Scott Reents doesn’t have what you might consider a typical lawyer background. He dabbled in computer programming while interning at a bank during college, and after earning an economics degree, veered into the tech industry during the boom of the 1990s. He later founded a nonprofit that developed voter guide software for media organizations, before ultimately turning to law. “I’ve always been drawn to areas where the traditional way of doing things is breaking down,” Reents said.
For someone attracted to disruption, Reents has landed at an unlikely law firm: the storied white-shoe firm of Cravath, Swaine & Moore. But as the firm’s lead attorney for data analytics and e-discovery, Reents sees himself on the forefront of the legal profession’s most important and exciting changes. He spoke recently with The Recorder about the skills required of e-discovery professionals today, how big data requires lawyers to think differently, and what legal tech vendors need to do better to serve their law firm clients. This interview has been edited for clarity and space.
