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Find it faster with enhanced filters and search in Westlaw Edge Canada
If you run a search for “laptop bag" on amazon.ca, you're going to get more than 100,000 results. It sounds daunting, but if you get through the first page of results, you only have somewhere around 99,952 left to consider. Piece of cake, right?
Of course, nobody shops this way. The real-world approach is to combine searches with filtering. You start with a long list of results, then you winnow the options down to a more manageable list based on the criteria you've set.
Legal research is similar, but the stakes are much higher. When you accidentally choose the cheap laptop bag with a shoddy strap, it's only your shoulder that suffers. Build your case on substandard research, however, and the repercussions can be dire for your client, and your reputation.
Do you really need to be a legal research pro?
There's a lot riding on the quality of your legal research. So, it behooves lawyers to get “good at research" and maintain that skill throughout their careers. But what if you didn't have to be good at it? What if the legal research tools you used helped out more?
Welcome to Westlaw Edge. The new standard of legal research in Canada. Whether you're at your best in the search bar, or you delight in separating the wheat from the chaff with an array of filters, you're going to love what Westlaw Edge means for your research workflow.
Search and browse the law more effectively with new tools
Find more than results, get answers. With the addition of Common Queries, it's easy to answer everyday legal questions quickly and with confidence. Now, when you start a search in Westlaw Edge, related questions are suggested in the search bar as you type. See what you're looking for? Just click the question to reveal answers extracted from relevant cases.
Find your starting place simply by typing. In addition to answers to common queries, Westlaw Edge now presents a list of potential legal topics as you type keywords into the search bar. Click through to these topics and you'll find a curated set of relevant content that has been classified by legal editors. Consider it a kickstart to your own research. All you have to do is start typing.
Find relevant words and phrases with ease. While we're on the subject of finding things, have you ever felt like you're staring at a jumbled word find rather than a selection of possibly relevant caselaw? Now you can use Select Term Highlighting to call out the search terms or phrases you seek. It's another simple change that helps the precise content you need rise to the surface.
Cut through the clutter to get the answers you need, faster
Find the really good stuff, faster than ever. Say goodbye to laundry lists of potentially relevant caselaw and the drudgery of sifting through it all. The new Judicial Considerations tab delivers meaningful interpretations of statutes that have been curated and created by seasoned lawyer editors. This helps lawyers find and separate pertinent cases from related, but irrelevant results. It's the insights and results you've been looking for with just a click.
Align your search results to the proper context. Narrowing down your initial search is the secret to faster, more productive work. Now, Westlaw Edge allows you to use the Proceedings Filter to filter your search results by motion or application type. It's a simple change, but one that brings you a big step closer to just those decisions that are relevant to the procedural context of your matter.
Think more about meaningful results, not just search results
“Bring me everything you've got on X" sounds cool in movies. But in the real world, meaningful results come from a willingness to be specific in your research. Lawyers need determination to look at the breadth of legal history and choose a spot to start digging. To be sure, there are techniques that help the best lawyers get results, but the tools matter too. For lawyers who demand the best of their legal research tools, Westlaw Edge is here.