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Prosecutor asks to renew Westlaw; commissioners request competitive quote and possible negotiation
Summary
The county prosecutor asked commissioners to renew the office's Westlaw subscription with a modest price increase; commissioners asked staff to request a competing LexisNexis quote and to ask Westlaw whether the firm could lower the proposed increase before the board acts.
County Prosecutor Bill Wilson asked the board to approve renewal of the office's Westlaw legal-research subscription at an increased monthly rate beginning Oct. 1; Wilson said the new rate would be roughly $275 per month more than the current payment.
Wilson told commissioners that the prosecutor's office has relied on Westlaw for legal research for more than a decade and that changing platforms would be disruptive because attorneys are trained to use Westlaw. "Once you're kind of in that ecosystem, it's almost like Android versus Apple," Wilson said, describing Westlaw and LexisNexis as the two main options.
Commissioners asked Wilson to obtain a competing quote from LexisNexis and to notify Westlaw that the county is seeking alternatives so the company could confirm whether it would reconsider the proposed increase. Several commissioners said they supported renewing the contract for continuity but wanted documentation showing due diligence and a comparative quote before final approval.
Board direction: Commissioners asked the prosecutor's office to (1) request a quote from LexisNexis for the services the prosecutor's office needs, (2) ask Westlaw whether the company could improve its proposed renewal terms and (3) return with the comparative information at the next meeting so the board can act within the vendor's renewal window.
Outcome at meeting: No formal vote was taken; commissioners agreed to delay approval while staff obtains competing quotes and asks Westlaw for any available concessions.
