Westlaw Edge
Last Updated
Key Takeaways
Generated from the text of customer reviews
Westlaw Edge is a legal research platform used by attorneys and legal teams, particularly in litigation and complex legal research. Users value its access to authoritative legal sources, while some report that multiple tabs can be unreliable. The platform recently introduced Quick Check Judicial for comparing multiple matter documents and identifying omitted authority.
Our Verdict
Westlaw Edge is a suitable option for established law firms and legal departments handling frequent, research-intensive matters. Its wide range of resources makes the cost more worthwhile for teams with heavy research needs, while smaller firms may find it expensive if the use is limited. We recommend Westlaw Edge for organizations where legal research is a core, recurring workflow.
Westlaw Edge Specifications
- Document Automation/Assembly
- Workflow Automation
- Client Portal
- Legal Research Integration
What Is Westlaw Edge?
Westlaw Edge is Thomson Reuters’ advanced legal research platform that combines Westlaw’s legal content with tools for finding, analyzing, and validating legal authority. It provides access to federal and state case law, statutes, regulations, court rules, administrative materials, secondary sources, litigation materials, and attorney-edited headnotes. Additionally, Westlaw Edge with AI-Assisted Research adds AI-generated answers based exclusively on Westlaw content, AI jurisdictional surveys, and AI-enhanced document analysis for more complex research tasks.
What Is Westlaw Edge Best For?
One key feature of Westlaw Edge is its ability to help users check whether cited legal authority may have been undermined via KeyCite Overruling Risk. The tool identifies legal points that may be implicitly undermined by an overruled or otherwise invalid prior decision. This helps attorneys review cited cases more closely before relying on them in briefs, memoranda, or other legal work.
How Much Does Westlaw Edge Cost?
Westlaw pricing starts at $132/month for its Westlaw Edge Single State Primary Law plan. Further pricing tiers of the software include:
- Westlaw Edge All States Primary Law : $208/month
- Westlaw Edge All States and Federal Primary Law: $255.02/month
Westlaw Edge also offers additional options and add-ons, including:
- Westlaw All States Analytical, Enterprise Access: $396/month
- Westlaw Premium National Analytical, Enterprise Access: $211/month
The platform also offers an AI-assisted research plan priced at $360/month.
Disclaimer: The pricing is subject to change.
Westlaw Edge Integrations
The vendor has not disclosed information regarding its integration with third-party applications.
How Does Westlaw Edge Work?
Here's how you can access Westlaw Edge and move from an initial legal question to verified research and document analysis:
- Log in to Westlaw Edge using your Thomson Reuters account credentials
- Enter a legal question, search terms, or Boolean query to locate relevant cases, statutes, regulations, secondary sources, and other legal materials
- Review search results using Westlaw's legal content, attorney-edited headnotes, KeyCite information, and other editorial enhancements to identify relevant authority
- Verify cited authority with KeyCite and use KeyCite Overruling Risk to identify legal points that may rely on an overruled or otherwise invalid prior decision
- Analyze documents with Quick Check by uploading a brief or other supported legal document to identify relevant authority that may have been missed
- Compare statutes or regulations when researching legislative changes, using Statutes Compare and Regulations Compare to view differences between two versions
Who Is Westlaw Edge For?
Westlaw Edge is ideal for various legal professionals working in:
- Family law
- Commercial and business law
- Criminal defense
- Labor and employment
Westlaw Edge Use Cases
Based on our analysis of user feedback and Westlaw Edge features, we have identified key scenarios where this software is a good fit for law firms and legal departments:
Attorneys Reviewing Drafts Before Filing
Attorneys preparing briefs can use Westlaw Edge when a filing needs a final legal-research review before submission. Quick check examines the draft and surfaces relevant authority that may not have been cited, potentially problematic citations, and when analyzing an opponent’s document, authorities that may contradict the arguments presented. This makes it applicable to litigation teams that want to review both the substance of their research and the authorities supporting a position before filing.
Law Firms That Want To Research Complex Legal Questions
Westlaw Edge fits matters where attorneys need to investigate a legal question that does not translate easily into a simple keyword search. Researchers can describe the issue in natural language through WestSearch Plus and then narrow the results by jurisdiction, content type, date, reported status, or Key Number. This workflow is relevant to firms handling unfamiliar or fact-specific legal issues where researchers need to move between broad concepts and specific authorities.
Litigation Teams Comparing Laws Across Jurisdictions
Multi-state legal matters often require attorneys to determine whether the same issue is governed differently from one jurisdiction to another. AI jurisdictional surveys can be used to research a defined legal question across jurisdictions and review the relevant Westlaw authority for comparison. This is particularly applicable to litigation and regulatory matters that involve several states and require jurisdiction-specific research.
Teams Tracking Changes To Statutes And Regulations
Legal teams working in regulated industries may need to determine exactly how a statutory or regulatory provision has changed over time. Statutes Compare and Regulations Compare allow researchers to examine two versions side by side and identify additions and deletions in the text. This fits compliance research, legislative analysis, and matters where the applicability of an older or amended provision needs to be established.
