Summary: 

Open-source intelligence (OSINT) is now embedded in modern litigation—whether lawyers realize it or not. From routine background investigations to witness due diligence and evidentiary authentication, attorney use of publicly available online information continues to raise new legal, ethical, and strategic questions. This one-hour CLE will break down how OSINT is being used in Ohio litigation, the case law that governs its admissibility, and the constitutional limits that shape criminal and civil practice. Attendees will learn how to distinguish lawful collection from risky conduct, oversee investigators and vendors, and manage the practical challenges that arise when screenshots, social media, geofence data, or other digital artifacts become part of a case. 

Understanding OSINT is no longer optional—courts expect competence, clients assume it, and missteps can jeopardize evidence, create suppression issues, or expose attorneys to ethical and supervisory problems. This program gives Ohio lawyers the legal framework and practical tools they need to use OSINT safely and effectively in litigation. 

Agenda 

I. Introduction & Learning Objectives  

A. Why OSINT Matters to Ohio Lawyers 

B. CLE Learning Objectives 

By the end of the program, attendees will be able to: 

• Distinguish lawful OSINT collection from legally risky conduct 

• Understand Ohio and federal case law governing OSINT use 

• Understand OSINT evidence admissibility in Ohio courts 

• Understand collection boundaries when supervising investigators and paralegals 

II. Open-Source Intelligence Terminology and Review of OSINT Part 1 

A. Practical Definition for Lawyers 

B. What OSINT Is Not 

C. How OSINT Is Collected 

III. Criminal Law: Suppression & Constitutional Limits 

A. Ohio Criminal Case Law 

B. Federal Constitutional Framework (as Applied in Ohio) 

C. Geofence Issues 

IV. Civil Law: Admissibility of OSINT Evidence  

A. Ohio Evidence Rule 901 – Authentication 

B. Ohio Courts’ Practical Approach 

C. Federal Civil Cases as Persuasive Authority 

V. Collection Methods & Legal Risk  

A. OSINT Risk Overview 

B. Vendor & Investigator Oversight 

VII. Practical Takeaways for Ohio Lawyers  

A. What Courts Expect 

B. What Actually Causes Problems 

C. Best Practices 

Presenter 

Shafi Saiduddin, Esq., CEO, Legalis Intelligence Advisor 

Shafi Saiduddin  is CEO of Legalis Intelligence Advisors is a high-end boutique of highly skilled advisors and strategists providing comprehensive intelligence and litigation consulting from a 360-degree perspective. Formerly operating as Pineland Investigations LLC.   

With over 30 years of national security experience from the Intelligence Community to Army Special Operations Forces, Shafi Saiduddin retired from the Army and started his own intelligence and litigation consulting firm, Legalis Intelligence Advisors.