So, this morning, as I hit my shortcut to Westlaw to research coverage for legal fees incurred prior to tender to the insurer in California, my eyes fell upon a promising little bit of text on the sign-in screen: “wait till you see what’s next. Learn more.”

Well, being a curious sort, I had to hit the jump to find out what exactly was next, with the full realization that Westlaw has been long overdue for a “what’s next.”

I was greeted with this flashy little video that did no more than tease about the “next evolution in legal research.” The next evolution from West promises confidence in “dramatically improved search” that will ensure “that you haven’t missed a thing,” productivity” thanks to “better workflow tools” and an “intuitive”, “user-friendly” process that will “allign with the way you think about legal research.”

Want more? You will need to sign up with West for the launch alert, or attend Legaltech, NY on February 1-3, 2010.

Forgive my slight cynicism, but this “evolution” better skip right over australopithicus and  neanderthal stages, bronze and industrial ages, and finally bring this tired old service into the 21st Century. From my lips to West’s ears.