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Thomson Reuters Westlaw

Thomson Reuters Westlaw

Overview

What is Thomson Reuters Westlaw?

Westlaw, now supported by Thomson Reuters is a legal research software and database, emphasizing access to a breadth of case law.

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Recent Reviews

TrustRadius Insights

Thomson Reuters Westlaw is a versatile and comprehensive legal research platform with a range of use cases. Users, including personal …
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Westlaw Bestlaw!

10 out of 10
May 21, 2018
Incentivized
I use Westlaw for legal research. I use it to search for cases to support my briefs and memoranda. I also use Westlaw to check on the …
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Pricing

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Westlaw Edge Single State Essentials

$115.00

Cloud
per month

Westlaw Edge Single State Primary Law

$183.20

Cloud
per month

Westlaw Edge Single State Primary Law

$237.00

Cloud
per month

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee
For the latest information on pricing, visithttps://sales.legalsolutions.thomsonreu…

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services

Starting price (does not include set up fee)

  • $115 per month
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Product Demos

Westlaw Edge - Quick Check demo

YouTube

Introduction to Thomson Reuters Westlaw

YouTube
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Product Details

What is Thomson Reuters Westlaw?

Westlaw from Thomson Reuters is a legal research product enabling layers to build strong arguments based on superior legal materials, including, primary law, analytical materials, practice area insights, and an online collection of litigation resources.

The current flagship edition, Westlaw Edge, is powered by AI-enhanced capabilities that can help users research more effectively and be more strategic, helping users to speed up complex and time-consuming research tasks with AI-powered tools such as intelligent document analysis, a robust legal search engine, and integrated litigation analytics. Its predictive research suggestions enable the user to search with natural language terms and get type-ahead suggestions, surfacing the most relevant information at the top of the results list.

Additional features include:

  • Quick Check - This intelligent document analysis tool is used to simply upload a brief and in just minutes it identifies any bad law and surfaces any additional highly relevant authority, as well as authority contrary to what the opponent cited.
  • Litigation Analytics - Powered by Thomson Reuters' collection of federal and state dockets, Litigation Analytics compiles information on judges, courts, damages, attorneys, law firms, and case types to help build the strongest case strategy across the most practice areas.
  • KeyCite Overruling Risk - Overruling Risk warns the user when a point of law has been implicitly undermined based on its reliance on an overruled or otherwise invalid prior decision.
  • WestSearch Plus - Helps users to avoid crafting complex queries with an advanced legal search engine, powered by artificial intelligence and built on proprietary editorial enhancements.
  • Statutes Compare & Regulations Compare - Streamlines legal research with the click of a button for an instant comparison of any two versions of a statute or regulation to see exactly what has changed over time.
  • Jurisdictional Surveys - Speeds up survey creation by retrieving a customized and relevant compilation of laws across all topics and U.S. jurisdictions.


And, Thomson Reuters now offers Westlaw Precision. This AI augmented solution uses generative AI to surface relevant answers to legal research questions with AI-Assisted Research. Users can verify the results using links to trusted Westlaw authority to better inform decisions and complete the research more efficiently.

Thomson Reuters Westlaw Videos

Thomson Reuters Westlaw
Precision Research on Westlaw Precision
Westlaw Precision Overview

Thomson Reuters Westlaw Technical Details

Deployment TypesSoftware as a Service (SaaS), Cloud, or Web-Based
Operating SystemsUnspecified
Mobile ApplicationNo

Frequently Asked Questions

Westlaw, now supported by Thomson Reuters is a legal research software and database, emphasizing access to a breadth of case law.

Thomson Reuters Westlaw starts at $115.

The most common users of Thomson Reuters Westlaw are from Small Businesses (1-50 employees).
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(35)

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

Thomson Reuters Westlaw is a versatile and comprehensive legal research platform with a range of use cases. Users, including personal injury law firms and solo practitioners, rely on Westlaw for accessing primary resources such as cases and statutes, as well as locating secondary resources like law review articles and treatises. The platform also offers templates and forms for added convenience. With its user-friendly interface and efficient search tools, Westlaw allows legal professionals to easily find relevant legal literature, supporting their briefs, memoranda, and legal citations used by adversaries.

In addition to its robust research capabilities, Westlaw serves as a collaboration tool, allowing users to share files and collaborate on research within their organizations. This feature enhances efficiency and facilitates a seamless workflow among team members. It also provides docket management functionality, giving users greater access to records and enabling more efficient research across the organization.

While users highly recommend Westlaw for its ability to provide quick access to relevant legal information, there are some concerns about the pricing mechanism. Some users have experienced unexpected charges when downloading documents outside the scope of their subscription. However, overall, Thomson Reuters Westlaw remains a preferred legal research platform due to its superior content, ease of searching through headnotes and keycites, as well as its ability to address procedural and substantive questions promptly – making it an invaluable tool for legal professionals across different practice areas.

