Fiscal Note
Funding for online legal research services is included in the City Attorney's 2015 Executive Operating Budget as amended by the Board of Estimates and will be requested in the City Attorney’s Operating Budget in future years.
Title
A Resolution authorizing the Mayor and City Clerk to execute a contract with West Publishing Corporation, a Thomson Reuters business (West) for online legal research services through 2017.
Body
WHEREAS, the Office of the City Attorney (OCA) has a contract with LexisNexis for the provision of online legal research services used by attorneys, paralegals and law clerks as well as attorneys in other City departments; and
WHEREAS this contract expires on December 31, 2014; and
WHEREAS, the City Attorney has solicited quotes for a new contract from West (f/k/a “Westlaw”) and LexisNexis; and
WHEREAS, there are no other competiting companies providing comparable legal research tools; and
WHEREAS, West has proposed a three year contract for online legal research services the cost of which is described below; and
2015 $17,409.70
2016 $19,340.55
2017 $19,727.39
WHEREAS, the provision of online legal research services are essential to the operation of the OCA and to the delivery of legal services to the City of Madison by other attorneys employed in other City departments; and
WHEREAS, under MGO 4.26(4)(b), if the total cost for services will exceed $25,000 over the lifetime of the contract and a competitive bidding process was not used, the Common Council must authorize the contract by resolution. A full “Request for Proposals” was not used to select West because there are only two viable online legal research services available, one which the OCA currently uses (LexisNexis) and the other is West. The OCA solicited quotes and fully evaluated the services, pricing and value of both prior to selecting West;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that a contract with West Publishing Corporation, a Thomson Reuters business (...
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