---
name: iblai-connect-westlaw
description: "Read Westlaw data through the Thomson Reuters Developer Portal APIs (e.g. Westlaw US Litigation Analytics API) and expose it to an ibl.ai agent as an MCP tool. Use when the user asks an agent to work with Westlaw data, or to set up a Westlaw MCP connection on ibl.ai."
metadata:
  kind: guide
---

# Westlaw connector for AI agents

> A starting point maintained on ibl.ai at https://ibl.ai/developer/connectors/westlaw — not part of the iblai/vibe repository. Checked against Thomson Reuters' documentation on October 20, 2026; test it against your own Westlaw setup before you rely on it.

Westlaw is Thomson Reuters' legal research service: case law, statutes, regulations, secondary sources, KeyCite citation validity, dockets and litigation analytics. CoCounsel Legal is the AI assistant built on Westlaw and Practical Law.

## Auth & conventions

- **API:** Thomson Reuters Developer Portal APIs (e.g. Westlaw US Litigation Analytics API) (REST). There is no general public Westlaw search API. Thomson Reuters lists Westlaw APIs, such as Westlaw US Litigation Analytics, on its Developer Portal, which requires a Thomson Reuters sign-in to view.
- **Access:** Partner or license program. Customer- and partner-gated. The Developer Portal (developerportal.thomsonreuters.com) redirects to a Thomson Reuters login; access to Westlaw APIs is arranged through Thomson Reuters for licensed customers and partners.
- **Auth:** not published by Thomson Reuters. Authentication for Westlaw APIs is documented only inside the sign-in-gated Developer Portal and could not be verified. The portal itself signs users in through auth.thomsonreuters.com.
- Keep Westlaw credentials in environment variables or the ibl.ai credential store. Never print a token in chat and never commit one to a file.
- Destructive or outward-facing calls are marked **Confirm with the user first** — do.

## Reads

- **Litigation analytics** — Westlaw US Litigation Analytics API: analytics from the Westlaw Litigation Analytics feature.
- **Research via CoCounsel Legal** — Through the CoCounsel Legal MCP integration, research and drafting grounded in Westlaw, Practical Law and KeyCite.
- **Citation validity** — KeyCite validity signals, surfaced through CoCounsel Legal.

## Writes

- None. This skill only reads Westlaw data.

## Expose it to an ibl.ai agent (MCP)

Thomson Reuters announced in May 2026 an MCP integration that connects Claude to CoCounsel Legal, which reasons over Westlaw. It is for CoCounsel Legal subscribers, not a general Westlaw API. Host a small MCP server that wraps the calls above, then register it below.

First install the ibl.ai platform skills and connect your organization (writes `IBLAI_ORG`, `IBLAI_USERNAME` and `IBLAI_API_KEY` to `.env`):

```bash
npx skills add iblai/vibe --all
# then, in your coding agent:
/iblai-api-login
```

Every call below sends `Authorization: Api-Token $IBLAI_API_KEY`.

1. **Register the server** — `POST https://api.iblai.app/dm/api/ai-mentor/orgs/$IBLAI_ORG/users/$IBLAI_USERNAME/mcp-servers/` with `name`, `url`, `transport` (`sse` | `websocket` | `streamable_http`) and `auth_type` (`none` | `token` | `oauth2`). Capture the returned `id`.
   - For an API key or service credential use `auth_type=token` with `auth_scope=platform` for one key across the organization, or scope it to a single agent for one key per agent.
2. **Create the connection** — `POST https://api.iblai.app/dm/api/ai-mentor/orgs/$IBLAI_ORG/users/$IBLAI_USERNAME/mcp-server-connections/` with `server`, `scope` (`platform` | `mentor` | `user`), `auth_type`, and either `credentials` + `authorization_scheme` or a `connected_service` id for OAuth. Credentials are masked on read; never send a masked value back.
3. **Enable it on the agent** — `GET https://api.iblai.app/dm/api/ai-mentor/orgs/$IBLAI_ORG/users/$IBLAI_USERNAME/mentors/{agent_id}/settings/`, add `mcp-tool` to `tool_slugs` and the server id to `mcp_servers`, then `PATCH` the full lists back. They are replaced, not merged.

Full reference: https://ibl.ai/developer/platform/mcp/mcp-connections and the `/iblai-api-agent-mcp` skill.

## Example prompts

- "Ask CoCounsel for Delaware authority on fiduciary duty in squeeze-out mergers, with KeyCite status"
- "Is Smith v. Jones still good law?"
- "Pull litigation analytics on how long employment cases before Judge Lee take to reach trial"
- "Draft a research memo on the enforceability of non-competes in California"

## Guardrails

- Research queries and matter facts entered into Westlaw or CoCounsel can reveal client strategy and are attorney work product; treat them as client confidential.
- Request the narrowest Westlaw scopes or role the task needs, and prefer a read-only credential for agents that only answer questions.
- Return the fields the user asked for, not whole records; do not paste personal data into chat that the user did not request.
- Before any write, show the user exactly what will change and wait for a yes.
- Page through large result sets and back off on rate-limit responses instead of retrying in a loop.

## References

- Thomson Reuters Developer Portal launch: https://www.thomsonreuters.com/en/press-releases/2024/april/thomson-reuters-launches-global-developer-portal-empowering-tax-legal-and-risk-professionals-with-advanced-technology-and-insights
- Claude and CoCounsel Legal MCP announcement: https://www.thomsonreuters.com/en/press-releases/2026/may/thomson-reuters-and-anthropic-expand-partnership-to-connect-claude-with-cocounsel-legal
- This connector on ibl.ai: https://ibl.ai/developer/connectors/westlaw
- ibl.ai MCP server connections: https://ibl.ai/developer/platform/mcp/mcp-connections