Shady Forum
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Anonymous Posting
Anonymous posting is only appropriate when you are revealing sensitive employment related information about a firm, job, etc. You may anonymously respond on topic to these threads. Unacceptable uses include: harassing another user, joking around, testing the feature, or other things that are more appropriate in the lounge.
Failure to follow these rules will get you outed, warned, or banned.
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Shady
Boutique I'm working for is having me download cases from Westlaw. Should I avoid them?
- OneMoreLawHopeful
- Posts: 1191
- Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2012 6:21 pm
Re: Shady
If they're having you download from your school account, that's shady as hell AND it may be unsafe - I've heard at least one story (maybe totally apocryphal, who knows) of Westlaw attempting to charge a student a fee after learning that the cases were used for commercial purposes in violation of the student agreement with Westlaw (you know, that thing you clicked through upon first joining up?). Westlaw knows what you downloaded using your student account, so I wouldn't totally write this off as a possibility (though it does have that distinct ring of "I heard of a guy once..." that usually precedes all bullshit claims).
On the other hand, if the firm itself has gotten you a "trial account" with Westlaw that's free for part of the summer, that's totally cool. I remember when I was an SA the rep was upfront about saying "We tell the associates you can download cases for free for the next few weeks, so expect to be popular!" so it's clear that Westlaw was in on it. If that's your situation, I wouldn't worry.
On the other hand, if the firm itself has gotten you a "trial account" with Westlaw that's free for part of the summer, that's totally cool. I remember when I was an SA the rep was upfront about saying "We tell the associates you can download cases for free for the next few weeks, so expect to be popular!" so it's clear that Westlaw was in on it. If that's your situation, I wouldn't worry.
- patrickd139
- Posts: 2883
- Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2009 8:53 pm
Re: Shady
I'm just wondering how you plan to "avoid" a firm you're "working for."Anonymous User wrote:Boutique I'm working for is having me download cases from Westlaw. Should I avoid them?
Or is it the cases from Westlaw that you're attempting to avoid?
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- Posts: 420
- Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2012 8:34 pm
Re: Shady
If the firm is having you do it on their trial account it's cool. But if their asking you to do it on your account, not only could you et charged but they are acting unethically. It may present issues for you as well with the bar. Doubt it would ever get that crazy, but you never know. Not worth the risk.
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- Posts: 2145
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Re: Shady
I am assuming that this is rather hard for westlaw to catch. A lot of people opt to use westlaw next because their firm will use inferior services, i.e., lexis advance.
I am really not sure how they would know this unless you admit to it.
I am really not sure how they would know this unless you admit to it.
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- Posts: 1396
- Joined: Mon Nov 09, 2009 5:50 pm
Re: Shady
This is good advice for a future lawyer on the issue of integrity. Yes, it's wrong, stealing IP outside of the permissible bounds of your user license, but you probably won't get caught, so it's ok.jarofsoup wrote:I am assuming that this is rather hard for westlaw to catch. A lot of people opt to use westlaw next because their firm will use inferior services, i.e., lexis advance.
I am really not sure how they would know this unless you admit to it.
- guano
- Posts: 2264
- Joined: Mon Feb 18, 2013 9:49 am
Re: Shady
Supposedly, Westlaw has software in place to detect search patterns that reflect commercial use, rather than student use. Don't know how true this is.jarofsoup wrote:I am assuming that this is rather hard for westlaw to catch. A lot of people opt to use westlaw next because their firm will use inferior services, i.e., lexis advance.
I am really not sure how they would know this unless you admit to it.
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- Posts: 456
- Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2012 11:08 pm
Re: Shady
I got an email from Westlaw during 1L that said they were giving me 40 hours of researching for the summer, and if I was doing PI I should let them know and they would give me unlimited hours.
Seems to imply that I can use it for a firm.
(I'm just using the free one they gave me at the start of the summer, though...)
Seems to imply that I can use it for a firm.
(I'm just using the free one they gave me at the start of the summer, though...)
- A. Nony Mouse
- Posts: 29293
- Joined: Tue Sep 25, 2012 11:51 am
Re: Shady
I think the 40 hours free research is intended for your own use, and a firm isn't PI.RodneyRuxin wrote:I got an email from Westlaw during 1L that said they were giving me 40 hours of researching for the summer, and if I was doing PI I should let them know and they would give me unlimited hours.
Seems to imply that I can use it for a firm.
(I'm just using the free one they gave me at the start of the summer, though...)
- bulinus
- Posts: 199
- Joined: Wed Jan 23, 2013 9:32 pm
Re: Shady
Everybody at my school got unlimited Lexis, even if for commercial use. Is this not a thing everywhere?A. Nony Mouse wrote:I think the 40 hours free research is intended for your own use, and a firm isn't PI.RodneyRuxin wrote:I got an email from Westlaw during 1L that said they were giving me 40 hours of researching for the summer, and if I was doing PI I should let them know and they would give me unlimited hours.
Seems to imply that I can use it for a firm.
(I'm just using the free one they gave me at the start of the summer, though...)
- guano
- Posts: 2264
- Joined: Mon Feb 18, 2013 9:49 am
Re: Shady
Lexis =/= Westlawbulinus wrote:Everybody at my school got unlimited Lexis, even if for commercial use. Is this not a thing everywhere?A. Nony Mouse wrote:I think the 40 hours free research is intended for your own use, and a firm isn't PI.RodneyRuxin wrote:I got an email from Westlaw during 1L that said they were giving me 40 hours of researching for the summer, and if I was doing PI I should let them know and they would give me unlimited hours.
Seems to imply that I can use it for a firm.
(I'm just using the free one they gave me at the start of the summer, though...)
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