Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Westlaw Deep Research agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The Westlaw Deep Research skill (cocounsel-legal:deep-research) lets an AI agent send a U.S. legal question to Westlaw's Deep Research service and return a written report that explains and analyzes the relevant caselaw, statutes, regulations and secondary sources, with citations. This guide covers what the skill does, how to install it, how to phrase requests so the agent triggers it, and what it needs to run. It is written for readers who have not used agent skills before.
Westlaw Deep Researchanthropics/claude-for-legal · Apache-2.0 Download the skill Quick start
- 1Confirm your access. Make sure you have a Westlaw account with Westlaw Deep Research and CoCounsel Legal access, and that the cocounsel-legal MCP server is connected to your agent.
- 2Download the ZIP. Download the skill ZIP from this page and unzip it so that SKILL.md is inside the skill folder.
- 3Place the folder. Move the folder to ~/.claude/skills/ for a personal install or to .claude/skills/ in your project, or upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills in the Claude apps.
- 4Name the jurisdiction. Write a legal question and name the U.S. jurisdiction, such as California or New York, so the agent does not have to ask.
- 5Make the request. Ask for Westlaw Deep Research or legal research on the question. The agent will confirm the question and say the research is underway.
- 6Read the report. Wait for the agent to paste the full report with its citations, then check the cited authority yourself before relying on it.
What is an agent skill, and what does this one do?
An agent skill is a folder containing a SKILL.md file that gives an AI agent specific instructions for a task. When a request matches the skill's description, the agent follows those instructions. This one is the deep-research skill from the cocounsel-legal package, and its SKILL.md is the only file listed for it.
Once triggered, the skill runs the full research cycle on its own: it starts a Deep Research session on Westlaw, waits while the research runs, and then retrieves the final report. Westlaw Deep Research searches Westlaw's database of caselaw, statutes and administrative decisions and returns a written report that explains, analyzes or synthesizes the relevant authority.
- Searches caselaw, statutes, regulations, administrative materials, secondary sources, Practical Law documents and Current Awareness materials including JD Supra
- Answers questions such as how courts have ruled on an issue, the elements or defenses of a claim, how a statute is interpreted, and the arguments on both sides of an unsettled question
- Presents the report with its citations, without editing the contents
What you need before installing
The skill depends on several things being in place. It will not work as a standalone download.
The cocounsel-legal MCP server must be connected to the agent. The skill checks for it before starting and stops if it is not connected. The skill also needs a Westlaw account with access to Westlaw Deep Research and CoCounsel Legal, and it uses the Bash tool to pause between status checks.
- A Westlaw account with access to Westlaw Deep Research and CoCounsel Legal
- The cocounsel-legal MCP server connected to your agent
- Bash tool access, used to pause between status checks
Install the skill from the ZIP
Download the ZIP for this skill from this page and unzip it. You can install it for yourself across all projects or for a single project.
For a personal install, place the unzipped skill folder in ~/.claude/skills/. For a project-only install, place it in the project's .claude/skills/ folder. The folder should contain SKILL.md.
Alternatively, if you use the Claude apps, you can upload the skill under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
- Personal install: ~/.claude/skills/
- Project install: .claude/skills/ inside your project
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills
Trigger the skill with a natural request
You do not type a special command. The skill is meant to activate when you ask for legal research or Westlaw Deep Research, ask for CoCounsel Legal support, or ask a question that requires explaining, analyzing or synthesizing U.S. law.
Name the jurisdiction in your request. The skill can use up to three jurisdictions, and if you name none, the agent will ask which to use.
- Ask for a jurisdiction-specific question: "Using Westlaw Deep Research, how have California courts treated implied warranty claims for used cars?"
- Ask for the arguments on both sides: "Use Deep Research to summarize the arguments for and against piercing the corporate veil in New York and Delaware."
- Ask for a sourced overview: "Run legal research on how courts in Texas and Florida interpret the statute of limitations for breach of written contract."
