Some compliance professionals have law degrees, some don't. But they all have two things in common:

1. They must advise companies and bring them into legal compliance.
2. They can't spend all day tracking down the applicable law.

That's why West created Westlaw Compliance Advisor. This newly released research service was designed for a wide range of professionals—law associates, librarians, and paralegals—working to keep companies in legal compliance (i.e., out of trouble). Although Westlaw Compliance Advisor can help you retrieve laws governing many industries, it offers an especially easy and intuitive way to retrieve statutes, regulations, and pending bills in the banking, health care, and insurance industries. This service can also help you retrieve forms, manuals, expert guidance, and industry news essential for daily practice.

The key is simplicity.

Westlaw Compliance Advisor offers you a choice of simplified, user–friendly interfaces. Some of these interfaces provide expert–level searches supplied to you by West Reference Attorneys. Some interfaces allow you to type descriptions in plain English. (Terms and Connectors searching and search templates are also available.) From one location you can get results as current, relevant, and comprehensive as a seasoned Westlaw researcher can.

For example, using the Navigator tab, you can retrieve documents related to a commonly researched topic simply by clicking the topic name. You don't have to supply a database name, identifier—or even a query.

To access Westlaw Compliance Advisor, go to compliance.westlaw.com, type your Westlaw password and project ID in the text boxes, and click Sign On.

To begin your research click Capitol Watch or one of the industry links at the top of the page. A row of research tool tabs is displayed, which may include Navigator, Research Center, Forms, Expert Guidance and News, and Latest Updates. The Research Center, Forms, and Expert Guidance and News tabs offer Terms and Connectors (Advanced) and Natural Language (Simple) search options.

Among the many materials you can retrieve quickly with Westlaw Compliance Advisor: Oden® summaries, National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) materials, health care judicial and administrative decisions, Health Policy Tracking Service (HPTS) issue briefs and snapshots, iComply® forms, Westlaw 50 State Surveys™, the full text of federal and state bills and proposed regulations, and e-mail alerts.

Search example
Suppose you need to retrieve federal and Massachusetts law governing permissible prepayment fees for first lien mortgage loans and you know nothing about this area.

Access Westlaw Compliance Advisor, then click Banking at the top of the page and choose Mortgage Banking. The Navigator tab is displayed, which lists topics for which predefined searches are available; you can retrieve documents related to a topic simply by clicking the topic name. Click Permissible Fees. Click Mortgage Lenders: First Lien Mortgage Loans. Then click Prepayment Penalty Fees.

Navigator runs an expert–level search supplied by the West Reference Attorneys and displays a page of links to federal and state statutes and regulations that govern the topic in each jurisdiction. To view the full text of a cited statute or regulation, click its citation.

[Note: Not available to law school subscribers.]