Lexis | Online Legal Research Platform (2024)

FAQs

Do most law firms use Lexis or Westlaw? ›

When asked if their law library could subscribe either to Westlaw or LexisNexis, 70 percent of respondents choose Westlaw. Lomio says the survey results astonished him because he always perceived the two search engines as “interchangeable. I was surprised to find a strong preference for Westlaw.”

Search broadly. Start with a broad search o f all Lexis+ content, so you will have a complete set of results, including cases, statutes, secondary materials and other important sources for your assignment. Your initial search should include these three elements: party, cause of action and situation.

One of the differences between LexisNexis and Westlaw is how you find those other relevant sources. On Westlaw, “Citing References” for a particular case or statute will take you to other decisions on the issue. On Lexis, “Citing Decisions” shows you those additional references.

Fact: LexisNexis is the industry's premier resource for primary law with the most comprehensive collection of case law, statutes and regulations.

As of this review, the price of a three-year commitment to LexisNexis starts at $105.00 per month. This tier provides case law, statutes, and legislation for one state and the ability to Shepardize your results.

Summer Access is available to all law students once classes end for the semester/academic year, for the summer months of May, June, July and August. LexisNexis believes your participation in a summer associate, internship or clerkship program is a valuable part of your legal education.

It's often best to start your research with a Self-Help book or other legal guides. Often, it's hard to understand a law without more context. It helps to start your research with a legal Self-Help book, practice guides, or legal article. These are called secondary authorities.

Law reviews and journals are available in the Secondary Materials category. It is best to run a free text search for your topic and then use the Narrow by filters such as Search Within Results to help maximize your research when finding law review and journal articles.

Cons: 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.

Do lawyers use Westlaw? ›

Westlaw is an online legal research service and proprietary database for lawyers and legal professionals available in over 60 countries.

Note that California's online regulations and online case law are made available through "free" portals provided by Westlaw and Lexis, respectively.

Fill out the form or call 1-888-46-NEXIS

A LexisNexis^® rep will reach out to schedule your free trial activation. The trial is 7 days in duration. All fields are required unless otherwise noted.

Online Request Form. You may order information on yourself or someone whom you have legal authority over, such as a minor. If you are ordering information for someone other than yourself, you will need to submit paperwork to prove you have authorization.

LexisNexis is known for revolutionizing legal research to help make it less tedious and more data-driven. Using AI technology, analytics and visualization tools, Lexis+ provides new avenues for attorneys to formulate case strategy.

Both Westlaw and Lexis also offer alternatives to the default search that give us more control over search results. This in turn allows us to refine our searches to improve relevancy and precision. Advanced Search on both services displays a template for crafting a search.

Neither of these companies is independent – they are parts of much larger conglomerates that dominate the entire information services sector. West is owned by Thomson Reuters, while LexisNexis is a division of RELX Group.