“Ben Franklin was a Founding Father, a storied inventor, and a consummate scholar. But even the creator of bifocals and the lightning rod was ‘shocked’ to find that he could perform sophisticated legal research from the convenience of his mobile phone!”

That’s the caption provided by our final winner, Andrew M. of New York City, in our WestlawNext Mobile Photo Contest. Andrew, whose creative effort earned him an iPod touch, says he was on the shore of one of the Great Lakes in beautiful northern Michigan on the Fourth of July when he suddenly felt inspired to frame a shot with one of the framers of the Constitution – who, incidentally, also looks quite relaxed in this photo.

Andrew works as a tax lawyer for a large firm in New York City, where he assists in advising clients on financial products, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, and other transactions. He tells us his work entails a considerable amount of legal research and writing, and he uses KeyCite almost daily to verify his work and perform comprehensive searches of cases, administrative sources, and secondary articles on a specific topic.

Thanks, Andrew, for taking WestlawNext on your vacation! And thanks for letting old Ben tag along, too – he really did need some time off.

Today is the last day for those Segway-riding, beverage-wielding Westlaw brand ambassadors to hit the streets of downtown Chicago (see our previous post), where they’ve dispensed more than 1,000 cups of coffee and lemonade since Monday.

The days have been warm and sunny, and so have the hundreds of Chicagoans who’ve stopped by to chat with team members about Westlaw Deposition Services, a new offering that provides court reporting and legal videography services, and to enter a drawing to win an Apple iPad.

Overheard on the streets of Chicago:

• “I just attended a meeting where we were talking about how Westlaw does everything, then I come downstairs and you guys hand me coffee You really do do everything!”
• “So you guys are doing deps now? That’s definitely good to know.”
• “I had no idea you had court reporting services.”
• “I’m looking for a replacement for our current depo service, so you guys couldn’t have showed up at a better time. Thanks!”
• “I have used their services in the past, actually, and they are stellar.”
• “I’m gonna try that IM feature on LiveNote when I get back to the office – I had no idea that was such a useful feature.”
• “We use Westlaw for everything – there’s nothing better out there. Thanks again for the lemonade, too!”

Thank you, Chicago, for the kind words.

Using jetpacks filled with piping hot coffee early in the morning and branded Segways carrying refreshingly cool lemonade to beat the afternoon heat, a team of Westlaw brand ambassadors has inundated the sidewalks of downtown Chicago to spread the word about Westlaw Deposition Services, which provides court reporting and legal videography services to legal secretaries, paralegals and attorneys.

On Monday, the team was on Wacker Drive, near the entrances of several prominent Chicago law firms in the vicinity of Madison, Adams, and Monroe streets.  On Tuesday, the team could be spotted bright and early on Kinzie and Clark streets with their hot coffee.  Later they were spotted, again, near Wacker Drive.

The Westlaw Deposition Services team will be in Chicago for the rest of the week – and you can follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more photos and updates!

Take a FREE webinar on Tuesday, July 27. We’ll send you a $5 Starbucks card.

See how West litigation solutions help you better locate, analyze, organize, and share all the law and information involved in a case:

• West Case Notebook – Everything important to your case. In one place.
• Westlaw PeopleMap – Quickly discover relevant information about people and their connections.
• West Case Timelines – Create professional timelines. Easily import data from Westlaw People Map and West Case Notebook.

Register now to reserve your place at the FREE webinar, to be held July 27, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. CT.

Our WestlawNext Mobile Photo Contest is coming to an end – and since we like to finish things off with a flourish, we’re giving away not one, but two Apple iPod touches for the best digital photos we receive.

OK, to be honest, the photo contest wasn’t as popular as we had hoped. In fact, most weeks, we received fewer than 10 entries. But, hey – this translates into some pretty good odds for anyone who decides to enter the contest as the clock winds down, right?

All photos must be received by Friday, July 9, and it’s easy to enter the contest – just watch this video demonstration or follow the steps below.

• Snap a photo that shows your smart phone doing the WestlawNext thing, with the WestlawNext Mobile screen clearly visible. (You can include yourself in the photo, but don’t include others without their written consent.)
• Snap a photo of yourself. A simple self-portrait of your smiling face next to your mobile device is all you need.
• Email both photos (in GIF, JPG or BMP format) to westlelearning@thomsonreuters.com. Include your name, title, daytime phone, email, and your employer (name and address).  The email should also include a brief caption or description of the photo.

