Westlaw Classic
When running a search in classic, you had to choose whether you were running a Terms & Connectors or a Natural Language Search.
WestlawNext
In WestlawNext, you also have the option to search either through terms and connectors or using natural language, but you do not have to tell the database which you are using. Based on what you type in the search box (i.e. whether or not you use any connectors), the database will know which type of search to run.
You can also run an advanced search by clicking the Advanced link to the right of the search button. This will allow you to create a terms and connectors search, and also gives you access to field searching. Note: the fields in advanced search will change depending on what type of content you're searching, so this feature works much better when searching a particular content type. See below.
This image shows only a fraction of the fields you can search for statutes. You can run an advanced search using as many or as few of these fields as needed.
To find specific statutes on Classic, you utilize the Find By Citation box:
In WestlawNext, you can also look up specific statutes, but instead of a Find by Citation box, you simply use the main search bar to enter your citation.
Westlaw Classic
Just as with cases, to run a statute search in Classic, you would first check the boxes next to the jurisdictions you wanted to include in your search. With the database(s) selected, you would then run your search from the main search box.
WestlawNext
In WestlawNext, you have a couple of options:
Search Statutes Only - Just as with case law searching, below the main search bar in WestlawNext, in the All Content tab, select Statutes and Court Rules. If you have only one jurisdiction you wish to search, click on that jurisdiction. Alternatively, you'll notice that the search bar at the top of the page has changed. You can now search Statutes and Court Rules only, rather than the entire database. By clicking the drop-down menu at the right of the search bar, you can select as many different jurisdictions as you'd like to add to your search.
Search Entire Database, and Filter Afterward - While you have the option to begin your search in statutes alone, WestlawNext is designed so that you can search the entire database and then filter your search results afterwards by content type. To do this, simply run your search in the main search bar, and then click on Statutes under View in your search results to see statutory search results only. (The advantage of this method is that, should you decide to look at other types of content for this same search later, you can just return to your search results and choose a different content type under View.)
To access traditionally print tools, such as the Popular Name Table, 50-State Surveys, etc. in Classic, you would ordinarily access them by navigating to a specific jurisdiction's statutory database in Classic; here you would have the option to search the database, or use the tools by clicking on their links on the right side of the screen.
All of these tools you've used to find statutes on Classic you can also use on WestlawNext. The key is to look for a Tools & Resources list on the right side of the page.
For instance, when you navigate to Statutes & Court Rules from the All Content tab on the main page of WestlawNext, you'll see a list of Tools & Resources that includes 50-State Statutory Surveys. Further, if you select a specific code or jurisdiction, the Tools & Resources will change to show that jurisdiction's Popular Name Table, among other tools.
