Free ground shipping is available on every in-stock West order shipped within the United States. If you choose this option, your order will generally ship from West within 1-2 business days and arrive within 7-10 days via the carrier that West selects. Past-due accounts and other credit issues may delay your order.
Westlaw tips for associates
March/April 2009
West Key Number System®: These lines, they are a-changin'
The creators of the West Key Number System "recognized that legal concepts were not static; changes in classification numbers have always been a feature of the key [number] system." Michele G. Falkow, The West Key Number System: Its Uses in an Online Environment, in BASIC RESEARCH AND WRITING FOR LEGAL ASSISTANTS: A SATELLITE PROGRAM, at 129, 132 (PLI Litig. & Admin. Practice, Course Handbook Series No. 510, 1994).
Well, guess what? Change is in the air again.
The key number system recently underwent significant changes in several areas, which resulted in the reclassification of more than 300,000 headnotes. The changes include the following:
- Two new digest topics: The topic Privileged Communications and Confidentiality encompasses privilege issues arising in discovery and at trial and contains expanded classifications covering attorney-client privilege, physician-patient privilege, and executive privilege. The topic Protection of Endangered Persons covers such areas as restraining orders and other protection from domestic violence, harassment, and stalking; guardian ad litem appointments; agency investigations and liabilities; and criminal and civil liability.
- Complete revision of four topics: The topics Convicts and Prisons were completely revised, with many lines afforded to concepts increasingly important in modern cases, e.g., boot camps. The topic Disorderly Conduct was greatly expanded to include breach of the peace (a similar offense recognized in most state jurisdictions). In the Products Liability topic, many points of law are classified once under the product type and again under the legal concept or procedure.
- Minor improvements in many topics: You'll see many changes in topics such as Counties, Criminal Law, Indians, Infants, Negligence, and Process.
- Deletion of one topic: The topic Breach of the Peace has been deleted. It is now part of the topic Disorderly Conduct.
Tentative plans for 2010 include the addition of a Water Law topic and substantial revisions in such topics as War and National Emergency, Weapons, Workers' Compensation, and Zoning and Planning.
See all articles in current issue