No, Microsoft 365 Copilot has no native, governed way to read from or write to Westlaw. It works inside Microsoft 365 and reaches data through the Microsoft Graph, and Westlaw sits outside that boundary. Caddi does connect to Westlaw, through a secure, permissioned browser session (Westlaw has no open automation API), and runs the whole workflow across it without a person in the loop.
Litigation and knowledge teams pull authorities, dockets, and research results out of Westlaw and into memos, matters, and the DMS. Automating that work means actually reaching Westlaw, reliably and with the right permissions, which is exactly the gap a general coding agent or in-app assistant leaves.
Why Copilot can't reach Westlaw
- It lives inside Microsoft 365. Copilot reaches your data through the Microsoft Graph, your mailbox, files, Teams, and SharePoint. Westlaw sits outside that boundary, so Copilot can't read from or write to it.
- No connector for line-of-business systems. There's no native Copilot connector that opens a record in Westlaw, let alone moves data between it and the rest of your stack. Pasting data in and out by hand defeats the point of automating.
- Assist, not run. Copilot is built to help a person in the app they're already in. Running an unattended workflow across Westlaw and three other tools is a different job than drafting or summarizing inside Office.
What this leaves on your team's plate
Without a real connection, the work stays manual: someone opens Westlaw, copies data across systems, and double-checks it by hand. The "automation" only covers the easy middle and hands the integration back to a person, so the bottleneck, and the error risk, never actually move. For document- and data-heavy work in a law firm, that gap is where most of the hours (and mistakes) live.
| Microsoft 365 Copilot | Caddi | |
|---|---|---|
| Reaching Westlaw | No native, governed connector | Real connection (API or secure browser session) |
| Reads & writes records | Copy-paste by hand, or custom scripts you maintain | Reads and writes the system directly, unattended |
| Cross-tool workflow | Stops at the boundary of what the tool can see | Spans 3 to 6 tools end to end |
| Credentials & access | Handled ad hoc, outside firm controls | Scoped, permissioned, audit-logged |
| Maintenance | Yours to fix when the script or UI changes | Built and maintained for you |
How Caddi connects to Westlaw
Caddi connects to Westlaw through a secure, permissioned browser session (Westlaw has no open automation API), then automates the full workflow around it. You show Caddi the task once over a screen share; it writes the automation as deterministic code and runs it unattended across Westlaw and the other tools the work touches, typically three to six of them, with scoped access and a complete audit trail. Most automations don't stop at one system: they pull data out of an email or PDF, update Westlaw, file a document, and post a confirmation.
Keep reading
- Caddi vs. Microsoft 365 Copilot
- All Caddi integrations
- Caddi for law firms
- Is Microsoft 365 Copilot reliable for law firms?
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Frequently asked questions
Can Microsoft 365 Copilot connect to Westlaw?
Not in a governed, production-ready way. Copilot works within Microsoft 365 and reaches data through the Microsoft Graph; Westlaw is outside that boundary, so there's no native connector. Caddi connects to Westlaw directly and runs the workflow for you.
How does Caddi connect to Westlaw?
Through a secure, permissioned browser session (Westlaw has no open automation API). Caddi reads and writes Westlaw as part of an automated workflow, with scoped, permissioned access and a run-by-run audit trail (Caddi is SOC 2 attested).
Do I need a developer to set this up?
No. You show Caddi the workflow once over a screen share and Caddi builds and maintains the automation for you, including the Westlaw connection. There's no integration code for your team to write or keep running.
Is my client and matter data safe?
Yes. Caddi uses scoped, permissioned access and runs production work as deterministic code with a full audit trail. AI is used only at setup to understand the workflow, not to make decisions on every run, and Caddi is SOC 2 attested.