Skip to Content
  • Home
  • About the Bar
  • Mission
  • Forms
  • Sitemap
    • Member Directory
      Last Name:
      First Name:
      Bar Number:
      City:


    • Login
OSB Logo

Oregon State Bar Bulletin — AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011
Legal.Online
News of the Web:
Bloomberg Gets an Upgrade
By Robert J. Ambrogi


Remember Bloomberg Law? It launched in December 2009, attempting “to muscle in on the turf now occupied by Westlaw and LexisNexis,” as I wrote in this column back then (OSB Bulletin, February/March 2010). Now there is a new version of Bloomberg Law. More details below, plus quick hits on other new resources of interest to lawyers.

Given that Bloomberg Law was backed by the international financial news and information company Bloomberg, it clearly had the resources and experience to go head-to-head with the big guys of legal research.

Its biggest challenge, I wrote when it launched, may be to convince the legal market that it needs another high-end research service. One way it planned to address that issue was by offering a fixed, all-you-can-eat price of $450 a month as a counterpoint to the sometimes cryptic and confusing pricing plans of West and Lexis.

In my earlier review, I gave Bloomberg Law credit for “getting into the game with swagger” by loading up on primary legal content, creating its own editorial enhancements, and developing its own citator to rival Shepard’s and KeyCite. But I also said that it was a “work in progress” and I likened it to a luxury yacht only partially constructed. “It is seaworthy,” I said, “but still has a lengthy punch list.”

As it started to work its way through that punch list, Bloomberg Law also brought on a new skipper. Last October, it hired Lou Andreozzi, the former president and CEO of LexisNexis North American Legal Markets, to take the company’s helm as chairman. It also brought in Larry D. Thompson, former VP of business development, strategy and marketing for LexisNexis, as COO.

Now, we get to see what Andreozzi, Thompson and the folks at Bloomberg Law have been up to. On July 5, Bloomberg released what it describes as “the next evolution” of its legal research platform. Changes include a redesigned interface, enhanced search capabilities, new practice centers and enhanced collaboration and workflow features.

One thing that is not changing is Bloomberg Law’s flat-fee, all-inclusive pricing — something the company continues to believe is key to differentiating it from its big-two legal research competitors.

Recently, I spoke with Andreozzi about the changes to Bloomberg Law and was given a brief demonstration. I have not directly had access to log in and test the upgraded version. I hope to do that soon and provide additional comments then.

Flat Fee Pricing
One point Andreozzi emphasized is that the flat-fee pricing model will not change. The price of a subscription remains what it was when the service launched: $450 per user per month. (Enterprise pricing is available to larger organizations.) That price is all-inclusive; there are no hidden or add-on charges for any of the service’s features or libraries. The only price increases customers will receive will be minor adjustments every other year based on the cost of living. “We’re committed to predictable, transparent pricing,” Andreozzi said.

For that, Andreozzi asserted, you get a service that has virtually everything that Westlaw and LexisNexis have — all federal and state primary law, a top-tier citator, national and international dockets, and in-depth news and business intelligence drawn from Bloomberg’s global network.

Bloomberg Law compares unfavorably to Westlaw and LexisNexis only in one respect, he said: its lesser collection of secondary legal materials such as treatises and practice guides. The company continues to move towards the goal of developing secondary materials to cover all practice areas, but it is several years away from reaching that goal, Andreozzi said.

Even so, such secondary materials account for no more than 10 percent of all legal research, Andreozzi estimated. Ninety percent of research involves the three areas where Bloomberg Law is strong: primary law, citations and business intelligence. In fact, Andreozzi believes that lawyers at the highest levels of their practice areas are most likely to focus on that latter category of business intelligence research, including business news, corporate and company information, and docket information.

Many larger law firms maintain subscriptions to both Westlaw and LexisNexis, Andreozzi noted. With Bloomberg Law covering 90 percent or more of what lawyers need in a research product on a flat-fee basis, he suggested, they can now drop at least one of those subscriptions — if not both.

Elsewhere Online: Three Quick Hits

New Supreme Court Podcast
The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts has launched a podcast series discussing landmark Supreme Court cases. The series, Supreme Court Landmarks, www.uscourts.gov/Multimedia/Podcasts/Landmarks.aspx, discusses cases that have shaped American life.

Each episode features a law professor presenting a brief discussion of a landmark case. The professor explains the case’s background, the key arguments, the decision and why the case has continuing importance.

As of this writing, only two episodes have been posted. In one, Prof. Melanie Wilson, University of Kansas School of Law discusses the 1961 case, Mapp v. Ohio. In the other, Prof. Frederick Schauer of the University of Virginia School of Law discusses the 1989 case, Texas v. Johnson. New episodes will be added each month.

A Wiki to Share Legal Forms
A new legal wiki, Standardforms.org, http://standardforms.org, has been launched to provide a free depository of sophisticated legal documents. Notably, the site is not intended to serve as a cache of ready-to-use legal forms. Instead, its founder hopes that the wiki feature — which allows anyone to add and edit forms — will provide a vehicle for lawyers to improve the forms and lead to a consensus of what they should say.

