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Explore the New "Sectors" Feature on Practical Law

By Michelle Buhalo •  June 10, 2021
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Practical Law (available on the library's Westlaw computers) recently launched "Sectors" as a way to streamline the research process. According to Thomson Reuters, sectors are a way to "[m]ore effectively tailor your legal advice and gain deep insight into specific industries." Sectors are useful for researchers who are unfamiliar with a particular area of law as sectors compile a list of materials that can act as an introduction to that legal industry. They are also a good way for more experienced subject matter specialists to quickly find a form or piece of information.

Sectors allow the user to narrowly focus their research without creating complicated search strings. Currently, there are 10 sectors in Practical Law:

        • Alcohol, Tobacco & Cannabis
        • Construction
        • Financial Services
        • Food & Beverage
        • Health Care
        • Life Sciences & FDA Regulatory
        • Media & Entertainment
        • Oil & Gas
        • Retail
        • Technology

Each sector can be refined by a number of topics. For example, the Food & Beverage sector has 9 topics:

        • Advertising & Marketing
        • Alcohol Compliance
        • CPSC Compliance
        • FDA Compliance
        • Food & Beverage Agreements
        • Food Safety
        • Labeling
        • Restaurant Leases
        • Tipping/Wages

Each topic contains a focused list of documents organized by resource type. These can include Practice Notes, Standard Clauses, Standard Documents, and Checklists. Some topics may include additional resources, like legal updates, and some resources may be state specific.

For researching broader subject areas, use the "Practice Areas" to search by larger topics like Antitrust, Bankruptcy & Restructuring, Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation, Health Care, Real Estate, and more.

For additional information about Practical Law, check out the How-To Guides and Tutorials offered by Thomson Reuters or register for our CLE Class Introduction to Thomson Reuters Westlaw Edge (Webinar).

We are now open! Our onsite hours continue to be 10am to 4pm, and masks are still mandatory for everyone. Visit us today to use Practical Law on our Westlaw computers.

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