Title
Legal Research - Online, Software, and Material - ADSPO12-014733 (Ordinance S-44456)
Description
Request to authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to access the State of Arizona Cooperative Contract ADSPO12-014733 with West Publishing Corporation, doing business as Thomson West, a Thomson Reuters Business, to provide legal research - online, software, and material for citywide departments. The aggregate contract value will not exceed $1,100,000. Further request authorization for the City Controller to disburse all funds related to this item.
Report
Summary
This contract will allow citywide departments, including but not limited to Law, Library, Neighborhood Services and Police, to access legal and investigative resources such as Westlaw, CLEAR Investigate Software and all related products, solutions and print material. These resources include exclusive content, features and proprietary tools.
The Law Department uses Westlaw services to provide attorneys and prosecutors access to electronic legal research services, investigative tools, and legal reference material; services include access to State and Federal court decisions, statutes, administrative regulations and decisions, and national public records. Westlaw services are also essential to the Library's operations as they offer patrons access to cutting-edge search tools, exclusive editorial enhancements such as West Key Number Digest system, a comprehensive and widely used indexing system for case law materials and an unsurpassed collection of primary law and legal information. By using Westlaw services, researching for the customer is more complete and offers current and accurate legal materials in a timely and cost efficient manner.
The CLEAR tool provides investigative resources to assist in locating and connecting subjects and is a search tool for the City Prosecutor's Office to help locate victims and witnesses as necessary for trials. In addition, the CLEAR tool provides Neighborhood Services easy access to conduct online skip tracing research as required by code enforcement staff for court case preparation and abatement lien foreclosure program research. Search capabilities include reverse phone lookup, credit bureaus, vehicle records and business information. Furthermore, the Police Department utilizes the CLEAR tool for intelligence gathering and analysis when investigating potential Human or Labor trafficking cases which allows for identification of potential victims and suspects of human trafficking. The Police Department also obtains print material for legal updates to the Arizona Statutes.
Procurement Information
In accordance with Administrative Regulation 3.10, a participating agreement is required when the City uses a cooperative agreement from another public agency. The contract was awarded through a competitive process consistent with the City's procurement process, as set forth in the Phoenix City Code, Chapter 43. Utilization of cooperative agreements allows the City to benefit from national government pricing and volume discounts. The State of Arizona contract covers legal research - online, software and material and was awarded May 21, 2012.
Contract Term
The five-year contract shall begin on or about April 1, 2018.
Financial Impact
The aggregate contract value will not exceed $1,100,000 (including applicable taxes) with an estimated annual expenditure of $220,000. Funds are available in all City of Phoenix departments' budgets.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by City Manager Ed Zuercher and the Finance Department.