The wiki’s developer, Florian Feder, is assistant vice president and counsel at Brown Brothers Harriman. He describes himself as “interested in the art (science?) of contract drafting and in ways of making this process more efficient with the help of new technologies.”

He describes the website as a “sandbox” in which lawyers can contribute to a process of drafting legal agreements towards the goal of improving them. One lawyer can add language, another can further revise the language or comment on it. It is the same process that happens whenever lawyers negotiate a contract, Feder says, only “here it is done in the open — for everyone to see and participate.”

As of this writing, the wiki has fewer than 10 forms posted. They include a mutual nondisclosure agreement, Series A term sheet, certificate of incorporation, Series A preferred stock purchase agreement, merger agreement and credit agreement.

A Guide to Better Writing
When Marie Buckley’s former law firm asked her to teach writing to young lawyers, she found out just how difficult it can be to teach someone to write well. As she strove to become a better teacher of writing, she began to assemble a collection of lessons. Over time, she developed those lessons into a manuscript. Now, that manuscript is a book, The Lawyer’s Essential Guide to Writing, published by the American Bar Association’s Law Practice Management Section.

In conjunction with the publication of her book, Buckley has launched a blog, A Lawyer’s Guide to Writing, http://mariebuckley.com. Although she calls it a blog, it is more a website about writing. Various articles offer tips on style, punctuation, plain English and other aspects of legal writing. She also offers suggestions of helpful books on writing (other than her own) and usage guides. If you are interested in improving your own writing, Buckley’s site is worth a visit.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Robert Ambrogi, who practices law in Rockport, Mass., is the former editor of
National Law Journal and Lawyers Weekly USA. He is internationally known for his writing about the Internet and technology. He is the author of three blogs, which can be read at www.legaline.com.

© 2011 Robert Ambrogi


— return to top
— return to Table of Contents

  • For The Public

      Public Legal Information

    • Public Information Home
    • Legal Information Topics
    • Oregon Juror Guide
    • Submit Ethics Complaint

    • Getting Legal Help

    • Finding The Right Lawyer
    • Hiring A Lawyer
    • Lawyers Fees

    • Client Services

    • Client Assistance Office
    • Client Security Fund
    • Fee Dispute Resolution
    • Public Records Request
    • Locating Attorney Files

    • Unlawful Practice of Law

    • UPL Information
    • UPL FAQ

    • Volunteer Opportunities

    • Public Member Application
  • For Members

    OSB Login

    • Log In To OSB Site
    • Member Account Setup
    • Non-Member Account Setup
    • Reset Password

    OSB Resources

    • Attorney's Marketplace
    • Career Center
    • Events
    • Forms Library
    • Online Resources
    • OSB Group Listings
    • Performance Standards
    • Rules Regulations and Policies
    • Surveys and Research Reports
    • Unclaimed Client Funds
    • Voting Regions and By-City
      County Information

    Fastcase™

    • Log in to Fastcase
    • Overview
    • Scheduled Webinars
    • Inactive Member Subscriptions

    Legal Ethics

    • Legal Ethics Home
    • Find an Ethics Opinion
    • Bulletin Bar Counsel Archive

    Company Administrator

    • Company Administrator Home
    • Company Administrator FAQ
    • Authorization Form

    State Lawyers
    Assistance Committee

    • SLAC Info

    Volunteering

    • Volunteer Opportunities

    Court Information

    • Judicial Vacancies
    • Court Info | Calendars | Jury Info
    • Oregon Attorneys
      in Federal Court
    • Tribal Courts of Oregon

    OSB Publications

    • Bar Bulletin Magazine
    • – Bulletin Archive
    • – Legal Writer Archive
    • Capitol Insider
    • Disciplinary Board Reporter

    PLF Programs

    • (OAAP) Oregon Attorney
      Assistance Program
    • Practice Management Attorneys
    • Malpractice Coverage
  • CLE/Legal Publications

    CLE Seminars

    • CLE Seminars Home
    • Online Seminar Registration
    • General Info/FAQ

    My Account

    • My Content
    • My Events
    • Order History

    Legal Publications

    • Legal Publications Home
    • Log in to BarBooks®
    • BarBooks® FAQ
    • Online Bookstore
    • Legal Pubs Blog
  • Bar Programs

    Diversity & Inclusion

    • Diversity & Inclusion Home
    • Diversity Story Wall
    • D&I Programs
    • ACDI Roster
    • D&I Staff Contacts
    • D&I Links

    Legislative/Public Affairs

    • Legislative Home
    • Committee Contacts
    • Legislative Sessions
    • Staff Contacts
    • Useful Links

