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10 ways Westlaw Precision is the game changer
Every so often, a technology comes along that changes an industry, giving early adopters a decisive advantage over their competitors. For the legal industry today, AI is that technology, and Westlaw Precision is the undisputed standard bearer.
No other product on the market can do what Westlaw Precision does. When it first launched in 2022, it came with powerful capabilities that delivered more precise researching, expanded KeyCite functionality, and optimized workflow tools that help researchers perform complex research tasks faster than ever. Now, the addition of legally focused generative AI-powered search is taking Westlaw Precision one step further, helping you get a big head start on research.
Law firms that harness its power are quick to see changes, as are their clients and competing law firms. There are hundreds of reasons law firms across the U.S. are making the change to Westlaw Precision. Here are just a few:
1. A competitive advantage in court
The AI powering Westlaw Litigation Analytics sifts through massive amounts of data to reveal insights that can prove decisive in litigation. The tool quickly serves up information pertaining to a specific judge’s ruling pattern on certain motions, an attorney’s success rate in a certain type of litigation, opposing counsel’s willingness to settle, and more. With this feature, attorneys can quickly access the crucial insights they need to litigate from a position of strength.
2. Faster research
Legal research is faster, more accurate, and more intuitive than ever with WestSearch Plus, the legal-specific search engine behind Westlaw Precision. With WestSearch Plus, you don’t have to waste time digging through results as it surfaces the most relevant results to the top of your list, helping you get to the heart of the matter faster so you can complete research quicker and with greater confidence.
3. More precise research
Users frustrated with search engines that only get you near, not to, the desired answer will be pleased with the intuitive search features in Westlaw Precision. Predictive search suggestions populate as you type in your search. Granular search options allow you to filter your queries down to specific terms that weed out millions of false leads and quickly get you to the relevant insights.
4. More information
Users of Westlaw Precision receive their information faster and with greater accuracy and benefit from their connection to the most extensive collection of legal information. The data behind the platform is constantly updated with new information from cases, statutes, regulations, briefs, treatises, and much more — it offers users access to exclusive editorial annotations they cannot get anywhere else.
5. Better information
Of course, not all information is created equal. The data behind Westlaw Precision is built upon a foundation of more than 150 years of editorial annotations. Hundreds of bar-admitted attorneys provide the deep legal understanding that trains our AI to serve only the most relevant insights. These attorneys understand the law in human terms and train the AI to make logical connections even when a user’s search may not match the language in the original document.
6. Less waste
Planning tools analyze thousands of case histories to help law firms understand where money was well spent and where it was wasted. Insights on budgeting, staffing, timelines, and more can help you see ahead so you can use your resources wisely.
7. Fewer write-offs
Requests for write-offs and write-downs are a persistent source of loss for law firms, especially as they pertain to bills for legal research. With Westlaw Precision, law firms are getting more research done in less time. When clients see their fees stretching further, they are less likely to scrutinize and question billable hours.
8. Happier clients
Greater value in legal research billing is only one way Westlaw Precision makes law firm clients happier. Litigation Analytics provide insights that help attorneys set more accurate expectations on timelines and likely outcomes. Encountering fewer surprises generally translates to happier clients. The competitive advantages offered by advanced, AI-powered legal tools help law firms prevail over competitors and obtain better results for their clients, making those clients more likely to return and refer others.
9. Improved morale
The time legal professionals save using AI-powered solutions frees them up to focus on more meaningful work. Many are even seeing room in their schedules for evenings and weekends. The addition of AI-powered research tools — and now generative AI — not only makes existing staff happy, but it also lures top new talent who only want to work with the latest technology.
10. A sharper competitive edge
All the above factors contribute to an overall theme: gaining an edge over the competition. When technology enables a law firm to work faster and smarter than its competitors, the advantage is immediate and clear. The addition of AI-Assisted Research on Westlaw Precision will give law firms that adopt Westlaw Precision an even bigger advantage. The legally focused, generative AI-powered search is just one more capability on Westlaw Precision that will create significant time savings and efficiencies for legal professionals — which will, in turn, allow them to conduct more thorough research for their clients and have more time to devote to higher-value work.
The divide between firms that adopt generative AI and those that do not will only widen. The only question is, which side of the divide will your firm find itself?
Learn more about Westlaw Precision and how it is helping law firms gain a decisive edge over their competitors