
Westlaw
A legacy legal research platform that holds a duopoly in the US alongside LexisNexis.
First Mentioned
7/19/2026, 4:53:17 AM
Last Updated
7/19/2026, 4:57:42 AM
Research Retrieved
7/19/2026, 4:57:42 AM
Summary
Westlaw is a premier online legal research service and proprietary database used by lawyers, law students, and legal professionals in over 60 countries. Established in 1975 in the United States and operated by Thomson Reuters, Westlaw hosts more than 40,000 databases of case law, statutes, administrative codes, and other legal resources, indexed via the West Key Number System. It offers advanced tools like KeyCite, Westlaw Edge, and AI-assisted research capabilities. In the evolving legal technology landscape, legacy data giants like Westlaw and LexisNexis face disruption from emerging Legal AI platforms such as Legora, which aim to bypass traditional data monopolies by building proprietary legal data moats.
Referenced in 1 Document
Research Data
Extracted Attributes
Inception
1975-01-01
Key Features
West Key Number System, KeyCite, Westlaw Edge, Westlaw Today, PeopleMap
Service Scope
Available in over 60 countries with more than 40,000 databases
Country of Origin
United States
Parent Organization
Thomson Reuters
Timeline
- Westlaw was founded as an online legal research service. (Source: Wikidata)
1975-01-01
Wikipedia
View on WikipediaWestlaw
Westlaw is an online legal research service and proprietary database for lawyers and legal professionals available in over 60 countries. Information resources on Westlaw include more than 40,000 databases of case law, state and federal statutes, administrative codes, newspaper and magazine articles, public records, law journals, law reviews, treatises, legal forms and other information resources. Most legal documents on Westlaw are indexed to the West Key Number System, which is West's master classification system of U.S. law. Westlaw supports natural language and Boolean searches. Other significant Westlaw features include KeyCite, a citation checking service, which customers use to determine whether cases or statutes are still good law, and a customizable tabbed interface that lets customers bring their most-used resources to the top. Other tabs organize Westlaw content around the specific work needs of litigators, in-house corporate practitioners, and lawyers who specialize in any of over 150 legal topics. Most customers are attorneys or law students, but other individuals can also obtain accounts.
Web Search Results
- Westlaw - Westlaw - LibGuides at University of Exeter
Banner # Westlaw: Westlaw Contact your Librarian for help and support with Westlaw & Practical Law ## Law Librarian @ Exeter Headshot of Lee Snook smiling Book online appointment OSCOLA Hours Legal Research Drop-ins Legal Study Skills Support Library Research Cafe Chat in Microsoft Teams Library & Skills Training Events Westlaw is a major legal database used in legal practice and for academic legal research. Westlaw Edge UK provides access to UK case law, legislation, journals. books and other secondary legal information sources including: Legal Journals Index which holds details of articles from legal journals published in the United Kingdom and Europe, and is great for discovering academic discussion of legal topics. [...] Many full text commentary titles, including the Common Law Library Titles and many more standard works such as: Chitty on Contract & Clark and Lindsell on Torts. Westlaw Books provides access to the full text of textbooks, Common Law Library titles and large encyclopedic looseleaf type works. Westlaw International Materials provides access to non UK legal materials. Coverage includes international legal materials from ICJ and organisations such as WTO/GATT, WIPO, UNICTRAL. Access is also availanble to primary and secondary legal sources such as case law, legislation and journal articles from various jurisdictions, including EU, US, Australia and Canada - plus others. [...] Practical Law is an online legal know-how service which provides practice area overviews, practice notes, standard documents and current awareness services. Login to Westlaw Edge UK with your usual University login. The first time you login to Westlaw you will be prompted to register for an account. Add your name details and use your Exeter email address as prompted on the registration form and you will then be able to continue to the databases. For future visits to Westlaw you just need to login with your University login. ## Quick Links to all Westlaw Databases
- Westlaw - Popular Database Overview - Research Guides Home at Law Library
Video Overview: Westlaw provides a number of litigation analytics tools that allow you to perform research on opposing counsel, a particular judge, a law firm or attorney, or particular courts. For More Information: In-Depth Handout on Litigation Analytics This link opens in a new window More Information on Litigation Analytics This link opens in a new window Video Overview: Statues and regulations compare allow you to compare two versions of a statute and regulations. Video Information: For More Information: Statutes Compare and Regulations Compare Guide This link opens in a new window << Previous: General Legal Research Databases Next: Lexis+ >> [...] Westlaw Usage Policy: Westlaw Usage Policy (Terms and Conditions) This link opens in a new window Westlaw Today is a legal news service from Westlaw. It provides legal news stories from a variety of sources, including Reuters, The Hill, CQ Roll Call, Practical Law, and JD Supra. There are also news stories that are written specifically for Westlaw Today, along with more in-depth attorney analysis pieces. You can find Westlaw Today by clicking on the arrow next to the Westlaw Edge logo when you are logged in to Westlaw. The default view for Westlaw Today displays the top news stories for the day. That view can be changed to show the top stories for a certain practice area. [...] Quick Check is an artificial intelligence-based tool that can be used to find weaknesses in an opponent's brief or to double-check your own research to make sure that you did not miss any relevant caselaw. Westlaw has put together training resourcesshowing you how to use Quick Check. Video on the New Quotation Analysis Feature: Practical Law provides checklists, form documents, topic overviews, and other practice resources. The focus is on transactional law resources, but it also includes litigation-related resources. There is also a collection of Pennsylvania-specific resources. You can find Practical Law by clicking on the arrow next to Westlaw logo at the top of the search screen. Video Overview:
