To: Board of Supervisors
From: Ellen McDonnell, Public Defender
Report Title: Purchase Order with Thomson Reuters
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Purchasing Agent, or designee, to execute on behalf of the Public Defender’s Office, a purchase order with Thomson Reuters, in the amount of $120,451 for a subscription to Thomson Reuters’ digital product CLEAR, for legal research purposes, for the period January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2027. (100% General Fund).
FISCAL IMPACT:
100% County General Fund.
BACKGROUND:
The Public Defender’s office (CCPD) seeks to renew a subscription to Thomson Reuters’ CLEAR product, an online research engine which provides investigators in the CCPD with access to real-time data, public and proprietary records and web analytics. Thomson Reuters provides reference materials, online subscription services, and access to various printed civil and legal publications. These reference and research tools are essential components of effective legal and civil representation. Thomson Reuters offers its products to government agencies at a 55% discount on the standard pricing. Thomson Reuters General Terms and Conditions contain a limitation of liability provision. The Department is seeking retroactive approval of this contract due to administrative delays involved in the contract review process.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
CCPD investigators will not have access to the real-time data, records, and analytics provided by the online research engine.