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Parallel Search on Westlaw

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My 1L legal research course emphasizes the importance of utilizing all the resources at one’s disposal—what I refer to as “the tools in your toolbox.” This means navigating multiple databases, exploring their resources, and mastering various search functions. Parallel searching on Westlaw is yet another tool for legal researchers to use.

Screenshot of Parallel Search on Westlaw

Where do you find Parallel Search?

You can find Parallel Search in the Key Features section under the main search box on the home page.

Screenshot of Parallel Search on Westlaw

What does it do?

According to Westlaw, Parallel Search allows you to “enter a sentence or legal concept to find cases with conceptually similar sentences. Parallel Search understands synonyms and relationships between words and ideas, so it finds relevant cases even if they do not use your exact words.” You will get up to 25 results.

Tips for using Parallel Search

  • You can limit your search by jurisdiction.
  • For the best results, construct your search as a full sentence of about 5 to 30 words. Punctuation matters, but capitalization does not.
  • Include both legal concepts and facts.
  • Small changes can impact your results, so play around with your wording if you are not getting what you need.
  • If you search for a highly quoted sentence, you will likely end up with a lot of results that include that sentence verbatim.

 

Generative AI Updates to Lexis and Bloomberg Law

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Bloomberg Law

Last month, we shared a blog post that explained Westlaw’s new generative AI features. This month, we’re examining generative AI updates to Bloomberg Law and Lexis+.

Bloomberg Law has recently introduced two AI features. First, users can create summaries of cases and other documents within their search results and engage in interactive follow-up questions using the Bloomberg Law AI Assistant. The system provides suggested questions, but users can also submit inquiries.

Screenshot

Second, Bloomberg Law Answers  now appears at the top of natural language search results. If you select Bloomberg Law Answers, the computer will generate a textual answer to your search query, complete with hypertext links to legal authority.

Consider these best practices when using Bloomberg Law Answers:

  • Write a natural language search query because Bloomberg Law Answers is not available when searching with terms and connectors.

  • Include jurisdictional information in the text of search queries when seeking jurisdiction-specific law.

  • Use precise language when formulating questions.

Lexis+

Lexis+’s AI capabilities have been enhanced by upgrading to Protege, a next-generation generative AI application that replaces Lexis+ AI. You can find the option to use Protege at the top of your screen.

Protege offers enhanced drafting capabilities, including options to draft motions and complaints. Law school access includes many of the same features as the commercial version, including:

  • Ask a Legal Question

  • Generate a Draft

  • Summarize a Case

  • Upload Documents

Conclusion

Remember that although generative AI tools can provide valuable assistance, they should complement instead of replace traditional legal research methods. Always thoroughly verify any AI-generated content.

Co-Counsel and Other Generative AI Updates to Westlaw

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If you logged in to Westlaw this semester, you should have noticed it looks different. Co-Counsel and other generative AI tools are now integrated throughout the platform. Westlaw’s generative AI features are similar to Lexis+ AI, which law students have had access to for the past year.

Lexis+ AI and Westlaw’s AI tools offer distinct advantages over general-purpose AI resources like ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Claude. Because they are designed for practicing attorneys, Lexis+ AI and Westlaw’s AI tools prioritize privacy and security. In the training materials, Westlaw states that it has written its contracts so that neither it nor its third-party partners will use user-provided information to train their models.

Both Lexis+ AI and Westlaw’s general AI research tools use Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) technology. Here is how that works at a very basic level:

  1. When you enter a prompt, the system searches the database for relevant legal resources.
  2. It then feeds both your prompt and these identified resources to a large language model (LLM) like ChatGPT.
  3. The LLM generates a conversational response based on this combined input.

This RAG approach significantly reduces the risk of hallucinations (fabricated cases or statutes) since responses are grounded in legal content. While hallucinations are still possible, they are considerably less of a concern than with a typical general-purpose LLM.

