While law is established in precedent and procedure, how law firms practice is highly individual.

For instance, some firms are hesitant to use technology to more efficiently run the business and practice of law. Then there are other firms, like Girardi|Keese, that eagerly embrace technology. Consider the words of Jake Courtney, a partner with the Los-Angeles-based litigation firm:

“We always want to be on the forefront of technology…you can’t serve your clients if you don’t have the best people and tools,” he explains.

Therefore, the firm was among the first to subscribe to Westlaw Edge when it was released in July.

“Westlaw Edge has already changed how we practice law. It helps us cover more bases and more information, and certainly imparts greater confidence in the courtroom,” says Kenny Ramirez, an associate with Girardi|Keese. “You know you’re able to cover more than your opposition.”

Just how much of an advantage can you have over your competition with Westlaw Edge? Find out for yourself with a Westlaw Edge free trial. Discover, with no investment required, how Westlaw Edge accelerates research, improves accuracy and provides valuable data-driven insights so you can perform at your best.

To make the most of your free trial and understand the full power Westlaw Edge can give your firm, spend some time exploring the following:

1. Find out how quickly you can get answers with WestSearch Plus. Type a term, like “fraudulent transfer,” into the global search box. Observe how predictive search, powered by artificial intelligence, quickly populates search suggestions and questions that will get you to your answer faster.

“The search function has improved tremendously and so has the ability to get answers quickly, which is especially useful for new lawyers,” says William Donovan, an attorney with Girardi|Keese. “As someone who does a lot of law and motion work, brief writing, and research for partners, Westlaw Edge speeds up my work. I can find information that would have otherwise taken me twice as long.”

2. Uncover insights about a judge you’re appearing before with Litigation Analytics. Just type their name into the Litigation Analytics search box to see how the judge typically rules on similar cases, the motions they most often grant, the average time to trial, and much more.“Litigation Analytics is incredibly helpful when I walk into a courtroom with a judge my colleagues and I aren’t familiar with. To know what types of cases they’ve seen and what kind of rulings they’ve made is a tremendous asset,” notes Donovan.
You can also run these searches to get insights on courts, attorneys, law firms and case types.

3. Protect yourself from the risk of implicitly overruled law with KeyCite Overruling Risk. Discover how easy it is to identify questionable law by typing case citation 187 F.R.D. 83 in the global search box. Notice how an orange warning sign icon appears at the top of the document. This is the Westlaw Edge KeyCite Overruling Risk which indicates that at least a portion of the law relies on an overruled or invalid prior decision. While standard citators only flag laws that have been explicitly overturned, only KeyCite Overruling Risk catches those that are implicitly undermined.

Consider the loss of credibility if your opposition reveals that the precedent for your argument is questionable. Which brings up an important point – you’ll definitely want to apply KeyCite Overruling Risk to the law your opposition is citing.

4. Slash the time you, or your associates, take to compare statutes. Type 26 U.S.C.A. §812 in the global search bar and then click the Compare Versions button to experience Statutes Compare. See how easy it is to understand how the statute has changed over time, with changes automatically highlighted or underlined. Have statute versions you need to compare? Just type it into the search bar to find out how this tedious work can be completed instantly.

“Statutes Compare saves so much time and headaches,” says Alexandra Steele, a Girardi|Keese attorney. “When you’re looking at statutes side by side, the differences pop out without having to underline or highlight. To have that already drawn out for you is amazing.”

Sign up for your Westlaw Edge free trial now to see these game-changing features in action and give your firm an edge over the competition.

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Amy Larson is a Director in Small Law Firm Customer Marketing at Thomson Reuters. She has over 17 years of experience in technology marketing with extensive focus on learning how technology can meet the needs of attorneys. Amy has been involved in numerous product launches throughout her tenure, public relations efforts, interviewing customers and telling their stories, and often writes and distributes information on how legal technology can help small law firms with their practice of law and law firm management responsibilities.