“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.

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