Overview
LexisNexis is one of the two dominant legal research platforms in the US market, competing directly with Westlaw for coverage of federal and state case law, statutes, regulations, and secondary sources. Its Lexis+ platform delivers an integrated research experience combining legal content with news monitoring, public records, and business intelligence data not found on Westlaw. The platform's Shepard's Citations Service is the cornerstone citator — allowing attorneys to verify whether a case remains good law and to track subsequent history across all citing references. Shepard's has been the legal industry standard for citation analysis for decades and remains LexisNexis's most defensible competitive advantage. LexisNexis's secondary source library includes American Jurisprudence, Matthew Bender treatises, and Practical Guidance — a transactional practice resource with model agreements, checklists, and how-to guides covering M&A, financing, employment, and real estate. For litigators, Jury Verdicts and expert witness databases provide intelligence unavailable on Westlaw. The Lexis Analytics suite offers judge analytics, motion outcome data, and law firm win rates based on historical case data. Lexis+ AI adds conversational legal research and document drafting capabilities. Pricing is subscription-based, negotiated per firm or attorney. Widely adopted at law firms across all sizes, particularly those where attorneys trained on LexisNexis in law school.
Key features
Shepard's Citations
The original legal citator, in use since 1873. Shepard's tracks negative treatment (overruled, distinguished, criticized) with signal indicators. 'Shepardizing' a case is a standard due diligence step for litigators.
Case Law and Statutes Database
Comprehensive coverage of federal and all 50 states, plus international content. Strong historical depth going back to early American case law.
Practical Guidance
Attorney-maintained practice notes, checklists, and model documents for transactional attorneys. Comparable to Westlaw's Practical Law — strong for M&A, employment, real estate, and corporate governance work.
Secondary Sources (Matthew Bender)
Matthew Bender treatises, American Jurisprudence 2d, Am Jur Pleading and Practice Forms, and specialty practice libraries. Comprehensive secondary source collection for most practice areas.
News and Business Intelligence
Access to Nexis news databases — company profiles, news monitoring, and business intelligence — beyond legal research. Useful for litigation due diligence and background investigation.
Lexis+ AI (add-on)
Conversational AI assistant that answers legal questions, drafts research memos, and cites back to Shepardized authorities. Sold as a separate subscription layered on the core LexisNexis platform.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Shepard's Citations is the original citator — "Shepardizing" is a verb in the legal profession for good reason
- Strong secondary sources: Matthew Bender treatises, American Jurisprudence, and Practical Guidance for transactional attorneys
- Good for news, business, and regulatory intelligence alongside case law — broader than a pure case law database
- Lexis+ AI (separate subscription) adds conversational AI research with Shepardized citations
- Competitive pricing in enterprise negotiations with Westlaw
Cons
- Pricing is not published — requires negotiating with a sales rep
- West headnotes and Key Number System have no direct equivalent — topical research across jurisdictions is less systematic
- Interface improvements have lagged Westlaw — some attorneys find it harder to navigate
- Academic and bar resources are less comprehensive than Westlaw for some practice areas
- AI capabilities are split across Lexis+ AI (add-on) rather than native to the core platform
Pricing
7-day free trial — no credit card required.
Pricing current as of May 2026; verify with vendor before purchasing.
Who it's best for
Best fit for
- Litigators comfortable with Shepard's who prefer LexisNexis's editorial style
- Transactional attorneys using Practical Guidance for deal checklists and model documents
- Regulatory and compliance practices requiring news and business intelligence alongside case law
- BigLaw and corporate legal departments that subscribe alongside Westlaw
Not a fit for
- Cost-sensitive small firms — free or low-cost alternatives (vLex Fastcase) serve occasional research needs
- Practices primarily doing international research (use vLex for broader global coverage)
- Firms whose culture is strongly Westlaw-centric — switching costs are high
Frequently asked questions
LexisNexis does not publish pricing. Costs vary significantly by firm size, content subscriptions, and contract terms. Solos may access basic LexisNexis through Fastcase (now vLex Fastcase) via bar membership. Enterprise pricing requires a sales negotiation.
Shepardizing means checking a case's subsequent treatment using Shepard's Citations to confirm it has not been overruled, reversed, or heavily criticized. It is a standard due diligence step before citing any case in a brief or motion.
Neither is clearly better — it depends on practice area and preference. Westlaw's Key Number System is preferred by many litigators for topical case research. LexisNexis is competitive for secondary sources, regulatory research, and business intelligence. Most BigLaw firms subscribe to both.
Yes. Lexis+ AI (separate subscription) is a conversational AI research assistant that answers legal questions with Shepardized citations. It is sold in addition to the core LexisNexis subscription.
Bar membership in many states provides access to basic Fastcase (now vLex Fastcase) content as an alternative. For attorneys needing full LexisNexis access, the cost is typically prohibitive without firm backing.