• Home
  • About Me
  • Disclaimer

The Researching Paralegal

~ Articles and Research for Legal Professionals

The Researching Paralegal

Tag Archives: Westlaw

The Common Flaw With Legal Database Providers.

29 Tuesday May 2018

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Bloomberg Law, Casemaker, FastCase, Google Scholar, LexisNexis, Research, Westlaw

≈ Comments Off on The Common Flaw With Legal Database Providers.

Tags

Algorithms, Headnotes, Joe Hodnicki, Law Librarian Blog, Legal Research, Lexis, Westlaw

The Algorithm as a Human Artifact: Implications for Legal {Re}Search, by Joe Hodnicki, Law Librarian Blog

https://bit.ly/2GVxQzz

Susan Nevelow Mart is a law professor at the University of Colorado’s Law School. Her article has earned significant attention and recognition, and for good reason.

Most lawyers and paralegals learn legal research using Westlaw and Lexis, with an emphasis on using headnotes to research relevant law. Because humans write the headnotes and the search algorithms, there is a considerable variation in the results in our legal research.

[W]hen comparing the top ten results for the same search entered into the same jurisdictional case database in Casetext, Fastcase, Google Scholar, Lexis Advance, Ravel, and Westlaw, the results are a remarkable testament to the variability of human problem solving. There is hardly any overlap in the cases that appear in the top ten results returned by each database.

Hardly any overlap? Imagine how this affects cases argued by the parties and decided by the courts. But, there’s more. The percentage of relevant sources differs for all providers.

One of the most surprising results was the clustering among the databases in terms of the percentage of relevant results. The oldest database providers, Westlaw and Lexis, had the highest percentages of relevant results, at 67% and 57%, respectively. The newer legal database providers, Fastcase, Google Scholar, Casetext, and Ravel, were also clustered together at a lower relevance rate, returning approximately 40% relevant results.

Professor Mart reminds us that thorough legal research has always involved redundancy. We already know that different search terms give us new results to investigate. She recommends using multiple resources with multiple searches, and calls for more accountability by legal database providers.

We cannot change what the legal database providers have already done. We do have control over the thoroughness of our research and our search strategies. -CCE

Share this:

  • Print
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Pocket
  • More
  • Telegram

Like this:

Like Loading...

LexisNexis’ Next-Generation Solution Means End of Lexis.com.

21 Wednesday Dec 2016

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in FastCase, LexisNexis, Westlaw

≈ Comments Off on LexisNexis’ Next-Generation Solution Means End of Lexis.com.

Tags

Fastcase®, LexisNexis, Robert Ambrogi, Westlaw

It’s Last Rites for Lexis.com, As LexisNexis Sets Date for Shutdown, by Robert Ambrogi, LawSites Blog

http://www.lawsitesblog.com/2016/12/last-rites-lexis-com-lexisnexis-sets-date-shutdown.html

“Prepare last rites for Lexis.com. The legacy legal research service will be leaving this world at the end of 2017.

This week, LexisNexis began notifying Lexis.com customers that it will be shutting down the service over the next 12 months and moving them to the newer Lexis Advance research platform.”

Continue reading →

Share this:

  • Print
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Pocket
  • More
  • Telegram

Like this:

Like Loading...

Westlaw Poses Another Challenge To The Bluebook.

01 Sunday May 2016

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in ALWD, Citations, Legal Writing, Public Domain Citations, Research, The Bluebook, Uniform Electronic Legal Material Act, Westlaw

≈ Comments Off on Westlaw Poses Another Challenge To The Bluebook.