That said, you cannot rely solely on the AI-generated results! Although citations to fabricated authority are rare, these tools can still misrepresent case holdings or statutory language. Additionally, they can fail to select the best authority to support a position or miss materials. As Westlaw emphasizes in its marketing materials:

“The AI-generated summary of results above the list of primary law authority can be extraordinarily useful for getting an overview of the issues and pointers to primary authority, but it should never be used to advise a client, write a brief or motion for a court, or otherwise be relied on without doing further research.

Use it to accelerate thorough research. Don’t use it as a replacement for thorough research.”

General Tips

Here are some tips for getting the best results out of Westlaw’s generative AI products.

Provide relevant facts.

Find the sweet spot between including too few and too many facts in your query. In other words, use facts that pertain directly to your legal question without overloading your question with irrelevant facts that could confuse the system. Omit proper names of people or organizations, as these can mislead the AI into focusing on unrelated cases. For example, in an intellectual property case, including a company name like “E-Corp” might cause the system to retrieve irrelevant employment cases involving E-Corp instead of relevant intellectual property cases.

Keep your queries simple.

Avoid structuring your query as a prompt or instruction. You may have seen advice that when using LLMs, you should provide context, such as instructing the computer to role-play an attorney or to locate and summarize relevant cases. Westlaw’s AI is already optimized for legal research, so these additional instructions could have the unintended consequence of reducing the accuracy of the results. Instead, frame your questions naturally, as you would in a conversation with a knowledgeable colleague.

Break down complex fact patterns.

Focus on one issue at a time. Use successive prompts on discrete issues rather than submitting a complex fact pattern with multiple issues and expecting the computer to evaluate all of them simultaneously.

Current Limitations

These are examples of tasks Westlaw’s main AI functionality (i.e., Westlaw AI-Assisted Research) cannot do now. Of course, some of these tasks will likely be available in the future.

  • Finding documents by citation, using terms and connectors queries, or providing analytics
  • Identifying “all the cases” on a particular topic
  • Locating applicable local rules
  • Filtering results, such as only cases from a particular court, time frame, or judge
  • Performing tasks like summarizing a case, emailing results to someone else, etc.
  • Drafting a particular legal document, such as a motion or brief

Please note that Co-Counsel, which is described below, can perform some related tasks like drafting documents and creating summaries of given documents.

Specific AI-Related Tools

Westlaw AI-Assisted Research

This is the AI prompt you see when you first log in to Westlaw Precision. It provides an alternative to using terms and connectors or natural language queries to identify documents. When you provide your research question, the system responds with a textual summary that is annotated with references to primary law materials.

AI Jurisdictional Survey

This skill can be found in Key Features on the Westlaw Precision homepage. It generates a multi-jurisdiction survey of statutes or regulations based on a natural language query.

Practical Law

This skill is part of Practical Law. It finds and summarizes information from Practical Law.

Claims Explorer

This skill can be found in Key Features on the Westlaw Precision homepage. It can help you identify state and federal law claims, counterclaims, and defenses based on a given fact pattern.

Co-Counsel

The link to Co-Counsel is found at the top right side of the screen. Co-Counsel includes skills beyond traditional legal research. For example, you can add your own documents to Co-Counsel and it will summarize information, compare documents, or create a timeline. Co-Counsel will also draft legal documents or suggest deposition questions based on a prompt.

Study Aids

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The library provides access to several study aids to help you prepare for final exams. Below is a summary of our various electronic study aid packages. You can find these resources on the library’s website.

Please also note that the 1L Orientation Guide breaks out study resources for torts, civil procedure, and criminal law.

1. West Academic Study Aids Collection 

Video Overview 

Popular Resources 

  • Gilbert’s Law Summaries—These are outlines. They include examples, exam tips, and visual aids such as charts.  
  • Acing Series—These provide summaries of a particular topic, including checklists for analyzing issues and sample problems with solutions.  
  • Exam Pro—These are a series of practice exams followed by an answer key. There is an option to use an interactive format for answering multiple-choice questions.  
  • Step by Step Guides—These are interactive workbooks designed to prepare students for exams. They include rule statements, fill-in-the-blank spaces to help you learn terminology, short-answer Test Yourself questions, and full-length essay questions with sample answers.

