Answer to Question 1
Westlaw's and Lexis's legal research materials draw from thousands of databases, so a search by case name or legal topic can easily return an overwhelming number of documents. As a result, paralegals often need to limit their searches to specified databases. To do this, you first select a database that you want to search. If you are using Westlaw, for example, you click on the box labeled Search for a Database and enter a database identifier (for example, ca-cs to search all California cases). If you do not know the abbreviation for the database you wish to search, you can choose Directory.
For example, suppose that your supervising attorney has asked you to research case law on the liability of tobacco products manufacturers for cancer caused by the use of those products. To do a thorough investigation, you will need to search the databases containing decisions from all state courts as well as from all federal courts. By working your way through Westlaw directories, you will be able to find the databases containing decisions from all state courts and all federal courts. After you become familiar with the database identifiers on whatever service you are using, you can access that database more directly. For example, on the opening page of Westlaw, you can click on Find a Database Wizard at the bottom left of the screen. From the list provided, you select the information you wish to research, such as Case, statute, or legal text or periodical. Next you can select the specific database you want, such as Cases-Federal and then ALLFEDS.
Answer to Question 2
Because Lexis and Westlaw compete head on, they provide similar services. The formats are somewhat different, and there are differences in the specialty publications offered. Some users prefer one to the other, but that may be largely a matter of which program they have learned to use. A survey done in 2008 by the law library at Stanford University showed that most large law firms subscribe to both 154.
services, allowing research staff to choose the one they prefer. Asked which system they would pick if allowed only one service, 245 respondents said Westlaw, and 89 picked Lexis. By similar margins, however, respondents said that legal researchers could switch between the systems and use KeyCite or Shepard's to accomplish the same tasks. So while Westlaw appears to have pulled ahead of Lexis as the dominant seller of premier online services, both do the task well.
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