SUMMER RESOURCES

Westlaw & Lexis Summer Access

Lexis Advance: Students will automatically have unlimited and unrestricted access to Lexis Advance during the summer. If you haven't registered for Lexis Advance, contact Melissa Joyce, LexisNexis Account Representative, for assistance.

Westlaw: Westlaw summer access begins on June 1st and ends on August 1st.  Students who don't qualify for an extension will have limited access during June and July.

To request an extension, go to Westlaw, enter your password, and click on the extension link on the lower right side of the screen ("Need Your Westlaw Password This Summer?").

You are eligible to register for an extension if you are:

• enrolled in summer classes,
• working for an Honor Board (law review/journal or moot court),
• working for a faculty member as a research assistant, or
• doing unpaid, nonprofit public-interest internship/externship pro bono work required for graduation.

 

Other Electronic Resources

Don’t forget about all the other electronic resources you can use over the summer, while your Westlaw access may be limited.  Take a look at the law library’s list of research databases. Students registered to return for the fall semester can access many of these databases from off campus during the summer by simply typing in their name and ID number as they appear on their Suffolk Law School IDs.  For a more comprehensive, annotated guide to doing Legal Research on the Web, including free legal research sites, take a look at this guide. 

Bloomberg Law:  Bloomberg Law is a comprehensive resource for both primary and secondary source material. In addition to federal and state cases, statutes, and administrative codes, Bloomberg Law features BNA Law Reports, Manuals, and Portfolios; legal news; federal and state dockets; transactional documents; and more. Bloomberg Law has advanced features similar to those found in other major legal research databases, including terms and connectors searching; workspaces for saving searches and documents; and a citator service for cases. Law students who sign up for access to Bloomberg Law can use the database for any type of research—not just research related to coursework. In addition, Bloomberg Law allows students to continue to use the service for 6 months after graduation. Register for Bloomberg Law at https://www.bloomberglaw.com/activate (and make sure to use your Suffolk e-mail address).

Practical Law Company: The Practical Law Company (PLC) offers resources for transactional practice like model documents (with drafting and negotiating tips), overviews, and checklists. PLC materials cover numerous practice areas, including antitrust, commercial, corporate & securities, employee benefits, finance, IP & technology, labor & employment, litigation, and real estate. Register at http://us.practicallaw.com/about/lawschooltrial for a PLC account (again, make sure to use your Suffolk e-mail address).

 

Video Tutorials

Watch short tutorials on Bluebooking, Navigating the Law Library Online, Accessing Law Library Research Databases, Free Online Legal Databases, and using Westlaw and LexisNexis.

 

Legal Research Podcasts

The Suffolk University Law School Library teamed up with the Legal Practice Skills Program to create podcasts on conducting legal research. Two podcasts, on finding primary and secondary authority, are now available on iTunesU.

These legal research refreshers will remind you about the different types of primary and secondary legal authority and offer tips on how best to find them. Each podcast is under 10 minutes long and is accompanied by a downloadable PDF guide.

 

Research Guides and Treatises

The library's A to Z list of research guides and treatises is a good place to start your research.  Our research guides will point you to useful primary and secondary sources, both in print and online.  Treatises provide expert explanation and analysis of legal subjects and also cite primary and secondary material.

 

Job Hunting Made Easier

See our online guide to Job Hunting Made Easier for resources, interview tips, and job search advice.

 

Ask For Help

Whether you’re doing research for a professor or getting settled into your new job, don’t hesitate to ask a Suffolk University Law School Reference Librarian for help.  Stop by the reference desk on the sixth floor of the library, straight ahead as you walk through the main doors, give us a call (617-573-8516), or send us an email (lawref@suffolk.edu).