Yesterday I talked about the new Fastcase app for the iPhone, and I ended by wondering what Westlaw, Lexis and Google might offer in the future. I see that the February edition of the ABA Journal will include a fascinating article about the future of legal research. The article does not explicitly mention the iPhone, but it is still a great sneak peak into the future of legal research technology, some of which I presume will eventually trickle down to the iPhone.
The article talks about how Westlaw is about to make available its new WestlawNext system, which will be a paid upgrade. (The service was officially unveiled yesterday at LegalTech New York.) You can read more about WestlawNext in this preview by Robert Ambrogi and this one by Simon Chester. I also recommend that you check out this page from Westlaw, which contains a nice video overview of WestlawNext. Plus, if you watch the entire video (which is just a few minutes long) West will send you a $5 Starbucks card and enter you for a chance to win a Kindle.
Later this year, Lexis will debut the new version of its system, frequently referred to as New Lexis. Like WestlawNext, the New Lexis will be much more Google-like in its searches. Bloomberg is also testing its own legal research product that will be available later this year. The article also discusses the much cheaper Fastcase system and the free Google Scholar system.
According to the article, Google’s Rick Klau indicated that Google has no current plans to do more with Google Scholar than is already available. That was a big surprise to me because with Google’s current push into mobile devices (including smart phones that run its own Android operating system), I assumed that a mobile version of Google Scholar was being worked on right now.
I was excited to see the Fastcase iPhone app come out a few days ago, and it looks like this was just the beginning of an exciting year for legal research technology.
Thanks for the heads up on this. I’ve done a post about it, linking a couple more previews of Westlaw Next, and focusing particularly on the mysteries of how much this thing is going to cost.
Jeff – Great site! I came across it as I was looking for some great iPhone apps for lawyers. Really well done! Full disclosure: I work at LexisNexis as a Litigation Services Specialist, overseeing the business relationship large law firms have across the southeast with respect to our content & tools within our litigation portfolio. That disclosure out of the way, I wanted to follow-up on this post.
Also announced at ABA Legal Tech was the completely differentiated and exclusive LexisNexis Announcement: Lexis for Microsoft Office. An absolute game changer in the research landscape for lawyers. Hit the jump for the press release: First-of-its-kind integration with Microsoft applications transforms the way legal research is conducted. http://www.lexisnexis.com/media/press-release.aspx?id=1121.asp.
NEW YORK, NY, February 01, 2010 – LexisNexis®, a leading global provider of content-enabled workflow solutions, today announced Lexis® for Microsoft Office – a new set of research capabilities that will enable legal professionals to access content and services from LexisNexis and other sources while operating directly within Microsoft Office applications. Legal professionals can now find, analyze and act upon legal content while working within Microsoft Office Outlook, Microsoft Word and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server.
Input from hundreds of customers and other legal professionals shaped the development of Lexis for Microsoft Office, which was specifically designed to address their need to work more efficiently and productively, and ultimately serve clients better. Customers can now access vital information from the LexisNexis® services, the open Web as well as designated law firm or corporate files in one place and with the click of a button – eliminating time and energy intense searches across disparate sources and applications.
“Lexis for Microsoft Office is a significant leap forward in the transformation of legal technology – both in what it delivers and how it is being created,” said Michael F. Walsh, CEO of LexisNexis U.S. Legal Markets. “Working closely with our customers, we’ve created a whole new way to access and use the trusted information they need directly from their day-to-day desktop applications. This frees them to focus on legal reasoning and strategy, responding faster to client issues and questions, and confidently managing legal matters.”
How it Works
While reviewing a Word document or an Outlook e-mail message, Lexis for Microsoft Office users can seamlessly access content and resources from LexisNexis, the open Web, or their law firm or corporate files. Key features include:
“Search” – A single search box that delivers one-click access to the vast collection of legal content from LexisNexis, the open Web and the user’s internal company information database. Results from all sources are displayed in a window next to the active document.
“Background” – This function provides background information on “entities” such as people, companies, organizations and cases mentioned in the text of a Word document or Outlook message. It automatically indexes the working document with hyperlinks to relevant information from internal, LexisNexis and Web resources. Upon clicking the hyperlink, the information is displayed in a side pane within the Microsoft Office applications. The Background feature will also display full Shepard’s® reports and apply Shepard’s® SignalTM indicators directly to the cases cited within the text of the document. Full text versions of case law, news and information cited within an e-mail message or Word document can also be accessed through the lexis.com® resources directly within the Microsoft software application.
“Suggest” – Similar to the Background function, this functionality interacts with any text in a Word document or Outlook message. By manually highlighting text, the user can prompt a search that will pull up relevant information from internal, LexisNexis and Web resources. The content is displayed in a side pane within the application.
While using SharePoint Server and Microsoft SharePoint Workspace, subscribers also have the ability to store, organize and share documents on a related topic from a SharePoint site. SharePoint can also act as an internal company database from which Lexis for Microsoft Office pulls information.
“With the increasing importance for law firms to bring meaning to content more quickly and cost effectively, Lexis for Microsoft Office provides a powerful new tool for legal professionals to access their information through a familiar, easy-to-use and integrated environment,” said Brian Zeve, U.S. professional services industry managing director, Microsoft Corp.
Lexis for Microsoft Office will launch for Microsoft Office 2007 in spring 2010, and will be available with Microsoft Office 2010. To access and use these capabilities, users will require a current LexisNexis subscription.
About LexisNexis
LexisNexis® (www.lexisnexis.com) is a leading global provider of content-enabled workflow solutions designed specifically for professionals in the legal, risk management, corporate, government, law enforcement, accounting and academic markets. LexisNexis originally pioneered online information with its Lexis® and Nexis® services. A member of Reed Elsevier [NYSE: ENL; NYSE: RUK] (www.reedelsevier.com), LexisNexis serves customers in more than 100 countries with 18,000 employees worldwide.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their representative owners.