Above the Law posted this month, law firms as well as other businesses are coping with the difficult economic environment and are looking into cutting their costs without having to fire associates. One way to cut back on cost is to look at monthly bills for legal research databases. Some firms use Lexis, some use Westlaw, and some use both. The subscription packages wary from firm to firm. The one thing that doesn't wary are the multiple hidden costs within both of these databases. Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell decided to cut back on their legal research cost by embracing Loislaw for non-billable research.Thanks to the faltering economy, we are now required to use Loislaw instead of Lexis or Westlaw for certain things. Unlike its more expensive counterparts, Loislaw has one "low, all-inclusive flat rate, with no hidden charges for printing, copying, downloading, or hyperlinking to primary law or analytic materials outside the scope of a current subscription."
All non-billable legal research involving case law, statutes or regulations at both the state and federal level should first be performed using Loislaw. Loislaw should also be used for billable research where appropriate, resulting in a much lower cost to the client. If additional research is required on Lexis or Westlaw that research must be billed to a client/matter. [Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell Memo]
See the firm's full memo here.
This makes me wonder, will the use of Loislaw become a trend in more law firms? And if so, will law school education, particularly legal research courses often taught by law librarians, need to adjust and possibly add Loislaw to the curriculum? What are your thoughts? Any comments?
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Even though the economy is challenging right now. It will not be like this forever. Firms that have planned will run the course and stay with current their providers. Even Lexis is feeling the pinch. They have frozen salaries and bonuses and also are laying off workers. Makes me wonder if they are updating their cases and materials to stay current with Westlaw
ReplyDeleteI think that being up to date is one of the major selling points for both of the databases. Providing material that is not up to date could seriously damage both of their reputations.
ReplyDeleteAs an attorney having practiced for over 15 years, I can attest to the fact that Loislaw is much easier to use than either Westlaw or Lexis, contains equally broad database content from which to choose and is much CHEAPER than both. Law schools should provide an alternative to the big 2 online research platforms.
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