Access

If you are on campus, you can use IP authentication, which means that you don’t need an individual account to access these materials. Having an individual account, on the other hand, enables you to highlight and take notes like you would in a book. Your individual account also allows you to view books and listen to audio titles offline. You can set up your personal account here using your law school email address.  

2. Wolters Kluwer Study Aid Library

(aka the Aspen Learning Library)   

Popular Resources

  • Examples and Explanations—These popular resources provide a series of hypothetical questions accompanied by detailed explanations that help you learn how to apply black letter law concepts. 
  • Emanuel Law Outlines—These outlines cover topics, cases, and black letter law. They include Quiz Yourself tests and exam tips. There is also a capsule summary that allows for a quick review of key topics.
  • Emanuel CrunchTime—These are designed for exam studying. They include flowcharts, capsule summaries, example tips, and sample questions with model answers. 
  • Glannon Guides—These explain legal topics with hypotheticals that illustrate how to apply the concepts. Both the correct and incorrect options are explained. 

Access

If you are on campus, you can use IP authentication, which means that you don’t need an individual account to access these materials. Having an individual account, on the other hand, enables you to save notes, bookmarks, highlights, favorites, share with others, print text, and create shelves. To create a personalized account, log in using the link above and then click “Register” and create your username and password. 

3. CALI 

Video Overview  

Introduction 

CALI stands for the Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction. Almost all law schools in the country belong to CALI, a non-profit organization that offers interactive online lessons and other learning resources.  

Types of Resources  

  • CALI Lessons—These are interactive tutorials that introduce legal concepts and then immediately test your knowledge of those concepts. More than 1,000 tutorials have been written and peer-reviewed by faculty at CALI member schools. Often, the best way to find a tutorial is to use the Subject Outline.  
  • Law School Success Lessons—CALI includes a terrific collection of tutorials on law school success and legal concepts and skills. 
  • Podcasts—Most CALI materials are interactive lessons. However, they do have a selection of podcasts on contracts, payment systems, secured transactions, law school success, and bar preparation.  

Access 

To use CALI, you must register for an individual account with a registration code. Please contact us if you need assistance accessing CALI.

 4. Lexis Digital Library

Popular Resources 

  • Mastering Series—These provide a clear discussion of topics covered in popular casebooks.
  • Questions and Answers—These include multiple-choice and short-answer questions in a topically arranged format, as well as a practice exam that covers a wide range of topics. There are explanations of multiple-choice answers and model answers for short-answer questions.

Access 

Access is available using the link above or via the library’s website. Download the LexisNexis Digital Library app from the Google Play™ store or Apple Store® to read offline.

 

Welcome New and Returning Students!

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Puppy on welcome mat

Source: iStock

Welcome new students and welcome back returning students. This post covers some of the basics of using the library’s spaces and resources.

Access and General Policies

When do I have access to the library?⮟

You may access the library 24/7 using your Penn State ID card. You must have your ID card on weekends and evenings to enter the library. Make sure you take your card with you when you leave the library during those times.

The library’s doors are usually open during the week from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. On the weekends, the doors are closed, regardless of whether someone is working at the front desk.

When is the library staffed?
  • Monday-Friday: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Sunday: noon to 6 p.m.

Check the library’s website for information about holidays and weekends.

How do I ask a question when the library is not staffed? ⮟

You can send a question to DickinsonLawLib@psu.edu. However, that email address is only monitored during regular weekday business hours.

Can I eat or drink in the library? ⮟

Drinks in closed containers are okay. Small snacks are also okay, but we ask that any food trash be removed from the library and that any spills are reported. Please be mindful of others; the library is not cleaned regularly. Food can get gross in the trash cans. This is especially true in the study rooms and on weekends. 