- Westlaw – Legal Research Platforms
Streamline your claims research with Claims Explorer, leveraging AI to find the strongest claims for your legal matter. Gain deeper insights, uncover misrepresentations, and explore counterarguments with Litigation Document Analyzer. Includes all the features and functionality of Westlaw Edge with AI-Assisted Research. Learn more ## Westlaw is the most trusted and award-winning legal research service. ## Related Westlaw offerings ### CoCounsel Legal Transform your work with the only AI legal solution uniting research, drafting, and document analysis in a single experience. Designed by legal experts and built on trusted content and advanced AI, CoCounsel Legal accelerates multistep work so you can better serve your clients and grow your business. [...] Our technology powers the professionals who are shaping the world. Meet the changemakers Legal research tools # Westlaw Built on the same trusted foundation, versions of Westlaw are available to meet your needs — and your budget Sign in to Westlaw ## Westlaw Edge Gain a competitive advantage through intelligent insights and analysis. View pricing Upload legal documents to create a report indicating authority that may have been missed or is contrary to your opponent's position. Access data-driven insights on judges, courts, attorneys, law firms, damages, and case types to enhance your case strategy. Ensure you're citing reliable authority with KeyCite Overruling Risk. Instantly compare any two versions of a statute or regulation. Learn more [...] Learn more ## Westlaw Edge with AI-Assisted Research Get fast, accurate, and trusted answers to your legal research questions. View pricing Discover new levels of insight and jump-start your legal work with AI-Assisted Research. Streamline survey creation with AI Jurisdictional Surveys. Identify gaps in your legal documents with AI-enhanced Quick Check. Get to the heart of your legal matter faster with WestSearch Plus. Learn more ## Westlaw Advantage Move seamlessly from research to strategy with advanced AI. View pricing Go beyond basic research using the agentic AI of Deep Research to get actionable answers from Westlaw’s industry-leading content. Build stronger cases with less manual effort, uncovering strategic insights in real time with unmatched transparency.
- PeopleMap - Public records search | Thomson Reuters
blurred and defocused people walking in orange subway # PeopleMap on Westlaw Locate people and find critical information about their connections, assets, and more Free demo Free demo 1. Overview 2. Features 3. Testimonials ## Find people, assets, and hidden connections faster PeopleMap on Thomson Reuters Westlaw is the premier public records search tool for discovering data other resources might miss. With access to billions of public records from proprietary and trusted sources, including numerous live gateways, you can confidently get the job done faster and more accurately. Fully-integrated into Westlaw, PeopleMap allows you to conduct legal due diligence and legal research in one place — saving you time and money. ## Useful links
- Homepage | Law School Portal | Thomson Reuters
# Strengthen Your Interview Discussions with News Doing thorough research on an employer or practice area can help prepare you for a job interview. Finding articles featuring attorneys in a firm, agency actions, or practice area trends can all help. Luckily you can easily find these things on Westlaw! 1. On your Westlaw Edge home screen, use the product dropdown menu to select Westlaw Today&bhcp=1) 2. Search for a particular firm, attorney, or agency. (Ex. Kirkland and Ellis&bhcp=1#sk=2.WVqUGt) or Fourth Circuit) 3. Or select a specific practice area (Ex. Mergers & Acquisitions)) [...] as well as complete a Law School Profile. Law School Registration Key(s) to be assigned. SB4TF-GY86J SB4TF-GY86J SB4TF-GY86J SB4TF-GY86J SB4TF-GY86J SB4TF-GY86J SB4TF-GY86J SB4TF-GY86J SB4TF-GY86J SB4TF-GY86J Registration Steps are as follows 1. Visit lawschool.westlaw.com/register 2. Create your OnePass credentials The email address you use for OnePass will be the same one used for TWEN communications. 3. Complete a Law School Profile Please contact Technical Support at 800-850-9378 (WEST) or email west.twensupport@thomson.com with questions about registration. For questions about PAC, please contact your Academic Account Manager. Westlaw Academic Team # What is common law and is it written by the courts of law? ## Common Law [...] # Briefing Cases with Westlaw ## What is a Brief? ## A brief is a summary of a case in your own words that includes the key facts, procedural history, issues addressed, along with the court's holdings. How can I find a case on Westlaw?Cases on Westlaw contain a Synopsis, a summary of the main facts, issues and holdings of a case, and Headnotes, summaries of points of law organizes by topic. You can locate cases on Westlaw in a variety of ways. Find by Citation: If you know your case's citation, just type one of the citations in the search box. (Ex. 113 SCT 2217) ## Find by Party Name: If you know the names of your parties, just start typing them in the search box and select corresponding case from the drop-down menu. (Ex. International Shoe)
Wikidata
View on WikidataCountry
Instance Of
Inception Date
1/1/1975
DBPedia
View on DBPedia
Location Data
Westlaw Courts, Jasper Place, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Coordinates: 53.5376612, -113.6077170
Open Map