Tags

George Mason Law & Economics, Journal of Law: Periodical Laboratory of Legal Scholarship, Legal Citations, Ross Davies, The Bluebook, Westlaw

Journal of Law: Periodical Laboratory of Legal Scholarship, Vol. 2, No. 3, pp. 483-486, 2012 , by Ross Davies, George Mason University School of Law; The Green Bag (with hat tip from William P. Statsky)

http://bit.ly/24tJ2uh

Lately The Bluebook has been under siege. It has survived the long ago challenge of the ALWD Citator.  It has a new challenger, Malamud’s public source Indigo Book. Now it faces another quandary. Will it adjust or is it on its way to becoming obsolete? -CCE

 Excerpt from Abstract: 

[W]estlaw and its competitors cannot afford to conform to the Bluebook’s system when it conflicts with the requirements of their databases for, among other things, unique and recognizable abbreviations of the names of publications. And given a choice between following Bluebook form and following Westlaw form, readers and publishers are likely to follow Westlaw because that is where readers are doing more of their reading and publishers’ products are getting read.

Continue reading →

Share this:

  • Print
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Pocket
  • More
  • Telegram

Like this:

Like Loading...

Thomson Reuters Says Westlaw Has A “Glitch.” A Glitch?

16 Saturday Apr 2016

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Case Law, Research, Westlaw

≈ Comments Off on Thomson Reuters Says Westlaw Has A “Glitch.” A Glitch?

Tags

Law Sites, Robert Ambrogi, Thomson Reuters, Westlaw

Thomson Reuters Says Glitch Left Out Text from 600 Cases Since 2014, by Robert Ambrogi, Law Sites

http://www.lawsitesblog.com/2016/04/thomson-reuters-says-left-text-600-cases-since-2014.html

Subscribers to Thomson Reuters Westlaw and hard-copy reporter volumes got a surprise last night: An email informing them that TR had erroneously omitted small portions of text from some 600 cases published since November 2014. . . .

The email said that none of the omissions ‘resulted in any change to the meaning of the law.’

Continue reading →

Share this:

  • Print
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Pocket
  • More
  • Telegram

Like this:

Like Loading...

Casetext and Law Genius – Alternatives to Westlaw and Lexis?

27 Monday Apr 2015

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Casetext, Law Genius, LexisNexis, Research, Westlaw

≈ Comments Off on Casetext and Law Genius – Alternatives to Westlaw and Lexis?

Tags

CaseText, Law Genius, Lawyerist Blog, Legal Research, LexisNexis, Sam Harden, Solo and Small Firms, Westlaw

Casetext and Law Genius: Wikipedia for Law? by Sam Harden, Lawyerist Blog

https://lawyerist.com/81229/casetext-law-genius-wikipedia-law/?utm_source=lawyerist-sidebar

Once hidden behind the paywalls of Westlaw and Lexis Nexis, the law is quickly becoming open source. Court decisions have always been part of the public record, at least in theory, but accessing those decisions has always been difficult for both lawyers and non-lawyers alike. The internet has been slow in getting around to making court decisions publicly searchable and understandable.

Recently, two online communities have attempted to make the law more user-friendly by letting lawyers and members of the public add comments, explanations, and cross-references. Both communities are worth exploring if you are a solo or small practitioner. . . .

Continue reading →

Share this:

  • Print
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Pocket
  • More
  • Telegram

Like this:

Like Loading...

Westlaw Public Records Database Breached. Who Is Affected?

16 Sunday Nov 2014

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Cybersecurity, Encryption, Identity Theft, Legal Technology, Privacy, References, Research, Westlaw

≈ Comments Off on Westlaw Public Records Database Breached. Who Is Affected?

