cost effective lexis & westlaw and alternatives to lexis & westlaw research certificate...
TRANSCRIPT
Cost Effective Lexis & Westlawand
Alternatives to Lexis & Westlaw
Research Certificate Seminar 2011
Topics Covered
The Cost of Lexis & Westlaw Frugal Lexis and Westlaw Use WestlawNext Cost Effective Use Low cost databases Free Internet Sources
Flat Rate Plans
Still care about cost effectiveness because:
client charged Item maybe outside of plan Greater Usage = Greater Cost for Flat Rate
Plan next year
Figures are from a Local Law Firm, 2008
2010 Westlaw Law Firm Costs
File/Services Hourly(Per Minute)
Transactional(Per Search)
All Federal Cases $19.05
Ohio State and Federal Cases
$23.08
Sixth Circuit Cases
$8.60
All Ohio Cases $8.60
Get a Document/Find
14.00 (primary), $24.00 (secondary)
Keycite $6.25
Computing Westlaw Costs
Hourly or Transactional Charge for Database use
PLUS Communication Charge (per minute)
PLUS Downloading or Printing Charge
(sample computation)
Cost-Saving Tips for Lexis/WL
CALI Lesson – Cost of Legal Reseach Efficient /Cost Effective Legal Research C-M
Guide Lexis – Conducting Efficient Research Westlaw - Cost Effective Research »
Powerpoint
BEFORE you search
Ask librarian/managing partner about price plan.
Use print or lower cost databases
Plan your search before you go online
Call the Reference Attorneys
Cost Effective Searching-Lexis & Classic WL
Narrowest Source Broad Search, then Focus/Locate Table of Contents Book Browse on LEXIS (not Westlaw) History (L) or Research Trail (W) – (next day) Westlaw – search transactional or hourly?
Classic Searching, Cont’d
Alerts
Search by Topic/Headnote (L); KeyNumber/ Keysearch (W)
Get a Document (L), Find (W) 50 state surveys
Cost Effective Printing
Westlaw decide per line or per document Print from browser Copy with Reference Get and Print, Find and Print
Keycite/Shepards
Brief Check or LexisNexis for Microsoft Office to Shepardize; Westcheck to Keycite
WestlawNext
Flat rate plan When view a document, charged if that
document is off-plan (will get warning). Save document in folder - access forever.
Document updates for one year for free. History saved one year (but does charge
again if after 2 am next day)
WestlawNext - Cost Recovery
=charging back to client$60 per search PLUS a find charge for items clicked on (Transactional Mode) OR per minute charge (Hourly Mode)Cost chart – Click on Tools tab, then Subscriber Pricing Guide (non-discounted rates)
Cost Effective WestlawNext
Only SEARCHING hints are different than the above
Cost Effective WestlawNext
Preferences link – pick Hourly or Transactional. Begins charging when click on Document.
Broad initial search Narrow using filters or search within results
(as many as desired)
Cost Effective WestlawNext Searching - Transactional
Pull up (Click on) the least amount of documents needed
Show the most detail Use Folders (forever, updated 1 yr and
History (until 2 am following day)
Show Less or More Detail
Reference Attorney Phone Nos.
800 45 LEXIS 1-800-REF-ATTY (733-2889) (Westlaw) 1-800-850-9378 for law students (Westlaw)
Low Cost Databases
Stripped down versions of Lexis/WL
• Casemaker –Free w/ free student OSBA membership
• Fastcase – Free w/ Cleve bar membership (not student)
• Lois Law – C-M has, CLL has
• Versus Law – Free to Law students
Access to Low Cost Databases
Go to Library Website, Law Databases Page.
Stripped Down Versions of Lexis/WL
What does Lexis/Westlaw have these do not? Editorial features – headnotes, annotations Practice Books (except Loislaw) Law Review articles Better search mechanisms and coverage
Stripped Down Versions of Lexis and Westlaw
Casemaker – best coverage for Ohio, Odd search syntax
Fastcase – Natural Language, Visual Charts Loislaw - Best terms and connectors, field
searching. Treatises. Alert searches. VersusLaw – Cheapest, worst coverage
Fastcase Webinar
• Thursday, 3/24, 4:30pm-5:30pm –– LB Room 208 or remotely via your own computer
• Contact Laura Ray to register
Primary & Secondary – Specific Subjects
BNA CCH See Law Databases page for links.
NOT low cost, but not charged back to clients
Have primary and secondary sources, current awareness
BNA Libraries
ex. Labor Relations Reporter/Labor and Employment Law Library, Intellectual Property Library or ABA/BNA lawyers' manual on professional conduct
CCH Intelliconnect
• Topics Covered:AntitrustBanking Corporate GovernanceHealth Care and Medicaid/Medicare Labor & Employment, PensionsSecurities
CCH
Boolean searching, w/n etc. Federated Searching Indexes Known for their fifty state charts
Benefits of Low Cost Databases Over Free Internet
Better Search Mechanisms CoverageMay be more current Trustworthiness Aggregated Info – One stop shopping
What’s on the Free Web
All US Supreme Court Cases Reported Federal Appellate from 1882 Some Unreported Fed App, Fed District State cases: reported – 1950. unreported -
early-mid nineties
What’s on the Free Web, cont’d
Statutes & Regulations- federal and states Municipal Ordinances Law Review Articles Forms Dockets, Briefs & Pleadings
LOTS more!
Start with a Good Internet Portal
From the Library Home Page – Legal Research on the Web
Public Records & People Finders Cornell Legal Information Institute (LII)
Case law
Google Scholar – state reported 1950-, fed circuit/ district 1923-
Ohio Supreme Court LexisOne – Last 10 yrs, Lexis searching Legal Research on the Web - Cases
Google Advanced Operators
AROUND –ex. constitution AROUND(5) "home rule“
~ searches for synonyms and related words ex. ~constitutionality - searches for constitutional, unconstitutional, etc.
* placeholder for a word. Ex. sexual * abuse picks up “sexual misconduct abuse”, “sexual child abuse”, etc.
Web Sites to Know
Thomas.gov – Federal Legislative History FDSys - Fed’l Govt. PACER – Federal Court dockets
Ehandout
https://www.law.csuohio.edu/lawlibrary/ehandout/alternatives2011