Can I talk in the library? ⮟

Speak softly and keep conversations short. We don’t have certain sections reserved for quiet and others for talking, as some academic libraries do. You can book a group study room to talk to your classmates.

Library Materials

What online study aids are available?⮟

You can find these resources on the library’s website.

  • West Academic Study Aids Collection: (Note: This is something different than Westlaw.) Gilbert’s Law Summaries is one of the most well-known resources in this collection. You can sign up for a personal account that allows you to highlight and add notes.
  • Wolters Kluwer Study Aid Library: You will find the very popular Examples and Explanations series in this collection. The study aids collection is similar to the West Academic Study Aids in that you can use it without an individual account, but setting up an individual account provides access to advanced features.
  • CALI: CALI stands for the Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction. Almost all law schools in the country belong to CALI, a non-profit organization that offers interactive online lessons and other learning resources. Your access to CALI includes over 1,000 tutorials written and peer-reviewed by faculty at CALI member schools. Using CALI requires an individual account. You need a registration code to set up that account.
  • Lexis Digital Library: This study aids collection includes the popular Mastering series. The library’s website provides access to the Lexis Digital Library. You can also download an app to use it offline.
Do we have course reserves?⮟

No, we do not offer print or electronic course reserves.

How do I check out and renew books?⮟

Books can only be checked out when the front desk is staffed. You must have your Penn State ID card. No exceptions! You can renew a book online or bring it to the front desk, and we will do it for you.

Check-Out Periods

  • Browsing and Anti-Racist Collections: 4 weeks, with a renewal option
  • Reference Works: 2 hours
  • Other Circulating Books: 1 semester
Do I have access to books from other Penn State campuses? ⮟

Yes. You can use the library catalog to locate resources at our library and other Penn State libraries. The title entry under location in the catalog indicates if materials are checked out. Place a hold on a checked-out item by clicking “I Want It” on the entry. This will reserve the book for you. It will be delivered to our library for you to pick up. (Tip: Don’t use I Want It for items in our collection.)

Can I get a copy of a book that is not held by any Penn State library? ⮟

Yes, or at least we will try our best to obtain a copy of the book for you using interlibrary loan (ILL). You must create an ILL account to borrow something from outside the Penn State library system. We will notify you electronically when all the requested items are available to be checked out.

Group Study Rooms and Printing

How many study rooms are available? ⮟

We have five study rooms on the second floor of the library. Larger groups may prefer to use rooms 202 and 203, which seat 8-10 students, respectively. Room 209 holds six students. The smaller study rooms, 207 and 208 are more suitable for groups with five or fewer people.

Can I schedule/reserve a group study room? ⮟

You can reserve a study room using your 25Live account online. You can also use 25Live to see whether or not a room is available. There are QR codes outside the study rooms that you can use to book them.

Can individuals use a group study room? ⮟

The study rooms are for group study. If you need private individual space, for example, a Zoom interview, there are reservable rooms near the Career Office. That said, the doors are not locked, so an individual may use an unoccupied study room so long as they promptly and politely vacate the room if a group wants to use it.

Where are the printers and scanners? ⮟

There is a printer near the circulation desk on the first floor. There is also a free Lexis printer on the second floor. The scanner is on the first floor.

Legal News Resources

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Did you know that Westlaw, Lexis, and Bloomberg Law all provide access to legal news resources? Below are brief overviews explaining how to access legal news on each service.

In addition to these legal news resources, you also have access to a variety of general news resources, including complementary access to the digital versions of the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.

Jump to: Westlaw Today | Law360 on Lexis+ | Bloomberg Law News

Westlaw Today

Screenshot of Westlaw Today

Westlaw Today provides legal news stories from several sources, including Reuters, The Hill, CQ Roll Call, Practical Law, and JD Supra. It also includes news and in-depth attorney analysis pieces unique to the site.

