LexisNexis Review

Category: Legal Research Founded: 1973 Headquarters: New York, NY

LexisNexis is a leading legal research platform offering comprehensive case law, statutes, and secondary sources with the renowned Shepard's Citations service. Known for its extensive practice area coverage and powerful analytics tools.

Overview

LexisNexis has been a cornerstone of legal research for over 50 years, providing lawyers with comprehensive legal content and innovative research tools. The platform combines vast databases of legal materials with sophisticated search technology, practice-specific resources, and the industry-standard Shepard's Citations service to deliver reliable legal research solutions.

Key Features

  • Shepard's Citations: The original citator service for case validation
  • Lexis Advance: Modern research platform with intuitive interface
  • Lexis+ AI: AI-powered legal research assistant
  • Practice Advisor: Practice-specific guidance and forms
  • Verdict & Settlement Analyzer: Case outcome analytics
  • Law360: Legal news and intelligence integration
  • Brief Analysis: Upload briefs to find gaps and authorities
  • Ravel View: Visual search and case law analytics

Content Coverage

LexisNexis provides extensive legal and business information:

  • Primary Law: Complete federal and state cases, codes, and regulations
  • Secondary Sources: Matthew Bender treatises, law reviews, and ALR
  • International: Content from 130+ countries
  • News & Business: 45,000+ news sources and company data
  • Public Records: Property, corporate, and people records
  • Verdicts & Settlements: Jury verdicts and settlement data
  • Expert Witnesses: Profiles and testimony history

Pros

  • Shepard's is the gold standard for citations
  • Excellent practice area resources
  • Strong international content coverage
  • Powerful verdict and settlement analytics
  • Comprehensive public records integration
  • Innovative visualization tools

Cons

  • Complex pricing structure
  • Interface can feel dated compared to newer platforms
  • Steep learning curve for advanced features
  • Some content requires additional subscriptions

Lexis+ AI Features

The new Lexis+ AI platform introduces advanced capabilities:

  • Conversational search with natural language queries
  • AI-generated answer summaries with citations
  • Intelligent document drafting assistance
  • Automated legal research memos
  • Smart extraction of key case facts
  • Predictive search suggestions

Practice Area Solutions

LexisNexis offers specialized tools for various practices:

  • Litigation: Case evaluation and jury verdict analysis
  • Corporate: Securities filings and M&A resources
  • IP: Patent and trademark databases
  • Labor & Employment: Compliance tools and forms
  • Tax: Federal and state tax research
  • Real Estate: Property records and transactional forms

User Reviews

5★
99
4★
46
3★
13
2★
5
1★
2

Jennifer Walsh

Litigation Partner • AmLaw 100 Firm
★★★★★

"LexisNexis has been our go-to for complex litigation research. Shepard's is indispensable, and the practice area materials are incredibly thorough. The new AI features are impressive and have significantly reduced our research time."

Michael Park

Corporate Associate • Mid-size Firm
★★★★☆

"Great depth of content and the Practice Advisor tools are excellent for transactional work. The interface could use modernization, but the quality of results and Shepard's reliability make it worthwhile. Customer support is very responsive."

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Shepard's Citations?

Shepard's Citations is LexisNexis's citator service that provides the complete history and treatment of cases, statutes, and other legal authorities. It uses signal indicators to show whether authorities are still good law.

How does LexisNexis compare to Westlaw?

Both are comprehensive legal research platforms. LexisNexis is known for Shepard's Citations and strong practice area content, while Westlaw is known for KeyCite and editorial enhancements. Many firms subscribe to both for complete coverage.

What is Lexis+ AI?

Lexis+ AI is LexisNexis's next-generation platform featuring AI-powered search, automated answer generation, and intelligent document drafting. It uses natural language processing to understand queries and provide more relevant results.

Does LexisNexis offer training?

Yes, LexisNexis provides comprehensive training including live webinars, on-demand videos, certification programs, and personalized training sessions. They also offer 24/7 customer support with research assistance.