Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers a new online legal research service (see article below), a Web-based document assembly tool, an iPhone app for legal research, a content management system for law firm Web sites, and an online forum for anonymous legal product reviews. Don't miss the next issue.
What's Next in Online Legal Research?
The more advanced a technology, the simpler it becomes to use. For example, using an online legal research service once required buying dedicated hardware. That hardware eventually gave way to software. Now, lawyers use their Web browser. So what's next for online legal research? That's what one of the major players asked a few years ago — and answered this week.
WestlawNext … in One Sentence
West's WestlawNext is a "reimagined" online legal research service designed to make it easier and faster to find what you need.
The Killer Feature
In case you hadn't noticed, West has given its iconic legal research service a new name to underscore the improvements it has made. "This is no mere cosmetic redesign," writes Bob Ambrogi of Lawsites. "WestlawNext completely changes the search interface and the search engine behind it."
A global search box enables you to enter a broad search using natural language or Boolean search terms. WestlawNext returns all documents and information ranked by relevance. You can then drill down into specific data sets such as statutes, cases, secondary sources, news, etc. You can also filter results by West key number, topic, court, judge, party, etc. In other words, you no longer have to select what to search before you search.
"We recognize that an attorney's worst nightmare is being surprised by a piece of information that they could have found through a legal search," WestlawNext's vice president of product development Mike Dahn told us. "We've created a new legal research system that delivers the confidence that when legal research is complete, it's complete."
Other Notable Features
When you know what you want to search, you can just enter it along with any other search terms. For example, the parties of a case, the name of a treatise, a jurisdiction, the title of an article, etc.
As you work in WestlawNext, you can customize your screen. For example, if you're researching cases, WestlawNext displays a "case summary" for each opinion that summarizes the case and shows your search terms in context. When you click on a case, WestlawNext lists negative citations if any and related secondary sources for you to explore. The "reading mode" removes all these tools so you can focus on the document.
WestlawNext tracks your search history for up to one year so you can retrace your steps. You can save searches by client/matter, and search within searches to narrow them. You can also save the documents you find in folders (My Research Folders), as well as annotate documents and highlight important passages. When you paste from a document, WestlawNext includes the citation in Bluebook or another standardized format of your choosing.
What Else Should You Know?
West offers WestlawNext in a variety of configurations to suit your needs. It works in all major Web browsers on Macs and PCs. Learn more about WestlawNext.
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So many products, so little time. In each issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The "In One Sentence" section describes each product in one sentence, and the "Killer Feature" section describes each product's most compelling feature. The TechnoLawyer NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.