You can find Westlaw Today by clicking on the arrow next to the Westlaw Precision logo. By default, Westlaw Today displays the day’s top news stories, but you can filter to show stories related to a specific practice area.

Westlaw Today lets you choose from different topic-oriented daily email news feeds. One nice feature is that you can group all the topics you subscribe to into one email (as opposed to receiving separate emails for each one). You can also get company-specific email alerts, breaking news alerts, and The Daily Docket. The Daily Docket not only provides information on law firms and general legal news but also highlights recent notable decisions.

How to Access Westlaw Today ▼
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1. Select the down caret next to the Westlaw Precision logo at the top left side of the screen.

Select the down caret next to the Westlaw Precision logo at the top left side of the screen.

2. Next, select Westlaw Today.

Next, select Westlaw Today.

3. The main Westlaw Today page shows you the top news stories. To see the news related to a particular topic, tab over to Practice Areas and make your selection.

The main Westlaw Today page shows you the top news stories. To see the news related to a particular topic, tab over to Practice Areas and make your selection.

4. Here is the Appellate Practice Area page.

Here is the Appellate Practice Area Page

Created with Tango.us
How to Sign Up for Email Newsletters ▼

1. While you are in Westlaw Today, select Manage subscription to sign up for email newsletters.

While you are in Westlaw Today, select Manage subscription to sign up for email newsletters.

2. Enter your email address.

Enter your email address.

3. Make your selections and Save.

Remember that you can combine several topics into a single daily email. You can also follow a company. Finally, you can select Breaking News and The Daily Docket.

Make your selections and save.

List of Newsletters▼

Available email newsletters

Antitrust

Environment

White Collar Crime

Appellate

Executive Compensation & Employee Benefits

Civil Rights

Bankruptcy

Finance & Banking

COVID-19

Blockchain & Digital Assets

Health Law

Legal Industry

Cannabis

Immigration

Legal Innovation

Capital Markets

Insurance Law

On the Move

Class Actions & Multi-District Litigation

Intellectual Property

Public Policy

Corporate Counsel

Litigation

Corporate Governance

Mergers & Acquisitions

Data Privacy

Products Liability

Employment

Securities Enforcement & Litigation

Energy

Tax

 

 

Law360 on Lexis+

Law360 provides legal news, analysis, and commentary on over 60 practice areas, industries, and topics. Jurisdiction-specific feeds are available, including a feed dedicated to Pennsylvania. Other special feeds cover tax, employment, insurance, and real estate.

You can access Law360 using the product selector cube in Lexis+. You can view the latest news on the main page or switch to a newsletter tailored to a particular topic.

 

How to Access Law360 ▼​

1. Click on the Product Selector cube.

Click on the Product Selector cube.

2. Select Law360.

Select Law 360.

3. This is the main Law360 screen, which shows the top news stories. To see a subject-specific page, click on See All Sections.

This is the main Law360 screen, which shows the top news stories. To see a subject-specific page, click on See All Sections.

4. Here is the list of available newsletters.

Here is the list of available newsletters. Remember that you cannot access the full text of the stories via Law360 if you are off campus. However, you can look for the stories in the Legal News Hub in Lexis+. Most stories appear there within a day or two of being posted in Law360

How to Access the Lexis+ Legal News Hub ▼

1. From the main Lexis+ page, select Legal News Hub.

Click on newsStand

2. Here is the Legal News Hub. You can do a keyword search or select All Sections to see a list of subject-oriented news feeds.

Here is the Legal News Hub. You can do a keyword search or select All Sections to see a list of subject-oriented news feeds.

How to Sign Up for Email Newsletters ▼

1. Click on Newsletters in Law360.

Click on Newsletters in Law360.

2. Provide your email address and then make your selections. You will also need to save at the bottom of the screen by clicking Sign Up Now. 

 

Provide your email address and then make your selections. You will also need to Save at the bottom of the screen by clicking Sign Up Now.

