Add RSS RSS

Nationwide Layoff Watch: LexisNexis

Here's some news that will surely generate schadenfreude over at Westlaw. From The Hook:

LexisNexis Lexis Nexis layoffs Above the Law blog.jpgNearly 300 Lexis Nexis employees will soon be looking for work.... The layoffs, announced at a companywide meeting in Lexis’ Dayton headquarters [on Monday] afternoon, are bad news for Lexis’ Ohio staff, particularly those in data collection, conversion, editing, and business systems.

According to Lexis spokesperson Sue D’Agostino, 215 of approximately 3,000 positions will be cut or outsourced in Dayton over the next 10 months, with another 75 positions being cut from some of the company’s other locations– Albany, Colorado Springs, New Providence, Newark, San Francisco, and Charlottesville.

No word on whether Lexis will stop supplying law students with free highlighters and tote bags.

There were warning signs that layoffs might be in the works, as reported last month by The Hook:

At the [Charlottesville] Lexis operation, employees are “anxious,” say sources too fearful to use their names. They cite several new policies implemented since January as examples of ways the company may be trying to push them out: 120 editors were converted from salaried to hourly status in January, a move some fear could make it easier to fire them.

Also implemented in January: a system by which employee comings and goings are tracked. Anyone who arrives late, leaves early, or calls in sick without giving a full 24 hours notice is given a citation called an “occurrence.” According to sources, as few as seven such “occurrences” can result in termination.

Tracking the comings and goings of workers? No big deal. Some law firms do it, too.

In addition, many employees were suddenly forced to sign a release allowing the company to do credit and criminal background checks, something one employee believes might have been the company’s way of seeking to cut more positions without having to provide severance compensation.

And conveniently enough, they won't run up thousands of dollars in charges to conduct these background checks -- they're Lexis.

A digression, to satisfy our idle curiosity:

Lexis lay-offs come true… in Dayton [The Hook]
Reed Elsevier cost cuts to claim 1,000 jobs [Telegraph]
Lexis reacts [The Hook]
‘Occurrence’ worries– Lexis lay-offs? [The Hook]

Comments
avatar
Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 16, 2008 3:26 PM

First!!!

avatar
Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 16, 2008 3:27 PM

Too bad. Generally speaking, Lexis >> Westlaw, but it's way more expensive. Surprised they have to let people go, it's not like there's less research being done in a down economy.

avatar
Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 16, 2008 3:27 PM

It's all about preCYdent. Screw Lexis and WL.

avatar
Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 16, 2008 3:27 PM

google is my preferred legal research tool

avatar
Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 16, 2008 3:27 PM

First to hope Lexis goes under.

avatar
Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 16, 2008 3:27 PM

How are you supposed to call in sick with 24 hours notice?

So if I feel sick Monday, I give notice, go to work feeling sick, then take Tuesday off? That is absurd.

avatar
Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 16, 2008 3:32 PM

Not as bad as Simpson. You can bet that the burly Secret Service agents that guard Simpson headquarters are watching your every coming and going.

avatar
Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 16, 2008 3:38 PM

Lexis is the CWT and Sooenschein (ie TTT) of research websites.

avatar
Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 16, 2008 3:38 PM

Lexis is the CWT and Sonnenschein (ie TTT) of research websites.

avatar
Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 16, 2008 3:45 PM

Today Lexus brought my firm Sprinkles cupcakes. Knowing that they had to lay someone off to afford those sweet, cuppin' cakes makes them extra tasty!

avatar
Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 16, 2008 3:53 PM

Wow, WL is really pwning Lexis in the poll. I like it 'coz it's blue. I think I once had a dream about the two of them fighting it out in a carefully choreographed dance/fight scene with switchblades, à la West Side Story.

I wasn't aware that either of them gave out tote bags. I feel like I've missed out. I take some modest solace in my free copy of the FRE, dozens of hiliters, and countless handfuls of stale candy.

avatar
Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 16, 2008 3:55 PM

Does anyone know how much Lexis and WL campus reps make? They're JDs, right, so is it the $$ or the schedule/lack of responsibilities?

