Westlaw & Kindle – An Easy Way To Keep Current.

My litigation practice subscribes to Westlaw, and recently upgraded to WestlawNext. I particularly like the California Update feature which summarizes new California cases and legislative updates on a daily basis. These updates are not only available online, they are also sent daily to my email account and, in turn, to my Blackberry. But, in the past, I have gotten bogged down actually reading new cases as they appear in the update. I would either print them and stuff them into my briefcase for later reading, or convert them to .pdf and move them to a “Stuff to Read” file on my laptop. Either way, the files grew and often times the cases went unread as I moved on to other things. For me, and I suspect for many others, the best way not to read something is to stick it into a file of stuff you plan to read.

But, now, I am keeping up with new case developments using a Kindle with WestlawNext. Cases and other content can be sent directly from WestlawNext to a Kindle. (You can also do it out of Westlaw with an extra step.) It really works great. I send new cases summarized in the California Update directly to my Kindle. I put the Kindle in my briefcase and read new cases over the course of my work day; for example, while waiting in court for a hearing or during a deposition lunch break. And, I take it to the gym and read cases while putting my time in on the stationary bike or elliptical. It’s a simple and very efficient way to keep current. I find that I am now reading new cases shortly after they come out, rather than weeks or months later, or, sometimes, not at all. Give it a try.