List of Newsletters ▼

Available email newsletters

Access to Justice

Aerospace & Defense

California

Appellate

Asset Management

Colorado

Bankruptcy

Banking

 Connecticut

Benefits

Cannabis

Delaware

Capital Markets

Construction

Florida

Class Action

Energy

Georgia

Commercial Contracts

Fintech

Illinois

Competition

Food & Beverage

Massachusetts

Compliance

Health

Michigan

Consumer Protection

Hospitality

New Jersey

Corporate

Life Sciences

New York

Cybersecurity & Privacy

Media & Entertainment

North Carolina

Employment

Private Equity

Ohio

Environmental

Real Estate

Pennsylvania

Government Contracts

Retail & E-Commerce

Texas

Immigration

Sports & Betting

Washington

Insurance

Technology

Intellectual Property

Telecommunications

International Arbitration

Transportation

International Trade

Legal Ethics

Mergers & Acquisitions

Native American

Personal Injury & Medical Malpractice

Product Liability

Project Finance

Public Policy

Securities

Trials

White Collar

 

Bloomberg Law News

There are more than 45 subject-based channels available on Bloomberg Law News. In-depth consideration of legal and regulatory developments and trends is provided by Bloomberg Law Analysis. Both news and analysis can be delivered via email newsletters.

In addition to the subject-based channels, Bloomberg Law provides access to U.S. Law Week, which is a popular general legal news resource which also provided in-depth information on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Bloomberg Law News can be found by selecting News & Analysis from the Browse menu on the left side of the screen. Sign up by clicking the Subscribe to Newsletter link at the top of the page in a subject-based feed.

How to Access Bloomberg Law News ▼

1. Click on Bloomberg Law News under Featured or News & Analysis at the top of the screen (and then select Bloomberg Law News).

Click on Bloomberg Law News under Featured or News & Analysis at the top of the screen.

2. To see a list of subject-specific news feeds, click on the caret.

To see a list of subject-specific news feeds, click on the caret.

3. Click on Crypto to see that specific news feed.

Click on Crypto to see that specific news feed.

4. This is an example of a subject-specific news page.

This is an example of a subject-specific news page.

How to Sign Up for Email Newsletters ▼

1. Select Subscribe to Newsletters from the home page.

Make sure that you are signed into your law school account. The home page that you see before you log in to your law-school specific access is different!

Select Subscribe to Newsletters from the home page. (Make sure that you are signed into your law school account. The home page that you see before you log in is different.)

2. On the Subscription Management page, you can toggle newsletters on and off.

On the Subscription Management page, you can toggle newsletters on and off.

3. In the alternative, if you are looking at a news page, you can select Subscribe to Newsletter.

In the alternative, if you are looking at a news page, you can select Subscribe to Newsletter.

List of Newsletters ▼

 

Available email newsletters
Antitrust Daily Labor Report Human Resources

Mergers & Acquisitions 

Artificial Intelligence

Daily Tax Report

IP Law

Occupational Safety       

Banking

Daily Tax Report: International Immigration

Payroll News     

Bankruptcy Law

Daily Tax Report: State  

In-House Counsel

Pharma & Life Sciences 

Benefits & Executive Comp

Energy 

Insurance

Private Equity   

Cannabis

Environment & Energy  

International Trade

Product Liability & Toxics Law     

Capital Markets

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Legal Ethics

Securities Law   

Class Action Federal Contracting Legal Ops & Tech Social Justice and Diversity
Construction Labor Financial Accounting News

Litigation             

Transfer Pricing Report  

Crypto

Health Law & Business  

Litigation Finance

White Collar & Criminal Law

 

 

Library Study Aid Resources

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You should use study aids to supplement, not replace, the work you already do in your classes. Through this research guide, you can learn about the print and online study aids available from the library.  Online study aids offer several benefits, including multiple students using the same resource simultaneously, 24/7 access, interactive testing, and cutting and pasting information into your course outline. However, if you prefer print resources, our guide categorizes print study aids according to topics of interest to 1Ls and upper-level students. 

