Trellis
Trellis is a legal research and analytics platform that provides access to state trial court records and judicial data to help you build stronger litigation strategies.
Westlaw
Westlaw is a comprehensive legal research platform providing AI-powered search, verified case law, and expert secondary sources to help legal professionals build stronger arguments and make faster, more informed decisions.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Trellis | Westlaw |
|---|---|---|
| Website | trellis.law | westlaw.com |
| Pricing Model | Subscription | Subscription |
| Starting Price | $99/month | $105/month |
| FREE Trial | ✓ 14 days free trial | ✓ 7 days free trial |
| Free Plan | ✘ No free plan | ✘ No free plan |
| Product Demo | ✓ Request demo here | ✓ Request demo here |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 2018 | 1975 |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, USA | Eagan, USA |
Overview
Trellis
Trellis gives you a window into state trial courts, providing access to millions of searchable court documents, dockets, and judicial rulings. Instead of guessing how a judge might rule, you can analyze their past decisions and track how similar cases have performed in specific jurisdictions. This helps you move beyond high-level legal theory into the practical reality of how local courts operate daily.
You can use the platform to research opposing counsel, vet expert witnesses, and monitor new litigation filings in real-time. By surfacing data that was previously trapped in fragmented county systems, Trellis allows you to draft more persuasive motions and make data-driven decisions about whether to settle or head to trial. It is designed primarily for litigators, paralegals, and legal researchers at firms of all sizes.
Westlaw
Westlaw is a specialized research platform designed to help you navigate the complexities of legal data with confidence. You can access an exhaustive database of case law, statutes, and regulations, all supported by the exclusive KeyCite feature to ensure your citations are still valid. The platform uses advanced AI to surface the most relevant documents quickly, saving you hours of manual searching through physical archives or fragmented digital records.
Whether you are a solo practitioner or part of a global law firm, you can leverage expert-authored secondary sources and practical tools to draft better briefs. The software solves the problem of information overload by organizing legal precedents into an intuitive hierarchy. You can track specific practice areas, monitor new filings, and use integrated drafting tools to streamline your entire litigation or transactional workflow from a single interface.
Overview
Trellis Features
- Smart Search Search across millions of state trial court documents, including motions, orders, and final judgments, using simple keywords or phrases.
- Judicial Analytics View detailed biographies and ruling histories for judges to understand their tendencies and how they typically handle specific motions.
- Opposing Counsel Research Analyze the track record of opposing attorneys to see their experience with similar cases and identify their common legal strategies.
- Legal Alerts Stay informed with automated notifications whenever new documents are filed in cases or jurisdictions you are currently tracking.
- Expert Witness Vetting Review past testimony and court appearances of expert witnesses to prepare more effective cross-examinations or verify their credentials.
- Document Downloads Access and download original court PDFs directly from the platform to use as exhibits or templates for your own filings.
Westlaw Features
- WestSearch Plus. Get instant answers to legal questions with AI-powered search that understands natural language and legal intent.
- KeyCite Verification. Check the status of any case or statute instantly to ensure your legal authority is still good law.
- Practical Law. Access thousands of checklists, standard documents, and practice notes created by expert attorneys to speed up drafting.
- Quick Check. Upload your legal briefs to automatically identify missing precedents and find weaknesses in your opponent's arguments.
- Key Number System. Navigate the world's most organized legal classification system to find every case related to your specific point of law.
- Alerts and Tracking. Set up automated notifications for new court filings or legislative changes so you never miss a critical update.
Pricing Comparison
Trellis Pricing
- Unlimited searching
- Judicial analytics
- Opposing counsel research
- State trial court coverage
- Email alerts
- Document previews
- Everything in Professional, plus:
- Multiple user seats
- Shared research folders
- Centralized billing
- Dedicated account support
- Custom onboarding
Westlaw Pricing
- Core legal research
- State or Federal primary law
- KeyCite citation research
- WestSearch AI engine
- Mobile app access
- Everything in Starter, plus:
- Expanded secondary sources
- Brief drafting tools
- Advanced litigation analytics
- Multi-jurisdictional access
Pros & Cons
Trellis
Pros
- Access to hard-to-find state trial court documents
- Intuitive search interface similar to modern search engines
- Valuable insights into specific judge ruling patterns
- Saves hours of manual searching on county websites
Cons
- Coverage varies significantly by state and county
- Monthly subscription cost is high for solo practitioners
- Occasional delays in updating the most recent dockets
Westlaw
Pros
- Unmatched accuracy in case law verification
- Intuitive search that understands complex legal phrasing
- Extensive library of expert secondary sources
- Reliable mobile app for research in court
- Excellent customer support and training resources
Cons
- Higher price point than most competitors
- Complex interface requires initial training time
- Long-term contracts can be difficult to cancel