the present inventors recognized a need for improving conventional informational retrieval systems , particularly those intended for retrieval of legal information . accordingly , they devised systems , methods , and software that facilitate online access to documents , such as non - opinion legal documents , in context of a legal workflow . an exemplary method of operation includes determining that a user of a client access device is performing a litigation - related task using a word - processing application on the client - access device . and in response to an affirmative determination , providing trial court materials relevant to the litigation - related task to the client access device without the user leaving the word - processing application . in some embodiments , the word - processing application is launched from a case - management application that provides case , activity , and role information to the online legal research system .