Beyond course-specific study aids, other books provide helpful tips on taking exams and handling pressure at law school. You can find these in the collection on the main floor. Some titles include:

In addition to the library’s books, CALI offers tutorials on law school success written by academic support faculty from around the country. These tutorials are grouped into the following categories:  

  • Foundation – What Everyone Assumes I Know (law school lingo, time management);   
  • Class Prep – Before, During, After (active reading, briefing, study groups);  
  • Exams – Preparing and Attacking (IRAC, issue spotting, outlining); and   
  • Reflection – Maintain or Improve on Prior Performance (grit, mindfulness). 

If you have questions about study aids or any other resources, please contact a law librarian or ask questions in the DickinsonLawLib@psu.edu email.

New Supreme Court Term

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Picture of the Supreme CourtThe U.S. Supreme Court opens its new term next week. The “First Monday in October” has been the Court’s official start date for over a century and is codified at 28 U.S.C. § 2 (2012). In conjunction with the start of the new term, please see the following resources that may interest you.

Featured Resources

Library Databases

  • ProQuest Supreme Court Insight  Supreme Court Insight is a complete online collection of full opinions from Supreme Court-argued cases, dockets, oral arguments, joint appendices, and amicus briefs. Content associated with each case is compiled and organized to facilitate understanding of the judicial process and is also retrievable on a document-by-document basis.
  • HeinOnline: U.S. Supreme Court Library  Complete coverage of the official U.S. Reports bound volumes, preliminary prints, slip opinions, and books and periodicals related to the U.S. Supreme Court are included in this library.
  • HeinOnline: History of Supreme Court Nominations  This library features the complete print series Supreme Court of the U.S. Hearings and Reports on Successful and Unsuccessful Nominations of Supreme Court Justices by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Browse by Justice option allows you to see relevant works related to that Justice, including links to articles, a bibliography of other works, and links to Scholarly Articles.

Free Resources

Free News Sources

Podcasts

  • SCOTUSTalk  “SCOTUStalk is a nonpartisan podcast about the Supreme Court for lawyers and non-lawyers alike, hosted by Amy Howe and other SCOTUSblog contributors.”
  • The Term  From Law360
  • Supreme Court News Podcast  From PBS Newshour

 

 

Summer/Post-Graduation Access to Lexis, Bloomberg Law, and Westlaw

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Information on summer access to Lexis, Bloomberg Law, and Westlaw for current law students:

LEXIS: There are no restrictions on use over the summer, and you do not have to do anything to extend your password. See https://www.lexisnexis.com/en-us/terms/educational.page.

BLOOMBERG LAW: There are no restrictions on use over the summer, and you do not have to do anything to extend your password.

WESTLAW: You do not have to do anything to extend your access to Westlaw over the summer. However, you can only use Westlaw over the summer for non-commercial research. You cannot use Westlaw in situations where you are billing a client.

Examples of permissible summer uses for your Westlaw password include the following:

  • Summer coursework
  • Research assistant assignments
  • Law Review or Journal research
  • Moot Court research
  • Non-Profit Work
  • Clinical work
  • Externship sponsored by the Law School

Information on summer access to Lexis, Bloomberg Law, and Westlaw for May 2023 graduates:

LEXIS: Graduating students have unrestricted access for six months after graduation. You do not need to do anything to extend your access.

Graduates working for a public interest organization may sign up for the Lexis ASPIRE Program, which provides 12 months of free access to federal and state cases, codes, regulations, law reviews, Shepard’s and Matthew Bender treatises. See https://www.lexisnexis.com/grad-access/.

BLOOMBERG LAW: Graduating students have unrestricted access for six months after graduation. You do not need to do anything to extend your access.

WESTLAW: Westlaw offers 60 hours per month of usage for eighteen months after graduation with no restrictions. However, to continue accessing Westlaw, graduates must register for “Grad Elite” access at https://lawschool.thomsonreuters.com/grad-elite-status/.

