Early case assessment involves using data to estimate the overall risk involved in prosecuting or defending a litigation case, regulatory compliance inquiry or internal investigation. Most civil cases settle before reaching trial, and it can be difficult for legal departments to assess whether a case that has been brought against them is likely to be one that settles or proceeds, how long it may take to settle and what the settlement amount might be. By using various types of data, organizations are better able to assess whether it's worth taking a case to trial or trying to settle it, and how to negotiate the right settlement amount. Performing early case assessment allows legal departments to better forecast the risks of a case, plan for and manage litigation costs, reduce the volume of information they need to review for a matter, and manage the time and resources they should spend on a case that may settle before proceeding to trial. Specialized solutions have been developed to aid the early case assessment process and provide legal departments and law firms with the insights they need to more efficiently determine the risks and likely outcome of a case. Zapproved is a leading provider of early case assessment solutions for legal departments. Many eDiscovery vendors such as LogiKull, Everlaw, and Exterro offer the ability for lawyers to more easily assess their client's data set and perform early case assessment.