Need some inspiration? Check out our past winners here, here and here. And if you’re heading out for the Fourth of July – for a backyard barbecue, a picnic in the park, or a day at the beach – be sure to bring WestlawNext Mobile along and snap a photo or two.

An iPod touch could be a just a click away – so why not give it a shot?

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open only to residents of the 50 US/DC who are employed by a corporation, nonprofit organization, or academic institution, with a legal or regulatory title. Void where prohibited. Sweepstakes ends 7/9/10.  Subject to full official rules.

In June 2010, we conducted two webinars as part of our Westlaw Legal Research Expert Series. There were three sessions titled “I Always Wished Westlaw Could …” (and How WestlawNext Can)” and three sessions titled, “The Benefits of Terms & Connectors on WestlawNext.” The winners of our iPad giveaway (see Official Rules) for each session will be listed here as they are confirmed:

June 14th winner
Laura C. from Tinley Park, IL

June 15th winner
Joan O. from Austin, TX

June 17th winner
Adam D. from New York, NY

June 28th winner
Ann J. from Dallas, TX.

June 29th winner
Roberta S. from Charlotte, NC

June 30th winner
Greg G. from Tempe, AZ

Our WestlawNext expert webinar series is your chance to get answers to your questions. Each 30-minute live webinar will include 20 minutes of instruction followed by 10 minutes of live Q&A with the audience.

And if learning how to apply your finely honed Boolean skills to WestlawNext isn’t enticement enough, we’ll pick an attendee in each session to win a new Apple iPad just for being there!

Although WestlawNext simplifies searching, we haven’t taken away the option of constructing a Boolean query using Terms & Connectors. Find out how power researchers can still use their craft within the WestlawNext platform and get more relevant, inclusive results.

We want to hear from you. Please suggest a topic or submit a question for future webinars.

IPAD GIVEAWAY: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open only to residents of the 50 US/DC with Internet access as of 6/14/10. Void where prohibited. Sweepstakes ends 6/30/10. Subject to official rules.

Attend our West Case Notebook webinar on June 17, and we’ll send you a $5 Starbucks card.* Don’t miss this special opportunity to learn more about Case Notebook…and treat yourself to a bit of Starbucks deliciousness.

Top Five Reasons Firms Use Case Notebook
Thursday, June 17
2 p.m. CDT
Register Now

West Case Notebook makes it easy for your litigation team to enter and share key facts, insights, notes, documents, main characters, evidence, legal research and more. With Case Notebook, all your essential case information, notes and analysis can be accessed in a single click, wherever you go.

During this live, interactive webinar, we’ll discuss how law firms use West Case Notebook…

• To effectively analyze case information
• To allow your entire litigation team to collaborate efficiently
• To save time
• To save money
• To gain a competitive edge

…And we’ll answer your questions, too. We can’t wait, and neither should you –  register  now!

To learn more about West Case Notebook, please call 1-800-328-9378 to speak with your dedicated attorney/trainer, or visit us online.

* While supplies last. Starbucks, the Starbucks logo, and the Starbucks Card design are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Starbucks U.S. Brands, L.C. Starbucks is not a participating partner or sponsor of this offer.

You’ve been using Westlaw for years. You’ve collected enough time-saving shortcuts and nifty little tricks to write a book. And you have questions about WestlawNext.

Our upcoming WestlawNext expert webinar series is your chance to get answers to your questions. Starting next week, We’ll answer the most frequently asked questions we’ve gotten about WestlawNext, then give you a chance to ask your own.

Each 30-minute live webinar will include a 20-minute instructional session and 10 minutes for the instructor to field your questions. And if that isn’t exciting enough, one person from each of the six sessions will win a new Apple iPad just for attending!

This webinar takes a quick look at how WestlawNext does many of the things power researchers told us they wished Westlaw could do.

Find out how power researchers can still use Boolean Terms & Connectors within the WestlawNext platform and get more relevant, inclusive results.

Do you dream in Boolean? If so, you won’t want to miss these upcoming WestlawNext webinars designed especially for power researchers.

We’ll answer the most frequently asked questions we’ve gotten about WestlawNext, then give you a chance to ask your own.

Each live webinar will take just 30 minutes or less (including Q&A time), and you could win a new Apple iPad just for attending!

This webinar takes a quick look at how WestlawNext does many of the things power researchers told us they wished Westlaw could do.

Find out how power researchers can still use Boolean Terms & Connectors within the WestlawNext platform and get more relevant, inclusive results.