodges
Legal Counsel – Privacy and Compliance at O’Reilly Auto Parts
Chance Hodges is responsible for all aspects of O’Reilly’s privacy program, including compliance with evolving state consumer privacy laws and implementation of responsible AI use. He has experience in litigation and advising on privacy and marketing regulations.
Edward Rippey
Partner and Co-Chair, E-Discovery, AI, and Information Governance Practice at Covington & Burling LLP
Ed Rippey is a litigation partner at Covington & Burling, handling complex cases worldwide. He has consistently been ranked by Chambers Global, Chambers USA, and other entities in Litigation E-Discovery.
Hon. Angel D. Mitchell
U.S. Magistrate Judge at U.S. District Court, District of Kansas
Appointed in 2019, Judge Angel D. Mitchell serves as a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the District of Kansas. Before joining the bench, she was a partner at Shook Hardy & Bacon, LLP, focusing on intellectual property litigation.
Hon. Lisa J. Cisneros
Magistrate Judge at U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
Magistrate Judge Lisa J. Cisneros joined the Court in September 2022, following fifteen years of practice as a litigator and attorney in government and public service. Since her appointment, she has presided over cases involving employment, copyright, trade secret, trademark, civil rights, and insurance law.
Hon. Willie J. Epps, Jr.
Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge at U.S. District Court, Western District of Missouri
Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr. serves as the Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Western District of Missouri. He began his legal career as an Air Force Judge Advocate and has held positions as a partner at two law firms and head of litigation at a financial services firm.
Hon. Xavier Rodriguez
U.S. District Judge at U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas
Judge Xavier Rodriguez received his bachelor's degree from Harvard University and his law degree from the University of Texas Law School. Prior to assuming the bench, he was a partner at Fulbright & Jaworski and served in the U.S. Army Reserve Judge Advocate General’s Corps.
Hon. Young B. Kim
U.S. Magistrate Judge at U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
Judge Young B. Kim is a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of Illinois. He began his legal career as an Assistant Cook County Public Defender and has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, prosecuting and litigating both civil and criminal cases.
John Benson
Consultant
John Benson has over seventeen years of experience in eDiscovery and litigation-related digital forensics. He is a founding member of SecKC and part of the DEF CON Speaker Operations and Photography teams.
Lea Malani Bays
Partner at Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd
Lea Malani Bays is a partner at Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd, specializing in complex securities litigation. She focuses on electronic discovery issues, providing counsel on preservation, collection, and review processes.
Leeanne Mancari
Partner and Co-Chair, E-Discovery, AI, and Information Governance Practice at Covington & Burling LLP
Leeanne Mancari is a Chambers-ranked e-discovery litigator and advisor, guiding clients on all aspects of national and international discovery. She frequently serves as lead e-discovery counsel on large-scale and highly-publicized litigations.
Lenora Gray
Data Scientist at Elevate
Lenora Gray has over 15 years of experience in law firm project management and matter support roles. As a Data Scientist at Elevate, she designs and carries out analyses of structured and unstructured data sets, building predictive models for technology-assisted review workflows.
Moira Sweazey
In-House Discovery Counsel at Capital One
Moira Sweazey leads Capital One’s Legal Hold Program and manages litigation matters as part of the Litigation Discovery team. She advises on the entire discovery process, including early case investigations and protective orders.
Robert Keeling
Partner at Redgrave LLP
Robert Keeling is a nationally recognized authority on eDiscovery, leading the firm's Second Request practice. He has been responsible for achieving substantial compliance with Second Requests for transactions with a combined value exceeding $230 billion.
Sarah Alt
Chief Information Officer at Phelps Dunbar LLP
Sarah Alt is an accomplished professional in ethical artificial intelligence with extensive information technology expertise. As the CIO for Phelps Dunbar, she spearheads strategies for people, processes, and technology to drive innovation and client value.
Sean Wiederkehr
Solution Architect at Everlaw
Sean Wiederkehr is an expert eDiscovery practitioner with 18 years of experience. He assists law firms and corporations in validating their technical requirements and highlighting the value that Everlaw's platform can bring to their organizations.
Steve Davis
Private Investigator at Purpose Legal
Steve Davis has over 30 years of experience conducting investigations for governmental agencies, corporations, individuals, and law firms. He is a Licensed Private Investigator in Texas and the Private Security Company Manager for Purpose Legal.
Tessa K. Jacob
Partner and Co-Chair, eDiscovery Solutions Group at Husch Blackwell
Tessa K. Jacob has practiced law at Husch Blackwell for 29 years, focusing on eDiscovery. She has served as lead eDiscovery counsel in numerous class actions and investigations, and frequently speaks on issues related to eDiscovery.
Trace Johnson
Associate General Counsel and Director of Transactions and Litigation at O’Reilly Auto Parts
Trace Johnson and his team handle review of all O’Reilly contractual matters, maintenance of intellectual property interests, and oversight of employment claims and commercial litigation. He has experience in transactional matters and business litigation.
Zachary Cincotta
Associate Discovery Counsel at Google LLC
Zachary Cincotta is an Associate Discovery Counsel at Google LLC, advising on all facets of the discovery process, including early case investigations and discovery strategy. He has experience in entertainment industries, focusing on intellectual property and contract negotiation.
Event Details
- Date
- October 21, 2025
- Location
- 🇺🇸 Kansas City, United States
- UMKC Student Union
- Pricing
- Varies by tier
- Audience
- Legal professionals involved in litigation, compliance, and information governance.
- CLE Credits
- CLE accreditation pending