Tags

Credit Monitoring, Data Breach, Identity Theft, New Hampshire, Privacy, Westlaw

Westlaw Discloses Breach Of Public Records Database, by Sabrina I. Pacifici, BeSpacific Blog

http://tinyurl.com/pffqhny

News release: ‘West Publishing Corporation, a unit of Thomson Reuters, has notified the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office of a breach involving their Westlaw subscription-only public records database. In a letter dated November 4th to those affected, Senior Vice President Andy Martens explained that on October 14, they detected unusual search activity. Investigation revealed that some subscribers’ passwords had been compromised and used to access the database. The types of information involved included addresses, date of birth, and in some cases, driver’s license numbers and Social Security numbers. No bank account or credit card information was involved. In response to the breach, West removed external access to full sensitive identifiers in public records, forced a password reset on all public user accounts, and implemented  additional technological controls to detect and respond to searches of more limited public records that also appeared unauthorized. Federal law enforcement was also contacted. West offered those affected two years of free credit monitoring with Experian ProtectMyID Elite. Nine NH residents were notified. The total number of individuals notified was not indicated in their report to New Hampshire.’

Share this:

  • Print
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Pocket
  • More
  • Telegram

Like this:

Like Loading...

Teaching Legal Research – Westlaw, Lexis, Or Some Other Platform?

21 Friday Mar 2014

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Legal Technology, LexisNexis, Research, Westlaw

≈ Comments Off on Teaching Legal Research – Westlaw, Lexis, Or Some Other Platform?

Tags

Legal Research, Legal Research Instruction, Lexis Advance, LexisNexis, Research Instruction & Patron Services Special Interest Section of the American Association of Law Libraries, RIPS Law Librarian Blog, Shawn Friend, Westlaw

Thinking About Process Over Platform in Research, by Shawn Friend, RIPS Law Librarian Blog (RIPS Law Librarian is published by the Research Instruction & Patron Services Special Interest Section of the American Association of Law Libraries.)

http://tinyurl.com/qjvkqbn

This semester, I’ve struggled with whether I need to show different research platforms when I teach research. In the past, I’ve shown the different options available; lately, I have a bias I need to which I must admit.  For the last six months or so, I’ve had trouble showing students (and even professors) Lexis.  I hate to be partisan.  I hate to show Westlaw’s product without showing Lexis’ too.  But lately, I find myself making excuses as to why I can’t show Lexis Advance. . . .

Share this:

  • Print
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Pocket
  • More
  • Telegram

Like this:

Like Loading...

Lay-offs at LexisNexis, Martindale-Hubbell, and Thomson Reuters

29 Tuesday Oct 2013

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Legal Technology, LexisNexis, Westlaw

≈ Comments Off on Lay-offs at LexisNexis, Martindale-Hubbell, and Thomson Reuters

Tags

LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell, Thomson Reuters, Westlaw

LexisNexis announces another round of lay-offs, by Legal Skills Prof, Legal Skills Prof Blog
http://perma.cc/0nHxcmu5nkq

This is the second round of lay-offs for LexisNexis, which includes long-time Martindale-Hubbell employees. Thomson Reuters also announced Westlaw lay-offs earlier this month.

Share this:

  • Print
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Pocket
  • More
  • Telegram

Like this:

Like Loading...
Follow The Researching Paralegal on WordPress.com

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Search

Sign In/Register

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.com

Categories

Archives

  • March 2022
  • January 2022
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • January 2021
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • October 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • May 2019
  • March 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013

Recent Comments

Eric Voigt on Top 20 Paralegal Blogs, Websit…
profvoigt on Research Guides in Focus – Mun…
Make Your PDF Docume… on Make Your PDF Document Edit-Pr…
madlaw291282999 on Using Hyperbole -Are You Riski…
How to Treat Bad Cli… on Why Do Bad Clients Deserve The…

Recent Comments

Eric Voigt on Top 20 Paralegal Blogs, Websit…
profvoigt on Research Guides in Focus – Mun…
Make Your PDF Docume… on Make Your PDF Document Edit-Pr…
madlaw291282999 on Using Hyperbole -Are You Riski…
How to Treat Bad Cli… on Why Do Bad Clients Deserve The…
  • RSS - Posts
  • RSS - Comments

Blog at WordPress.com.

  • Follow Following
    • The Researching Paralegal
    • Join 454 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • The Researching Paralegal
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

You must be logged in to post a comment.

    %d bloggers like this: