ZiefBrief

Browsers, Lexis, and Westlaw

We just saw an announcement from Westlaw, warning users not to use certain older versions of browsers when researching on Westlaw -- here's the announcement:

Starting in March, westlaw.com platforms will not support Web browser versions earlier than the following: Internet Explorer 6.0, Netscape 7.0, Firefox 1.0, and Safari 1.1. The browsers that are blocked are no longer supported by the companies that created them, and this lack of support can generate problems during development and with issue resolution. Most importantly, these browsers are not receiving security updates, which could lead to a security risk. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Westlaw technical support at: 1-800-WESTLAW (1-800-937-8529).

This announcement brings to mind an important tip.  Most of the reference librarians use Internet Explorer to access Lexis and Westlaw -- not because we love IE, but because we've noted some malfunctions when we try to use other browsers with Lexis, TWEN, and Westlaw.   

Westlaw and Lexis Summer Access

Most 1Ls are probably unaware that Westlaw and Lexis switch off law student access to most of their research systems during the summer.  Only certain students qualify for continued summer access to the entire Lexis and Westlaw research systems.

Westlaw has just announced that students who are taking summer classes, working on law review projects, working for a professor, studying for the bar, or working in a non-profit, public interest internship or other pro bono work that is required for graduation may register for summer access.  If your summer activities include any of the above, then you can register online for summer access to Westlaw and TWEN. Just sign on to Westlaw as usual, then look for the big link in the middle of the page that says, "Extend your Westlaw password this summer."

Lexis has announced that students may register for summer access if they are taking summer classes, working for a professor, working on law review projects, working on a school-related research assignment, studying for the bar, working in a nonprofit externship, or working in an unpaid internship/externship.  Again, just sign on to Lexis, then look for the big link in the middle of the page that says, "Extend your LexisNexis ID over the summer."

If your summer activities don't fit neatly into any of the above categories, contact our academic representatives, Danae Weidemann at Westlaw and Aaron Villalobos at Lexis, to discuss your particular situation.  They will let you know whether you qualify for summer access. 

Both vendors will shut off access as of June 1, 2008, so don't procrastinate!  It takes just a few seconds to sign up. 

The Zief librarians hope that all of you have a fabulous summer!

Westlaw's KeyRules

Westlaw has released a new tool for litigators called KeyRules.   KeyRules "gathers all applicable rules governing common federal and state court procedures and condenses them" into one document with links to all of the listed rules.  This feature is currently available for motions, pleadings, and filings in all federal district courts, the Court of Federal Claims, and in some state and local courts in California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, and Texas. 

KeyRules is easy to use.  You just select the court in which you're filing documents, then you select the type of filing that you will be doing from a detailed list (such as an amended complaint, motion to suppress, or notice of deposition).  After you've made these selections, KeyRules will generate a document for you, which lists applicable rules and supplies links to their text.  Your document will also contain a narrative that explains the rules' requirements.   A gentle warning, though -- this product is the product of human editors and, as we all know, even the best editors can mess up.  It's always best to double-check to make sure that you have reviewed all of the rules that apply to your filing.

You can access KeyRules from several locations on Westlaw, including the Litigation tab, the California tab, the Litigation subdirectory under the Westlaw Directory, and the Links tab for a court rule or procedural statute you are viewing.

Something To Be Thankful For

Westlaw decided to give all legal researchers something to be deeply thankful for this month.  After listening to librarians' pleas for easier access to West Key Numbers on Westlaw for years, West has finally acquiesced, and you can now find a link to West Key Numbers on the main menu at the top of the Westlaw legal research screen.  Here's what it looks like:

When you click on the "Key Numbers" link, you'll pull up a screen that gives you the choice of browsing the West Key Number Digest Online or using a keyword search to find a relevant West Key Number.  If you're not sure which topic and key number you need, browsing the topic outline is a good way to orient yourself to the available topics. In the world outside academia, there's no charge for browsing or searching the key numbers.  However, if you search case law for particular key numbers in a practice setting, that search will cost money.

If you're reading this post and still wondering what the heck a key number is, here is the explanation from West:

Key Numbers help you search for legal concepts [in case law]. The American system of law is broken down into Major Topics -- there are more than 400, including topics like Civil Rights, Negligence, and Pretrial Procedure. Each of those topics is divided, in greater and greater detail, into individual subtopics that represent specific legal concepts. Each specific legal concept has a unique number, called a Key Number. Every case headnote in Westlaw is classified to a particular Key Number, which allows you to find cases on any of the more than 100,000 Key Numbers. The whole outline, along with the case headnotes classified to it, is called the Key Number Digest System.

50-State Surveys on Westlaw AND Lexis

Who hasn't faced the dreaded 50-state survey project as a summer or a new associate?  I estimate that I had to do at least three or four of these things during my first couple of years at a firm.  Fortunately, Lexis and Westlaw both offer 50-state surveys of laws in a number of substantive areas.  Westlaw ventured into this field first, but librarians everywhere are glad to see that Lexis is now offering its own 50-state surveys as well.  Hopefully, the two vendors will struggle mightily to outdo each other, eventually offering 50-state surveys on every legal subject under the sun.

So how do you find them? From the Lexis research system home page, click on "View More Sources" under the heading "Legislation & Politics - U.S. & U.K."  At the next screen, click on "LexisNexis 50 State Surveys, Legislation & Regulations."  Scroll through the list of topics until you find the one that you need.  Click on the link, and Lexis will generate an Excel spreadsheet for you, containing citations and links to the laws governing your topic in all 50 states.   If you're still in law school, you don't need to worry about the "$" sign that appears next to the links.  Academic users don't incur any charges for using these materials.  However, if you're in a firm, it's always best to check with your librarian or your office manager before clicking on any Lexis or Westlaw item with a dollar sign next to it.

From the Westlaw law school research home page, click on "50 State Surveys" under the "Statutes" heading.  At the next screen, you can search for your state law topic using a "terms and connectors" search to find the survey topic that you need.  An easier approach may be to click on "table of contents" in the upper-right hand corner of the screen to browse a list of all of the topics for which Westlaw has created a 50-state survey.  When you find the subject that you need, simply click on the topic link, and Westlaw will open a new window with links to the statutes governing your topic.

ALR and Lexis Part Ways -- January 2008

We all knew that this day was approaching -- the day when American Law Reports content would be available exclusively on Westlaw.  (What is ALR, you ask?  Check out this handy Harvard Law Library research guide to learn all about ALR.)   

I learned last fall that ALR's days on Lexis were numbered, but hadn't yet heard of an actual date when ALR would be yanked from Lexis.  My esteemed colleague, Bonnie Shucha at WisBlawg, has posted an article from Information Today, informing legal researchers that ALR content will only be available on Westlaw as of January 2008. 

TWEN Gets a Facelift

Last Wednesday, Westlaw unveiled a new look and feel for the law school home page, as well as some aesthetic and functional improvements for TWEN.  One of the biggest changes is that you can now display only active courses on your "My Courses" page or only inactive or archived courses by clicking on either the "Active Courses" or "Hidden Courses" button.  This is a nice feature that helps to reduce the clutter on your TWEN home page.  If you'd like a quick five-minute tutorial that displays the latest TWEN changes, you can find the tutorial here.

Save a Forest or Two

The first-year LRWA final is just about over, and because our Westlaw rep just told us that she observed a 700-page KeyCite result for a single case (!!) at one of the Zief printers, we thought it would be a good time to dispense some tips on how to print in an environmentally-friendly fashion on Lexis and Westlaw:

• Tip #1:  Use Limit KeyCite Display on Westlaw:  If you are printing a KeyCite result, take advantage of the "Limit KeyCite Display" function to customize your KeyCite result and make it easier to use BEFORE you print.  The "Limit KeyCite Display" function appears at the bottom left of your KeyCite result screen (this Westlaw guide shows you where to find it).  You can limit your KeyCite results by Jurisdiction, by Headnote, by Date, by Document Type, by Depth of Treatment, and by Keyword.  Usually, you can create a KeyCite printout that doesn't kill a couple of forests or confuse you endlessly just by applying the jurisdiction and document type limits.  For example, do you really need to know what the Seventh Circuit had to say about your California Supreme Court case?  Probably not, so limit your result by checking the boxes next to the jurisdictions that matter. If you're not sure which jurisdictions matter, come and talk to us at the reference desk, and we can help you figure it out.
  
  Similarly, if you are KeyCiting just to figure out if your case is still good law, you don't need to print out the long list of secondary sources and appellate briefs that cite to your case or statute.  Click on the Document Type restrictor, and uncheck the boxes next to secondary sources and briefs.  When you're done setting limits, click "Apply," and you will see a much more user-friendly result that you can print without guilt!

• Tip #2:  Use the "FOCUS Restrict By" Function on Lexis:  If you're a Lexis user, you, too, can be a friend to the environment.  You can filter your Shepard's results by clicking on the "FOCUS Restrict By" link at the top of your Shepard's results screen (this guide shows you exactly where to find this link).  After clicking this link, you can limit your results by Analysis, by Jurisdiction, by Date, and by Keyword.  You can also choose to display only "all negative" or "all positive" Shepard's results to refine your result.

• Tip #3: Don't print out the annotations to a statute unless you really need them.  Statutory annotations can be quite lengthy, and if you have already reviewed them online and picked out the relevant annotations, think twice before printing out the annotated version of the statute.  If you just want to print the statute's language, on Westlaw, select "Print," then at the next screen, select "Statutory Text Only" before you click the Print button. 
  
  On Lexis, look up your statute.  When you have the statute on the screen, click on the word "Custom" at the top left of the screen.  You'll be presented with a number of boxes.  Make sure that the only box that is checked is the "Text" box, then hit "OK."  When you return to the screen, you will just be viewing the statute's text, and you can now go ahead and print the statute without printing the annotations.  To return to a full, annotated view of the statute, click the word, "Full," at the top left of your screen.

• Tip #4:  Call the Lexis & Westlaw Customer Service Numbers.  The Westlaw and Lexis reference attorneys can help you with all of the above functions.  To reach them, call Lexis at 1-800-455-3947 (1-800-45-LEXIS) or Westlaw at 1-800-733-2889 (1-800-REF-ATTY)

State Trial Court Orders on Westlaw

Westlaw has announced the availability of trial court orders from 25 states, including California, in a new database called TRIALORDERS-ALL.  The California trial court orders database, CA-TRIALORDERS, begins coverage in 2001.  According to Westlaw, these databases "contain only dispositive orders (e.g., orders on motions for dismissal, summary judgment, or new trial) and other orders on substantive matters (e.g., class certification).  Rulings on minor procedural matters are excluded." 

Better WestClip Naming Options

WestClip is a great service from Westlaw, which allows you to monitor news or legal developments. Law students, faculty, and staff can use WestClip to receive e-mail announcements about important developments in case law, statutes, legislation, regulations, or news.  For some odd reason, Westlaw only allowed you to use 10 characters to name your WestClip.  Naturally, you often ended up with an unrecognizable name for your search, which created difficulties when you needed to distinguish between multiple WestClip searches.

Now, West has kindly increased the number of characters that you can use when naming WestClip searches from 10 to 40, so you should be able to create WestClip labels that will still make sense to you a couple of months after you create them.

To create a WestClip search, sign on to Westlaw, then click on the "Alert Center" link, which is located on the top right-hand side of the Westlaw law school home page.  Next, click on the "Create Entry" link for "WestClip."  And of course, if you're more comfortable with Lexis, you can use the Lexis Alert feature to keep you up-to-date.  If you need help with using either Lexis or Westlaw's alert services, please contact Amy Wright, Zief's Online Research Services Librarian, at x5112 or e-mail her at ajwright@usfca.edu.