Valuable Public Records Research Tool: Users have found Thomson Reuters Westlaw to be a valuable tool for public records research, providing an inventory of case laws and legal precedents. This feature has allowed multiple reviewers to easily distinguish between good and bad case law based on court decisions.

User-Friendly Interface: Many reviewers appreciate the user-friendly interface of Thomson Reuters Westlaw, finding it easy to use and logically organized. The clear layout makes it simple for users to follow and navigate through the platform.

Access to Specific Publishers' Content: Several users find the ability to access specific publishers' content extremely helpful. This feature enhances their research capabilities by providing them with access to a wide range of relevant information from trusted sources.

Cons:

  1. Limited resources and unfamiliar functions: Some users have mentioned that certain functions and features in Thomson Reuters Westlaw may not be familiar to those coming from other platforms, and that certain resources may not be as comprehensive as those available on other search engines.
  2. High cost: Several reviewers have expressed concerns about the high cost of the software, stating that it may not be the most affordable option available.
  3. Usability issues: Users have reported various usability issues with Thomson Reuters Westlaw, including a quick log-off feature that can be inconvenient for those using Practical Law, a user interface that could be improved for better usability, and misleading website navigation.

Note: The given context did not provide enough information to accurately quantify how many reviewers stated each con.

Users have made several recommendations for WestLaw based on their experiences and opinions. The three most common recommendations from the reviews are:

  1. Take advantage of the available resources and support: Users recommend making full use of the resources provided by WestLaw, such as tutorials or training sessions with specialists, to learn about the platform's hidden features and improve research skills. They also suggest utilizing the exceptional customer support offered by WestLaw.

  2. Use advanced search options and trial period for efficient research: Users advise taking advantage of the advanced search options in WestLaw to refine searches and limit results. They recommend delving into the information during a trial period to explore its comprehensive legal research tools before committing to a purchase.

  3. Consider personal preferences and specific needs: Users suggest considering personal preferences when choosing a legal research software. They mention that WestLaw offers ease of use with an intuitive interface and a robust array of precedent and future decisions per case. Additionally, they recommend checking if preferred sources are available on WestLaw before committing.

Overall, users highlight the importance of fully utilizing the available resources, trying out advanced search options, and considering personal preferences when using WestLaw for legal research purposes.

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-10 of 10)
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Score 2 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
I find Westlaw's Form Builder to be helpful for simple documents and estate plans, but it doesn't handle complex situations very well. It's also missing some very common documents that I feel should be included, such as a Community Property Agreement for Washington state.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Any time you need to research case law or a legal issue, [Thomson Reuters] Westlaw is the place to go. I used another legal research site in the past and felt that it was easy to navigate on their site. However, that site did not have a scope or library of research ability that [Thomson Reuters] Westlaw provides its users. Ultimately, for me, navigation of a site can be learned and taught, but in the legal field, you want the content to be priority and that's what you get from [Thomson Reuters] Westlaw.
Score 1 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
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.
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Westlaw is helpful for doing case research but is very expensive. For smaller firms or fast-growth firms, this makes it difficult to bring in people or have temporary assistance during peak times without spending a ton of money on licenses. The functionality of the product is extremely helpful but the pricing and contract terms are not.
May 21, 2018

Westlaw Bestlaw!

Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Best suited for legal research. Also helpful when looking for statutes, or other regulations. When looking up research on Westlaw, I know that it is accurate. It is less appropriate perhaps in a smaller firm where the cost exceeds it benefits.
Raymond Tran | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Westlaw is very well suited in any legal research setting. Particularly for law students, summer associates, interns, externs, or junior attorneys, it is probably the most familiar and available research platform and search engine available. Additionally, most other attorneys, judges, and researchers or professors are used to using Westlaw.
Score 5 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
WestLaw and/or Lexis Nexis are necessary for the sophisticated practitioner. Unfortunately, there aren't viable alternatives for case law research and legal research platforms. WestLaw has superior secondary sources for the immigration lawyer, so I would recommend it for that. It's not for the budge conscious, but it is what it is until the legal research duopoly is disrupted.
February 13, 2018

Westlaw Easy and Great

Steven Price | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Westlaw is not good for looking up state statutes or codes by citation. It is however good at (once finding said statute) allowing one to view all relevant case law on point with the citation. Westlaw is also good at narrowing various topics into what I believe are called Keycites, though sometimes they do not totally encompass a particular topic.
John Kenneth Cole | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I would not hesitate to recommend WestLaw to a colleague - in fact, I have recommended the tool on numerous occasions. Access to the available tools make the cost more than economical, and it is easy to justify purchasing the tool to corporate department heads. Further, the tool allowed me to consolidate several costly subscriptions into only WestLaw, saving me and my company hundreds of dollars.
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