Posted by AntonK | Permalink Wednesday, April 16, 2008 3:58 PM

Loislaw is my tool of choice!

avatar
Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 16, 2008 4:01 PM

I really hope they don't take my LexisPoints. I'm saving up for a coffee pot!!!

avatar
Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 16, 2008 4:02 PM

That's because you are a poor working at a small-law firm, 3:58.

avatar
Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 16, 2008 4:03 PM

Here's your Lexis v. Westlaw:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2JPJDmP9lo

avatar
Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 16, 2008 4:12 PM

Cravath has both services and I use them equally as much. I even made out with the West Law rep. It was awesome!

avatar
Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 16, 2008 4:16 PM

EDGAR is my database of choice!

avatar
Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 16, 2008 4:18 PM

The new format of the website is not as good, IMHO
There are also far less responses to posts

avatar
Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 16, 2008 4:18 PM

The new format of the website is not as good, IMHO
There are also far less responses to posts

avatar
Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 16, 2008 4:25 PM

Latham uses West Law. But I like Lexis. But I like working at Latham.

avatar
Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 16, 2008 4:25 PM

RIA/Checkpoint -- for tax research.

avatar
Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 16, 2008 4:43 PM

The Pope likes to use prayer as his legal research tool.

avatar
Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 16, 2008 4:53 PM

I went GULC and I was the only research tool I needed.

avatar
Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 16, 2008 5:02 PM

well, you're definitely a tool.

zing!

avatar
Posted by Kind of A Big Deal | Permalink Wednesday, April 16, 2008 5:08 PM

I called bullshit, 4:12. Pics of said rep?

avatar
Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 16, 2008 5:09 PM

Lexis rep at my firm (summer associate gig) was a cougar.

Fortunately, I didn't hear of any summers succumbing to her advances.

avatar
Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 16, 2008 5:19 PM

Google.

avatar
Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 16, 2008 5:53 PM

if you call in 24 hours in advance of being sick doesn't it prove that you're actually going to the beach?

avatar
Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 16, 2008 6:54 PM

I'm shocked by the lack of love for EDGAR. I figured this would be full of transactional people who don't have any work to do.

But maybe those folks just read Dealbreaker and not ATL these days.

avatar
Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 16, 2008 8:42 PM

Both BNA and CCH have products that easily beat Lexis/Westlaw for tax research. Never was able to warm up to RIA Checkpoint, though.

avatar
Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 16, 2008 8:55 PM

In general, I find the Lexis interface to be 1000x times better than Westlaw. Westlaw is buggy. It's also inconsistent (sometimes there's a find citation box on the side and sometimes not, sometimes the search box at tome is for focus and sometimes it is for a new search...).

But Westlaw has so many more materials available that it is what I use.

avatar
Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 16, 2008 9:55 PM

RIA/Checkpoint is awesome!

avatar
Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 16, 2008 10:06 PM

I second the awesomeness of RIA/Checkpoint.

avatar
Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 16, 2008 10:36 PM

I generally use Westlaw, but use Lexis for to research no-action letters. Lexis often has older no-action letters that Westlaw doesn't pick up fro some reason.

I once had a baby lawyer do some research for me. She claimed she was unable to find anything through on-line research. Knowing of this Westlaw/Lexis disconnect, I asked whether she used Westlaw or Lexis, and she responded "I used Google." It's lucky that I was dumbfounded by her total stupidity; I passed up the chance to choke the living sh*t out of her. That would have been a career limiting maneuver.

avatar
Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 16, 2008 10:38 PM

Checkpoint! Then sometimes BNA. Lexis as a last resort.

avatar
Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 16, 2008 11:28 PM

AltLaw (www.altlaw.org) ... Beta

avatar
Posted by guest | Permalink Thursday, April 17, 2008 9:21 AM

Don't forget Wikipedia.

The Onion has some decent stuff sometimes too.

My favorite though, TMZ.

avatar
Posted by guest | Permalink Thursday, April 17, 2008 9:54 AM

Your firm librarian says - you should be using both if you have access to both. And CCH, and BNA. And the damn print volumes, too.

avatar
Posted by guest | Permalink Thursday, April 17, 2008 11:02 AM

would someone please fire my lexis school rep? she might be the most retarded person in the universe, and a bitch to boot. DU Law.
Westlaw has too many popups and finding sources can be a real pain in the ass. but I do like the blue...

avatar
Posted by guest | Permalink Thursday, April 17, 2008 4:53 PM

Academic reps make 60-75. It's a cake job - "work" from home, visit schools and schmooze

avatar
Posted by guest | Permalink Thursday, April 17, 2008 10:30 PM

Westlaw reps make about 125K to start.

avatar
Posted by guest | Permalink Friday, April 18, 2008 2:19 AM

Westlaw reps don't make anywhere near 125k to start, neither do Lexis reps.

Cut it in half and you're getting close.

avatar
Posted by guest | Permalink Thursday, May 1, 2008 12:27 AM

I am a Westlaw rep and yes, it is in excess of $125 to start. Not sure about law school reps.

Post Your Comment