What to expect while research runs
The agent tells you that research is underway and restates your question. It then waits and checks progress in the background. It shows a short list of research steps as they happen, and it will tell you when a report is about to be completed.
When the research is complete, the agent pastes the full report, including its citations and quoted source excerpts, without editing it. If the research fails, the agent reports the problem in plain language. If you have a follow-up question on the same topic, the skill continues the same research session rather than starting over.
Safety notes: scripts and network use
This skill runs scripts and uses the network. It uses the Bash tool to pause between status checks, and it connects to Westlaw's service through the cocounsel-legal MCP server to send your query and retrieve the report.
The skill's privacy, terms and accessibility policies are published by Thomson Reuters. Questions about access or subscription should go to cocounselsupport@tr.com. Review the Thomson Reuters privacy statement before sending research questions that involve confidential client matters.
- Runs scripts: yes, for pausing between status checks
- Uses network: yes, to reach Westlaw Deep Research through the MCP server
- Support: cocounselsupport@tr.com
Tips for better results
Write a specific question with a clear jurisdiction. The skill is built for questions about how U.S. law is explained, applied and debated, so precise questions produce more useful reports.
Check the citations in the report before relying on them. The report is research, and the skill does not give legal advice.
- State the jurisdiction and the legal issue in one sentence
- Ask for a comparison of up to three jurisdictions, not more
- Use the traditional Westlaw search box for exact document retrieval or Boolean searches
- Use a follow-up question on the same topic to extend the existing session
What people use it for
- A law student getting a sourced overview of how courts in one state treat a doctrine before writing a memo
- A lawyer checking the elements and defenses of a claim in a particular U.S. jurisdiction as a starting point for research
- A researcher comparing how two or three U.S. states have interpreted the same statute
- Gathering the arguments on both sides of an unsettled legal question to prepare for further reading
Frequently asked questions
Is the Westlaw Deep Research agent skill free?
The source does not state pricing or licence fees for Westlaw access. The skill itself is listed under the Apache-2.0 licence in the anthropics/claude-for-legal repository, but using it requires a Westlaw account with Westlaw Deep Research and CoCounsel Legal access. Direct access or entitlement questions to cocounselsupport@tr.com.
What do I need to install the cocounsel legal deep research skill?
You need the skill folder with SKILL.md, placed in ~/.claude/skills/ or a project's .claude/skills/ folder, or uploaded under Settings → Capabilities → Skills in the Claude apps. You also need a Westlaw account with access to Westlaw Deep Research and CoCounsel Legal, and the cocounsel-legal MCP server connected to the agent.
Why does the skill say the MCP server is not connected?
The skill checks that the cocounsel-legal MCP server is available before it starts research. If it is not connected, the agent stops and tells you. Connect the server to your agent, confirm your CoCounsel Legal subscription has the MCP connector enabled, and try again.
Can the Westlaw Deep Research skill give legal advice or predict outcomes?
No. The skill is described as producing research, not advice, and it declines outcome predictions, calculations such as filing deadlines, and drafting of documents or forms. For a real dispute, a licensed attorney should review the output.
Does the skill work for UK or Canadian law?
No. The skill is for U.S. law. For foreign or non-U.S. law, the skill suggests Westlaw UK, Westlaw Canada or Westlaw International.
What are the alternatives if this skill is not the right fit?
The skill points you to other Westlaw tools depending on the task: the traditional search box for retrieving a specific document or summarizing one statute, Litigation Analytics for judge or party information, Claims Explorer for potential causes of action, Precision Research or Boolean search for exhaustive lists, and CoCounsel for drafting.
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Our verdict
This skill suits lawyers, law students and researchers who already have Westlaw Deep Research and CoCounsel Legal access and need a sourced overview of U.S. caselaw and statutes. It is not suited to legal advice without attorney review, non-U.S. law, predictions, calculations or drafting, so use CoCounsel, the Westlaw search box or a non-U.S. Westlaw product for those tasks.
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