C|M|LAW Library Blog

You now have access to Westlaw’s next generation research system, Westlaw Next.  The library as well as our Westlaw rep will offer training on the new system.

How to Access: Sign into Westlaw.  Once signed in, in the top blue bar,  you will see a link for WestlawNext in between links for Westlaw and TWEN.  Click on the link for Westlaw Next.

Currently, WestlawNext DOES NOT PRINT TO THE WESTLAW PRINTERS.

When you print from WestlawNext it will not print to the Westlaw student or faculty printers.  You can print to a stand alone printer.  If you are printing in the computer lab, these pages will print to the lab printer and be charged against your 1,000 page allotment.

Options:

• Cut and paste citations into regular Westlaw,
• Coming soon, there will be a box from the Westlaw Law School screen where you can type citations
• Go to https://findprint.westlaw.com. Click on Onepass Username and Password at the bottom of the screen. Log in with your Onepass Username and Password.  Enter citations to print with a semicolon or hard return after each citation.

How is WestlawNext different?

• The all-in-one search box at the top of the screen will search everything on WestlawNext at once.   You do not have to select a specific database to search.
• Once you do a search there are filters on the left hand side to narrow the results by type of document, date, additional search terms or court
• The search is performed using a souped-up natural language search known as a WestSearch.  WestSearch leverages the key number system, keycite, citations to documents in secondary sources and prior search patterns of judges, attorneys and legal scholars.
• You can still use terms and connector searching, but you have to type in strict: before the search terms.  For example, strict:  “plain feel” /s manipulat! or “immediately apparent”
• Ability to create folders and save documents and excerpts from documents to the folders.
• One can create notes within a document, which will always appear when you pull up the document.  The notes are searchable.

Not all the features and materials from Westlaw are on WestlawNext

• Look under the Tools tab on WestlawNext and note that some items link you to Classic Westlaw, for example, Alerts, 50 State Surveys, Blacks Law Dictionary and Bill Tracking.
• There is a link for public records on WestlawNext, but it goes to Classic Westlaw.
• Dockets, company information, Profiler and intellectual property filings are not on WestlawNext.

For more information:

• Contact a research librarian research.services@law.csuohio.edu ,(216) 687-6877 or in person.
• Contact our Westlaw Rep, Tony Buscemi, anthony.buscemi@thomsonreuters.com, 614-571-9687.
• Click on the Help link at the bottom of WestlawNext screen to find manuals, tutorials and contact information for the Westlaw Reference Attorneys.

Some other features:

• Ability to cut and paste with the citation to the document written in the format you choose.  Choose from Bluebook, AWLD or a state citation format.  Ohio citation format is not presently a choice.  You can select Bluebook brief or Bluebook law review format from the Preferences (Preferences link is at the bottom of the WestlawNext homepage).
• Note that putting words in quotes eg. “no merit letter” searches for no /3 merit /3 letter.  To make WestlawNext search for the exact phrase, either use strict: “no merit letter” or use advanced search and put the phrase into the exact phrase box.  However this is NOT true for secondary sources, only when searching primary sources.
• Ability to change the size and font of the text.
• Keynumbers are located under the Tools tab.
• History is saved for one year.
• There is a WestlawNext mobile phone app.

Are law firms using WestlawNext?  How is it billed?

• Some law firms are using WestlawNext, others are not.
• Classic Westlaw will probably go away eventually and be replaced by WestlawNext, but this will not happen for a long time (years).
• There is no charge to run a search and look at the overview.  You will be billed when you click on a category of documents, such as cases, statutes, regulations.