Attorneys for Megadaddy Eddie Long are mired in a back-and-forth with attorneys for the four young men who sued him over sexual misconduct charges on setting a schedule for discovery in the high-profile lawsuits. Long’s attorneys want the men to be deposed first; the other side wants Long and church members to be included in the mix when depositions begin in mid February. Why does it matter? Strategy.

Thomas C. Arthur, a law professor at Emory University, said during the discovery phase, when both sides take depositions and request and inspect documents, the order in which depositions are taken could help the opposing side know "what the other side's witnesses are going to say and help plan their cross-examinations." Sometimes, he added, discovery can also lead to a settlement because one side can gauge the strength of the other's case.