Build EDRM XML Load File (Interchange Package)

Skill: Convert a document collection into an EDRM XML interchange package

Region: United States Category: Legal / eDiscovery Does: Takes a processed ESI document set (metadata + native/text/image references) and assembles an EDRM XML interchange package — the vendor-neutral load file used to move documents and their metadata, tags, and relationships between eDiscovery platforms (Relativity, Nuix, Everlaw, Reveal). Spec: EDRM XML Interchange Format v1.2 (edrm.net / LegalXML)

EDRM XML is an industry interchange standard, not a government schema — its authority is the EDRM/LegalXML working group. It travels with an external file store (the natives/images/text referenced by path), so the XML + the file payload must stay together. Element names below follow the EDRM XML v1.2 structure; confirm against the published schema and the target platform's import mapping before delivery.

When this applies

• Moving a processed collection between review platforms or vendors without re-processing — EDRM XML preserves field metadata, families, tags, and custodian assignments.
• An alternative to flat Concordance DAT/OPT load files when relationships (parent/child, duplicates) and typed fields must survive the hand-off.

Structure

<Root DataInterchangeType="Update|Append">
  <Batch>
    <Documents>
      <Document DocType="Message|File|..." MimeType="..." DocID="DOC000001">
        <Tags>
          <Tag TagName="#Custodian" TagDataType="Text" TagValue="Doe, Jane"/>
          <Tag TagName="#DateSent"  TagDataType="DateTime" TagValue="2025-01-15T09:30:00"/>
          <Tag TagName="#BegBates"  TagDataType="Text" TagValue="ABC000001"/>
          ...
        </Tags>
        <Files>
          <File FileType="Native">
            <ExternalFile FilePath="\NATIVE\001\" FileName="DOC000001.msg" FileSize="..." Hash="<MD5/SHA1>"/>
          </File>
          <File FileType="Text"><ExternalFile FilePath="\TEXT\001\" FileName="DOC000001.txt"/></File>
          <File FileType="Image"><ExternalFile FilePath="\IMAGES\001\" FileName="ABC000001.tif"/></File>
        </Files>
        <Locations/>
      </Document>
    </Documents>
    <Relationships>
      <Relationship Type="Attachment" ParentDocID="DOC000001" ChildDocID="DOC000002"/>
      <Relationship Type="Duplicate"  .../>
    </Relationships>
  </Batch>
</Root>

Key elements

Data rules

• DocID is the join key — every Relationship ParentDocID/ChildDocID must reference an existing Document@DocID; orphaned references fail import.
• Family integrity: a parent email and its attachments are linked by Type="Attachment"; keep families together so review coding (and privilege) propagates correctly.
• Field datatypes must match the target workspace field types — a DateTime tag delivered as free text imports as text and breaks date sorting/searching.
• Hashes (MD5/SHA-1) on ExternalFile let the importer verify file integrity and support dedup.
• Bates fields (#BegBates/#EndBates/#BegAttach/#EndAttach) are conventional tag names — align them with the production Bates plan.

Worked example (one email + one attachment — skeleton)

<Root DataInterchangeType="Update">
 <Batch>
  <Documents>
   <Document DocType="Message" MimeType="application/vnd.ms-outlook" DocID="DOC000001">
    <Tags>
     <Tag TagName="#Custodian" TagDataType="Text" TagValue="Doe, Jane"/>
     <Tag TagName="#From" TagDataType="Text" TagValue="jane@acme.com"/>
     <Tag TagName="#DateSent" TagDataType="DateTime" TagValue="2025-01-15T09:30:00"/>
     <Tag TagName="#BegBates" TagDataType="Text" TagValue="ABC000001"/>
     <Tag TagName="#EndBates" TagDataType="Text" TagValue="ABC000001"/>
    </Tags>
    <Files>
     <File FileType="Native"><ExternalFile FilePath="\NATIVE\001\" FileName="DOC000001.msg" Hash="9e107d9d..."/></File>
     <File FileType="Text"><ExternalFile FilePath="\TEXT\001\" FileName="DOC000001.txt"/></File>
    </Files>
   </Document>
   <Document DocType="File" MimeType="application/pdf" DocID="DOC000002">
    <Tags><Tag TagName="#BegBates" TagDataType="Text" TagValue="ABC000002"/></Tags>
    <Files><File FileType="Native"><ExternalFile FilePath="\NATIVE\001\" FileName="DOC000002.pdf"/></File></Files>
   </Document>
  </Documents>
  <Relationships>
   <Relationship Type="Attachment" ParentDocID="DOC000001" ChildDocID="DOC000002"/>
  </Relationships>
 </Batch>
</Root>

Validation checklist

• DataInterchangeType (Update/Append) set to the intended load semantics
• Every Document has a unique DocID; all Relationship references resolve to existing DocIDs
• Email/attachment families linked via Type="Attachment"; families kept intact
• Each document has the expected File types (Native/Text/Image) and the paths/files exist in the payload
• Tag datatypes match the target workspace field types (esp. DateTime, Number)
• Bates tag names align with the production Bates plan; #BegBates/#EndBates populated
• File Hash values present for integrity/dedup
• Test-loaded into the target platform (or against its import map) before bulk delivery

Last updated: 2026-05-31 — EDRM XML is an industry interchange format; confirm element/attribute usage against the published EDRM XML v1.2 schema and the receiving platform's (Relativity/Nuix/Everlaw/Reveal) import mapping before use.