Questions and Answers
What does the AND (&) connector do in Westlaw Classic?
What does the OR (OR) connector do in Westlaw Classic?
What is the purpose of the root expander (!) in Westlaw Classic?
What does the universal character (*) do in a Westlaw search?
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What does the pound symbol (#) do in Westlaw Classic?
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What does the /s connector do in Westlaw Classic searches?
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What is indicated by a KeyCite - Red Flag?
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What does KeyCite - Yellow Flag indicate?
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What tool can you use to build a table of authorities?
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What does the Company Investigator tool do?
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What is the purpose of Litigation Analytics for Companies?
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What kind of data can you search for in PeopleMap results?
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What alerts can you receive for new cases in business development?
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What does Litigation Analytics help you understand?
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What is Docket Coverage?
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What can you select under Tools & Resources to see a court's access changes?
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When searching dockets, it is a best practice to use the ______ search template.
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What do Nature of Suit Codes classify?
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How are dockets updated on Westlaw?
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What types of docket alerts can you set up in Westlaw?
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What do Court Wire alerts provide?
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What is the purpose of Court Filing Checklists?
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What is included in Practical Law's Brief Bank?
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What does the Litigation Analytics tool deliver insights on?
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What do Jury Verdicts and Settlements allow you to view?
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What can you learn from the Expert Evaluator Report?
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Legal professionals can select ______ to find current and adaptable forms.
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What is the function of SEC Filings?
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What does the Due Diligence Report help you do?
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Match the following terms with their definitions:
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What does the Business Law Center streamline?
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What can you find with Agreements in Business Law Center?
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Study Notes
Westlaw Classic Fundamentals for Paralegals
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And (&): Use to find documents containing all specified terms. For example, "narcotics & warrant" retrieves documents with both terms, regardless of page location.
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Or (OR): Allows searching for documents containing at least one of the specified terms, e.g., "attorney lawyer counsel".
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Root Expander (!): Enables searching for variations of a word by adding this symbol at the end. Example: "object!" retrieves "object," "objection," "objecting".
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Universal Character (*): Searches for words with variable characters, e.g., "withdr*w" captures both "withdraw" and "withdrew".
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Search Exactly As Typed (#): Use '#' at the beginning to find exact matches, e.g., "#damage" retrieves "damages".
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Phrase (" "): Use quotation marks to search for exact phrases, e.g., "res ipsa loquitur".
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Grammatical Connectors:
- /p: Terms must be in the same paragraph.
- +p: First term precedes the second in the same paragraph.
- /s: Terms must be in the same sentence.
- +s: First term precedes the second term within the same sentence.
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Numerical Connectors (/n): Specifies that search terms must appear within 'n' terms of each other, where 'n' is a number.
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But Not Connector (%): Excludes documents containing certain terms. For instance, "tax taxation /s income % investment" retains documents with tax-related terms while excluding those with "investment".
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Field Restrictions: Allows targeted searches within specific document components, like party names or case summaries, rather than the entire document.
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KeyCite - Red Flag: Indicates cases or statutes no longer valid for certain points of law, such as being amended or held unconstitutional.
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KeyCite - Yellow Flag: Warns of negative treatment without reversal; signifies potential issues with validity or prior negative treatments.
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KeyCite - Blue-Stripped Flag: Signifies a document has been appealed to higher courts.
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West Key Number System: Organizes cases into categories to simplify finding similar legal issues.
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KeyCite Flags & Links: Allows verification of legal document validity and can uncover supporting references for legal arguments.
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Real-time Update Features: Enhances PeopleMap results with up-to-date information from various databases.
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Best Practices for Data Entry: Input less identifying information for broader search results, ideally using a Social Security Number.
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Company Investigator: Consolidates extensive business data, aiding in efficient corporate research, including public records and adverse records.
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Jury Verdicts and Settlements: Offers insights to reduce research time, assess case value, evaluate opposition offers, and guide settlement decisions.
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Docket Management: Provides access to case filings and statuses, enhancing management capabilities for active caseloads.
