West Reference Attorneys—Don't save them for last

You don't need a tsunami-sized catastrophe in order to call the West Reference Attorneys. As the thousands of yearly callers are aware, all you need is a research question. "There's nothing too simple and nothing too complex," says Reference Attorney Jim Bush.

So what is this service about, exactly? We spoke with Bush and Reference Attorney Kelli Goodwin about the service, the people behind it, and why you shouldn't reserve the number for the hypothetical rainy day.

Why should users call the West Reference Attorneys?

Users save time and expense when they contact us for assistance. All of us on the team are familiar with all sorts of research. Westlaw contains more than 32,000 databases. So if you need something you think is unavailable, give us a call, because you might just get surprised. There's nothing too simple and nothing too complex. You might be really impressed with just how much support we can be, particularly in a pinch.

What types of assistance can a user get from the West Reference Attorneys?

Reference attorneys provide can help users identify appropriate databases, create searches using the Terms and Connectors or Natural Language search method, and maximizing the content available on Westlaw, such as court documents, secondary sources, and topical case law databases.

The calls typically break down into two general groups. In one group, callers want to know how to find a particular regulation or case on Westlaw and they just don't know how to do that. The other calls are from practitioners who are involved in an investigation or are writing some important supporting memoranda and are looking for real research assistance. Those calls can take somewhat longer because we partner with the callers and try to get a real good sense of what they want before we go looking for it with techniques we've mastered over time.

At what point in a research project should users contact the West Reference Attorneys?

At any point. As soon as they feel they need to start conducting some research, they can call us. We are available to assist at any time during the research process and are available 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. Users should contact us whenever they need assistance with any type of search on Westlaw or need more information about content available in their current Westlaw subscriptions.

Ideally, we'd like the issue narrowed a little bit before they call, but we'll work with everybody. We work frequently with people who just have a fact pattern. In that situation, we try to ask probative questions that will maybe help them better think through the issue.

Can I call two or more times about the same issue?

Yes! The subsequent reference attorney is quickly familiarized with what work has been done on behalf of the caller. We understand the need to continually update legal research and remain current on the legal and business trends that affect clients. We are more than happy to assist in this regard.

What you would tell the user who has never called the West Reference Attorneys before?

Customers are often concerned that a request for West Reference Attorney assistance will incur additional charges and it does not. This valuable service comes with their subscription.

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