Have law firms/associates been switching over to Westlaw Next very much (for those that used Westlaw)? How useful has it been? It seems like an interesting system, but I didn't want to start working with/get used to it if folks don't like it.

I'm also curious about this. Westlaw Next is ridiculously good but I have no idea how costly it might be. Are firms/courts using it?

My firm uses it...and life is good.

I had dinner last night with a friend who is a partner at a ~15 attorney firm in a small, not even close to secondary market, and they are using it. FWIW.

Mine ditched WL as of Jan 1.

Why? To save money by only using Lexis, I guess?

I believe so. Lexis has better patent tools. Lexis discount was 2x as much as WL. Stuff like that.

Westlaw next is crazy expensive. Westlaw is telling law schools they have to teach it because all the firms are using AND telling firms they have to subscribe because that's what law students (future associates) are learning. This little two-step is now out in the open and both schools and firms are unhappy about it. Plus, firms are realizing it is only marginally more useful than Google, but is much more expensive.

Could you break down just how it ends up being more expensive than old WL?

It's hard to know how much anything costs with Westlaw. They have a menu, but those prices are rarely if ever, actually paid. Firms negotiate their own contracts with WL.

So, unfortunately, I can't say how much more expensive it is. I can only relay what has been relayed to me by university and firm law librarians.

On the plus side, students get free pizza and backpacks if they go to training sessions.

Amen to that! Free points, too!

I really wished I had Westlaw Next 1L year!! It's money.
I was always a Lexis person, but tried out Westlaw Next and now am converted. Too bad Westlaw has crappy points compared to Lexis which has better stuff and cheaper.

So I just negotiated a new deal for my firm for Westlaw Next. We got a great deal on it (we were coming back to Westlaw from Lexis). Anyone using it? Any cool features I should be using (federal and state litigation)?

What? We didn't get any free anything from Westlaw from the Next training session. Lexis gave us a nice water bottle for its Advance training.
I still use Westlaw Next, though. I only use Lexis when I need to generate a Table of Authorities for appellate brief. That was a nice feature that they've added.

what else did you guys talk about

You'll really like the folders option, where you can make a folder for each case you're working on, and save the things you've looked up within that folder. You can also highlight and annotate cases as you read them on Next, and those will be saved with the case.

Nice necro quote.

In any case, I now work at a different ~15 attorney firm in the same not even close to secondary market, and we have WL Next, too.

It's awesome...and no one has ever told me to tone down my usage, but I admit I will often use Google Scholar when I am randomly casting for ideas or trying to figure out the magic words I need to use.

It's really not that much more expensive. Especially because if you search broadly in Westlaw Next, then any additional searches within that broad search do not cost any money. If you're looking for just a cite, then Westlaw is cheaper, but if you're actually doing legal research it really isn't that much more expensive.

I've been clerking for a solo practitioner over the semester and he uses Westlaw Next... I'm glad he does!!!

Being able to highlight cases and save either clips or entire cases to folders without either printing them or paying for delivery is pretty boss. Also, the 'notes of decisions' on statutes, CPLR sections, etc. are not a new feature, but they are much easier and more intuitive to navigate now.

I work for a govt agency that uses it, though we use it in conjunction w/ Westlaw. It has significant limitations IMO that make both Westlaw and wlnext a must.

The folders can also be shared with other users on your network, and even e-mailed.

Your history also indicates when you have viewed, annotated, or saved a case, which can be helpful in some circumstances (e.g., ran a search, skimmed a case you thought was not really on-point, but later realize the case was actually useful).

Start searches in the main search bar with the prompt "adv:" in order to use terms and connectors.

I haven't been printing any cases since switching over to Next; I highlight and annotate everything on-screen, and save to folders organized by matter>issue>sub-topic.



My firm is paying an 18% increase for Westlaw Next over Westlaw on a flat-rate plan.

A 3 man firm I applied to for the summer told me in the interview that they use WestlawNext. They somehow got a ridiculously good deal on it (barely a $ difference between that an old-WL.)

I love WLN for everything EXCEPT: On old WestLaw, you could choose to pinpoint print exactly what pages you want from a case (e.g., I only want to print pages 221-225 of Joe v. Blo, out of a 59 page decision and 10 page dissent.) WestlawNext? Better prepare your anus laserprinter.

When is Westlaw no longer going to be offered and permanently replaced by WestlawNext? I heard by 2014, but might just be speculation.