    Legal Services Program

    • LSP Home

    Oregon Law Foundation

    • OLF Home
    • Partners in Justice

    Fee Dispute Resolution

    • Fee Dispute Resolution Home

    Pro Bono

    • Pro Bono Home
    • Pro Bono Reporting
    • Volunteer Opportunities

    Lawyer Referral and Information Services

    • RIS Login
    • Summary of Referral and Information Services Programs
    • Lawyer Referral Service Info and Registration Forms
    • Modest Means Program Registration Forms
    • Military Assistance Panel Training Info and Registration Form
    • Problem Solvers Registration Form
    • Lawyer To Lawyer Registration Form

    (LRAP) Loan Repayment Assistance Program

    • LRAP Home
    • LRAP FAQ
    • LRAP Policies
  • Member Groups

    Sections

    • Section Info/Websites
    • Joining Sections
    • CLE Registration Services
    • Standard Section Bylaws (PDF)
    • Leadership Resources
    • Treasurers Tools

    Committees

    • Home
    • Leadership Resources
    • Professionalism Commission
    • Volunteer Opportunities

    House of Delegates

    • HOD Home
    • HOD Resources
    • Meetings
    • Rules (PDF)
    • Roster (PDF)
    • Staff Contacts

    Board of Governors

    • BOG Home
    • Meetings & Agendas
    • Members
    • Liaisons
    • Committees
    • Resources
    • Task Forces

    Oregon New Lawyers Division

    • ONLD Home
    • Law Students
    • Student Loan Repayment
    • Committees
    • Upcoming Events

    Task Forces and Special Committees

    • Task Forces Home

    Volunteer Bars

    • List/Contacts
    • Leadership Resources

    Volunteering

    • Volunteer Opportunities
  • Licensing/Compliance

    Admissions

    • Admissions Home
    • Alternative Admittance
    • Applicants for Admission
    • Admissions Forms
    • Past Bar Exam Results

    Supervised Practice Portfolio Examination

    • SPPE Home

    Licensed Paralegal Program

    • LP Home

    Lawyer Discipline

    • Discipline Home
    • Disciplinary Board Reporter
    • Disciplinary Boards
    • Client Assistance Office
    • (SPRB) State Professional Responsibility Board

    Membership Records

    • Address Changes
    • Good Standing Certificate
    • Request Discipline File Review

    MCLE

    • MCLE Home
    • Program Database
    • Forms
    • Rules (PDF)

    IOLTA Reporting

    • IOLTA Home
    • IOLTA FAQ

    Licensing Fees

    • Licensing Fee FAQ
    • Licensing Fee Payment

    Status Changes

    • Status Changes FAQ
    • Inactive Status Form
    • Retired Status Form
    • Active Pro Bono Status Form
    • Reinstatement Forms
    • Resignation Form A
    • Pending Reinstatements

    Unlawful Practice of Law

    • UPL Information
    • UPL FAQ

    Pro Hac Vice/Arbitration

    • Pro Hac Vice
    • Arbitration

    New Lawyer Mentoring Program

    • New Lawyer Mentoring Program Home

    Professional Liability Fund

    • Professional Liability
      Fund Website
For The Public

Public Information Home
Legal Information Topics
Oregon Juror Guide
Finding The Right Lawyer
Hiring A Lawyer
Lawyers Fees
Client Assistance Office
Public Records Request
Unlawful Practice of Law
Fee Dispute Resolution
Client Security Fund
Volunteer Opportunities
for the Public

For Members

BarBooks®
Bulletin Archive
Career Center
Fastcase™
Judicial Vacancies
Legal Ethics Opinions
OSB Group Listings
OSB Login
OSB Rules & Regs
SLAC Info
Surveys and Reports
Volunteer Opportunities

CLE/Legal Pubs

CLE Seminars Home
Legal Publications Home

Bar Programs

Diversity & Inclusion
Fee Arbitration/Mediation
Legal Services Program
Legislative/Public Affairs
Loan Repayment
Assistance Program

Oregon Law Foundation
Pro Bono

Member Groups

Board of Governors
Committees
House of Delegates
Volunteer Bars
Oregon New
Lawyers Division

OSB Sections
Professionalism
Commission

Volunteer Opportunities

About The Bar

About the Bar
ADA Notice
Contact Info
Copyright Notice
Directions to the Bar
Meeting Room Rentals
Mission Statement
OSB Job Opportunities
Privacy Policy
Staff Directory
Terms of Use

Licensing/Compliance

Admissions
Client Assistance Office
Client Security Fund
IOLTA Reporting
Lawyer Discipline
MCLE
Member Fee FAQ
New Lawyer
Mentoring Program

Professional Liability Fund
Status Changes

Oregon State Bar Center

Phone: (503) 620-0222
Toll-free in Oregon: (800) 452-8260
Facsimile: (503) 684-1366

Building Location:
16037 SW Upper Boones Ferry Road
Tigard, OR 97224

Mailing Address:
PO Box 231935
Tigard, OR 97281

Oregon State Bar location Map

Copyright ©1997 Oregon State Bar  ®All rights reserved | ADA Notice | Mission Statement | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use