Lexis Search Advantage vs. Thomson Reuters Westlaw

It is good for researching previous news stories on a subject and it can be helpful for tracking down people and their biographical information. If you're looking for academic studies on a subject, this is not the best place to go in my opinion. It is also not always current with addresses and phone numbers.

Incentivized

Perhaps well-suited in enterprise agreements where many users need access to many areas, and a giant contract is cost effective. This was a good company to work with as a student and instructor where value was not my specific concern. I cannot speak to the value paid by the responsible party in that context.

• Searching for news stories on a subject.
• Tracking down people.
• Tracking down previous residences of a person.

Incentivized

• Public Records Research
• Inventory of case, laws, and legal precedents to research
• Showing good vs. bad case law based on court decisions

Incentivized

• Not all address location information is accurate or up to date.
• The previous search function for news stories was easier to use than what was changed last year.

Incentivized

• Some functions/features may seem less familiar if you are used to other platforms
• Certain resources are not the very best (and are available on other engines)
• Costly!

Incentivized

The specific product ordered was fine, but it was far too easy to mindlessly incur ancillary charges without warning. This is much less user friendly than other, similar providers of services such as LexisNexis. The Thomson Reuters Westlaw experience is not intuitive when compared to other, similar providers and ended up being less cost effective.

It's been several years since I called for help but when I did, Lexis was very helpful.

Incentivized

I was passed around like a hot potato and nameless responders were somewhat disrespectful and "snippy." There was no offer to resolve the issue I complained about, and I was basically made to feel as though I was lying about the problem. The solution was easy: fix my customized home screen to remove the possibility of wandering into a non-subscription area. This fix was never offered or pursued. Instead, I was offered the option of signing up for additional services.

Lexis is much more refined in its results. I use it because it is a newsroom standard and it is what is provided by the company.

Incentivized

We considered switching to Bloomberg Law because of the contractual provisions with Westlaw but ultimately decided to stay. The cost of getting out of the contract term was cost-prohibitive and left us with no choice.

Incentivized

• No idea -- I don't deal with our finances.

Incentivized

• Positive return by making legal research more efficient.
• Cost more to use however saves time and allows for more work to get done.

Incentivized