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Nature of Suit Codes: Used for classifying subjects in federal civil litigation, aiding in effective searches and monitoring new cases.
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Risk Analysis Tools: Company Investigator features enable rapid risk assessments leveraging PeopleMap reports.
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Graphical Display & Web Analytics: Visual tools for understanding relationships and social media presence related to individuals or entities.
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Alerts and Updates: Functions like WestClip, Practical Law updates, and Westlaw Today keep users informed on relevant legal issues and news.
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Judges and Courts Insight: Tools provide analytics on judges' behaviors and court suitability for claims, enhancing legal strategies.
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Litigation Analytics for Companies: Provides comprehensive insights into a company’s litigation history, informing legal strategies and representation needs.### Key Nature of Suit (KNOS) Classifications
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KNOS classifications standardize the identification of dockets by case type across state and federal jurisdictions.
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Use "Choose KNOS selections" from advanced search templates to limit searches based on KNOS classifications.
Updating Dockets
- Westlaw dockets feature information at case filing and recent updates, including participant and attorney details.
- Users can select specific dockets for updates through checkboxes and click the "Update" button.
Searching Docket PDFs
- Searchable Docket PDFs allow keyword searches within state and federal filings.
- Includes a collection of PDFs, briefs, and trial court documents from real-time retrieval.
Docket Alerts
- Three types of docket alerts available: Docket Alert, Docket Tracker, and Court Wire.
- Ideal for legal professionals tracking new case filings or developments in ongoing cases.
Docket Tracks
- Notifications for any changes or additions to specific dockets.
Court Wire
- Instant alerts of newly filed cases from over 200 courts, including federal district courts.
- Facilitates business development, legal research, and due diligence by providing early access to lawsuits.
Court Filing Checklists
- Checklists include essential documents and procedural information needed for filings, such as notices and affidavits.
Practical Law / Brief Bank
- Access to a brief bank with examples of federal court documents that adhere to court formatting, minimizing research time.
Litigation Analytics
- Offers insights based on data relating to judges, courts, damages, attorneys, law firms, and case types.
Dockets
- Dockets are comprehensive lists of court filings and proceedings.
Jury Verdicts and Settlements
- Displays a uniform presentation of case facts and award breakdowns.
Expert Evaluator Report
- Provides research on expert witnesses’ litigation experience, including past cases and testimonies.
Brief Bank
- Exemplary litigation documents serve as models to assist in document preparation.
Treatises and Practice Guides
- Resources that quickly explain major concepts and procedures in various legal areas, enhancing practitioner efficiency.
Forms and Standard Documents
- A vast collection of over 600,000 litigation and transactional forms to facilitate adaptive and current legal practices.
Standard Documents and Clauses
- Expert attorney-written documents kept up-to-date to assist in drafting processes, with integrated notes for customization.
Business Law Center
- Centralizes SEC filings and agreements for easier access and navigation for corporate legal professionals.
SEC Filings
- Consists of EDGAR forms, exhibits, and other SEC-related documents.
Agreements
- Includes Edgar Sample Agreements and organizes precedent agreements based on specific criteria.
Company Transactions
- Compiles Mergers and Acquisitions with documents and summaries linking to relevant transactions.
Global Filings & Disclosures
- Contains international filings and disclosures from various regulatory bodies, enhancing global legal research.
Deal Proof
- Analyzes document drafts for errors, omissions, and inconsistencies, improving overall drafting quality.
Results Pane
- Displays potential errors and inconsistencies after document analysis, allowing for thorough review.
Locate Precedent
- Enables comparison of contract clauses against similar contracts in SEC filings directly within drafts.
Automated Documents
- Tools that use dynamic questionnaires to create error-free documents, reducing drafting time significantly.
What's Market
- Allows users to analyze and compare deals and public filings summarized by legal experts.
Standard Documents
- Integration of drafting notes that provide background and legal definitions to assist in the drafting process.
Treaties & Practical Guides
- Assist in transitioning to new legal areas and provide expert guidance on familiar topics.
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