Law Technology Today From the ABA Legal Technology Resource Center
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One of the most challenging aspects of online legal research is getting started. Sometimes, you will have an idea of search terms or concepts to use in a search, but in other situations, you may be confronted with a complicated hypothetical or unfamiliar area of the law. In these situations, finding the right legal research path can quickly become frustrating and stressful. Fortunately, the global search box on Westlaw, powered by WestSearch, is designed with these situations in mind, helping you find relevant results quickly. Just enter your search in plain language—or a variety of other ways—and away you go!
How do I use WestSearch?
Simply type your plain language key search terms into the global search box the top of the screen, select your jurisdiction, and search. That’s the basis, at least. Your search then runs through a long-standing history of proprietary analysis of the law that cannot be duplicated by any other search engine to deliver relevant results that even contain phrasing different from your query. In the end, WestSearch quickly ranks documents by relevance so you see the most important cases at the top of the list saving you time. And that’s just the beginning. Check out the short video below for more information what WestSearch can do for you.
Read the full article and watch the WestSearch how-to video for more tips.
About the Author
Jessica Zaiken Sienkewicz is a Reference Attorney at Thomson Reuters. A native of Minnesota, she received a B.A. from Drake University, and she received her J.D. from William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota. She currently lives in St. Paul, Minnesota.
