Westlaw Canada Search Tips

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Electronic Searching in a Law Firm Environment

Using a product such as WC in a law firm is quite different than using it during law school. In a firm, there is little room for error. Because of the extremely high cost, searches have to be efficient and on point. You will not have the time or the funds available to do endless searching with ineffective search strings. No client will be willing to pay for such things, which means the firm will have to absorb those costs – and this will reflect badly on you. Make sure you think about what you want to search and how before you start using WC – the more preparation you do ahead of time, the better.

 

Searching

• The ‘Find/Keycite’ search is a more cost-effective way to find or note up a case than searching for the case first then noting it up.

 

• Searching using the ‘All LawSource Content,’ ‘All FamilySource Content,’ etc., options are much more costly than other searches.

• If you are searching for legal information in a specific area of law, use the different ‘Source’ tabs available. There will be content-specific commentary, regulatory materials, and other resources that are not available in ‘LawSource.’

• Browsing is less costly than searching. You can click through the plus signs while browsing and you will not generate legal research costs for your client; only when you are down to the last level and you need to click on a blue link will there be a charge

 

• Start out with a broad search; once you have conducted this search, do not click the ‘Edit Search’ link. Instead, click on ‘Locate in Result’ in order to narrow down your search. Editing the search will incur another charge which will be passed on to your client; using ‘Locate in Result’ does not incur another charge. This will save your client money. NOTE – when using the ‘Locate’ feature, it will only search for the new search terms within the limited number of results your original broad search gave you. For example, you searched for a case using the search string “bill of costs” and you only searched for cases in New Brunswick. You got 207 hits. When you click on ‘Locate in Result” and include the search word ‘divorce,’ you get 11 hits. These 11 hits are the only ones of the original 207 that includes the word divorce.

 

Research Trails

• With the Research Trail, you can see what searches you have conducted within the last 14 days. This is handy in case you are interrupted during your search to work on another project (a common occurrence) – you don’t have to start from scratch.

 

• You can run a search from your Research Trail that you did that same day and it will not cost your client anything (up to 2am). If you were interrupted during a search, you can come back to it that same day and run it again and costs will not be incurred.

 

• Remember that you can download and email your Research Trails – with this, you can keep your Research Trails indefinitely.

 

Extra Help

• In each Source (LawSource, IPSource, etc.) there is a ‘What’s in’ link that will take you to a list of resources included in that Source (ex: ‘What’s in LawSource’). Use this so that you know if you will be able to find the information you are looking for in that particular Source. You could also click on the ‘Directory’ link at the top of the screen to click through to the scope notes for each Source. Both of these options are free.

• The Sitemap (located at the top of the screen) is free; it can assist you in finding information. As well, you can click on the ‘Reference Materials’ link under ‘Help Centre’ and it will take you to the resource guides on the WC website. These guides will provide information on how to find information, how to use the system, etc. You can also link to their video tutorials (they call them eLearning Modules).

 

• Their toll free customer service number (1-800-387-5164) is open 24 hours a day. If you are in the middle of a search and need help, give them a call.

 

Special Thanks

Thanks to Sam MacKenzie, a trainer with Westlaw Canada, for these excellent usage tips. As someone who works closely with law firms, she has seen firsthand how ineffective searching can impact the firm’s bottom line and the articling student’s career.

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