A little digging turned up some famous names, including

• A bunch of people Clark and Marilyn probably knew (Ava Gardner, Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire and Spencer Tracy, to drop a few names)
• Three big guys famous for throwing their weight around (Muhammad Ali, Evander Holyfield and Shaquille O’Neal)
• Two real-life Mr. Foxes (President Vicente Fox of Mexico and Michael J. Fox, native son of Canada)
• Almost every U.S. president since the hotel opened in 1929
• The latest would-be president, John McCain, who conceded the 2008 election from the hotel’s ballroom

Marilyn Monroe said the hotel’s swimming pool was her favorite, and composer Irving Berlin apparently liked it too;  he wrote many famous tunes, including “White Christmas,” while sitting poolside at the Arizona Biltmore.

Harry Cohn, founder of Columbia Pictures, also liked to stay at the hotel, which is where he passed away in 1958. Cohn had ruled his movie studio with an iron fist, and there was such a large turnout for his Hollywood funeral that Red Skelton famously quipped, “It proves what Harry always said: Give the public what they want and they’ll come out for it.”

And on that note… Thanks to everyone who came out for our WestlawNext preview breakfast events in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Phoenix. And to those of you in New York City, Washington D.C., and Philadelphia – we’re looking forward to seeing your cities next!

Well, I was given a firsthand look at WestlawNext  a few weeks ago, and let me tell you, in my humble opinion, WestlawNext has aced the test of legal research!

Coffee in hand, banana-nut muffin long gone, Jenny and I arrived at the Eagan, Minnesota campus of Thomson Reuters, home of Westlaw. After a quick tour, we were off to get our first look at WestlawNext, the newest product offered by Westlaw.

We  met several employees who all had a hand in the WestlawNext project. All of them had a great story to tell. Reference Staff Attorneys Sue Barry, Andy O’Meara and Kim Ellenberg, explained how WestlawNext was a direct result of customer feedback collected over several years during training sessions. In the RSA Training room, they fired up the overhead projectors, broke out the markers and started to…Wait, did I say overhead? Yeah, right! With computers buzzing, laptops synching, and HD screens glowing, Jenny and I sat up front and enjoyed our “preview” of the next evolutionary step in legal research, WestlawNext.

Let’s just say WestlawNext has some new features you are not going to want to miss! It’s not just an upgrade of the current Westlaw product—it’s a lot more! This product will help put the data you need in your hands, accurately, faster and with fewer searches.

Jenny and I will be on the road covering the launch of WestlawNext all over the country! We cannot wait to meet you and hear what you have to say .  Sign up for one of the complimentary preview breakfasts and get a firsthand look.

So stop by, say hello, and see what things WestlawNext can do for you!

“Johnny” is the pseudonym for a real person who works with West to promote and personify WestlawNext.

WestlawNext takes online legal research a giant technological leap forward, making it easier, faster, and smarter. Put simply, more human. That includes dramatically improved search and trailblazing workflow tools to help you be more efficient and confident in your legal research.

• Sign up for a breakfast preview near you.
• The first 100 guests at each event will receive a FREE iPod® Shuffle™. You’re also entered to win a FREE Kindle™ reading device.*
• Come and learn how you can get a FREE trial to experience WestlawNext.

Schedule:

* NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A purchase will not increase your chances of winning. Open only to residents of the U.S. 50 states or D.C. who are 18 years of age or older and employed by a law firm, corporation, nonprofit organization, or academic institution, and with a legal or regulatory title. Must be present at drawing to win. Void where prohibited. Subject to Official Rules at west.thomson.com/westlawevent. Kindle and iPod shuffle are not available to government customers due to local, state, and federal gift laws. Sponsor: Westlaw, a part of Thomson Reuters, Eagan, MN.