Is Westlaw Edge Right For You?
If you're looking for a legal research platform that can handle substantial volumes of research while providing access to current and authoritative legal materials, Westlaw Edge can be a good choice. Westlaw Edge's AI management system falls within Thomson Reuters' ISO/IEC 42001:2023 certification, which covers the provision of AI-based solutions for Westlaw Edge.
Still doubtful if Westlaw Edge is the right fit for you? Connect with us at (661) 384-7070 for further guidance and evaluate whether Westlaw Edge fits your legal research requirements.
Westlaw Edge Features
Quick Check
Quick Check analyzes an uploaded legal brief by examining its text, citations, and structure to identify the legal issues covered. It then produces a report with relevant authority that was not cited, warnings about cited authority, quotation analysis, and a table of authorities. Attorneys can use it on their own briefs, an opponent’s filing, or multiple filings from the same matter.
WestSearch Plus
This is Westlaw Edge’s AI-powered legal search engine. Users can enter questions in plain language, use Boolean terms and connectors, or enter a case citation directly. The search interface provides predictive suggestions while typing, places a law summary at the top of results for many legal topics, and displays case synopses without requiring users to open each document. Dynamic filters can narrow results by content type, jurisdiction, date, reported status, and Key Number.
Statutes Compare And Regulations Compare
This feature lets users select two versions of a statute or regulation and view their differences directly. Westlaw Edge highlights additions and deletions and allows researchers to move between individual changes instead of manually redlining separate versions. The feature covers statutory content and federal regulations with available versions, as well as state regulations.
AI Jurisdictional Surveys
AI jurisdictional surveys create legal surveys for specific jurisdictions from a targeted research query. The feature uses Westlaw content to identify the relevant legal materials and provides access to authoritative resources while incorporating KeyCite flags for subsequent developments. It can reduce the manual work involved in gathering and reviewing jurisdiction-specific authority for a multi-state research question.
Litigation Analytics
This feature provides data-driven information about judges, courts, attorneys, law firms, damages, and case types. Attorneys can use this information to examine patterns surrounding litigation and individual participants rather than relying only on the legal authorities governing a matter. This makes the feature relevant when evaluating a litigation matter alongside traditional legal research.
Pros And Cons of Westlaw Edge
Pros
Comprehensive legal research helps attorneys cover issues thoroughly
Powerful search capabilities help lawyers find relevant cases faster
KeyCite helps verify case authority and track legal developments
Cons
Extensive search parameters can make narrowing results challenging
Numerous features may require training to use effectively
Westlaw Edge Reviews
Total 21 reviews
4.7
All reviews are from verified customers
Rating Distribution
5
Stars76%
4
Stars19%
3
Stars5%
2
Stars0%
1
Stars0%
Share your experience
Law Practice, 1-10 employees
“Easy to find what you're looking for”
Pros
What I appreciate is how simple it makes narrowing my legal research so I can quickly locate precisely the documents or cases I'm searching for.
Cons
At times I find the array of features overwhelming which makes it hard for me to zero in on exactly what I'm trying to locate.
Rating Distribution
Ease of use
9
Value for money
10
Customer Support
10
Functionality
9
Legal Services, 500+ employees
“User-friendly software”
Pros
It has been a lifesaver for me and what I like most about it is how user-friendly it feels.
Cons
I honestly can't think of any drawbacks to mention about this software.
Rating Distribution
Ease of use
10
Value for money
10
Customer Support
10
Functionality
10
Legal Services, 51-100 employees
“Amazing expert search functionality”
Pros
Using the expert search, I can pull up crucial information about opposing experts.
Cons
I don't have any negative feedback to share.
Rating Distribution
Ease of use
10
Value for money
10
Customer Support
10
Functionality
10
Frequently Asked Questions
What other apps does Westlaw Edge integrate with?
Information about third-party integrations has not been specified by the vendor.
Does Westlaw Edge offer an API?
Yes, Westlaw Edge offers an API.
Who are the typical users of Westlaw Edge?
Westlaw Edge is suitable for legal professionals working across various practice areas, including family law, commercial and business law, criminal defense, and labor and employment law.
What level of support does Westlaw Edge offer?
Westlaw Edge offers support through phone, contact form, and live chat.
What types of pricing plans does Westlaw Edge offer?
Westlaw pricing starts at $132/month for the Westlaw Edge Single State Primary Law plan. Other pricing options include the Westlaw Edge All States Primary Law plan at $208/month and the Westlaw Edge All States and Federal Primary Law plan at $255.02/month. Get a detailed Westlaw Edge price breakdown tailored to your specific requirements.
Does Westlaw Edge have a mobile app?
Yes, Westlaw Edge offers a dedicated mobile app for iOS.
What language does Westlaw Edge support?
Westlaw Edge primarily supports English.