Legal News Resources

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Did you know that Westlaw, Lexis, and Bloomberg Law all provide access to legal news resources? Below are brief overviews explaining how to access legal news on each service.

Jump to: Westlaw Today | Law360 on Lexis+ | Bloomberg Law News

Westlaw Today

Screenshot of Westlaw Today

Westlaw Today provides legal news stories from several sources, including Reuters, The Hill, CQ Roll Call, Practical Law, and JD Supra. It also includes news and in-depth attorney analysis pieces unique to the site.

You can find Westlaw Today by clicking on the arrow next to the Westlaw Precision logo. By default, Westlaw Today displays the day’s top news stories, but you can filter to show stories related to a specific practice area.

Westlaw Today lets you choose from different topic-oriented daily email news feeds. One nice feature is that you can group all the topics you subscribe to into one email (as opposed to receiving separate emails for each one). You can also get company-specific email alerts, breaking news alerts, and The Daily Docket. The Daily Docket not only provides information on law firms and general legal news but also highlights recent notable decisions.

How to Access Westlaw Today ▼
​

1. Select the down caret next to the Westlaw Precision logo at the top left side of the screen.

Select the down caret next to the Westlaw Precision logo at the top left side of the screen.

2. Next, select Westlaw Today.

Next, select Westlaw Today.

3. The main Westlaw Today page shows you the top news stories. To see the news related to a particular topic, tab over to Practice Areas and make your selection.

The main Westlaw Today page shows you the top news stories. To see the news related to a particular topic, tab over to Practice Areas and make your selection.

4. Here is the Appellate Practice Area page.

Here is the Appellate Practice Area Page

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How to Sign Up for Email Newsletters ▼

1. While you are in Westlaw Today, select Manage subscription to sign up for email newsletters.

While you are in Westlaw Today, select Manage subscription to sign up for email newsletters.

2. Enter your email address.

Enter your email address.

3. Make your selections and Save.

Remember that you can combine several topics into a single daily email. You can also follow a company. Finally, you can select Breaking News and The Daily Docket.

Make your selections and save.

List of Newsletters▼

Practice Areas

  • Antitrust
  • Appellate
  • Bankruptcy
  • Blockchain; Digital Assets
  • Cannabis
  • Capital Markets
  • Class Actions; Multi-District Litigation
  • Corporate Counsel
  • Corporate Governance
  • Data Privacy
  • Employment
  • Energy
  • Environment
  • Executive Compensation; Employee Benefits
  • Finance; Banking
  • Health Law
  • Immigration
  • Intellectual Property
  • Litigation
  • Mergers; Acquisitions
  • Products Liability
  • Securities Enforcement & Litigation
  • Tax
  • White Collar Crime

Special topics

  • Civil Rights
  • COVID-19
  • Legal Innovation
  • On the Move

 

Law360 on Lexis+

Law360 provides legal news, analysis, and commentary on over 60 practice areas, industries, and topics. Jurisdiction-specific feeds are available, including a feed dedicated to Pennsylvania. Other special feeds cover tax, employment, insurance, and real estate.

You can access Law360 using the product selector cube in Lexis+. You can view the latest news on the main page or switch to a newsletter tailored to a particular topic.

Unfortunately, Law360 stories are not accessible to students off campus via the Law360 website. However, Law360 news stories are generally available in Lexis+’s Legal News Hub within a couple of days after being published on Law360, and access via the Legal News Hub is available offsite.

How to Access Law360 ▼​

1. Click on the Product Selector cube.

Click on the Product Selector cube.

2. Select Law360.

Select Law 360.

3. This is the main Law360 screen, which shows the top news stories. To see a subject-specific page, click on See All Sections.

This is the main Law360 screen, which shows the top news stories. To see a subject-specific page, click on See All Sections.

4. Here is the list of available newsletters.

Remember that you cannot access the full text of the stories via Law360 if you are off campus. However, you can look for the stories in the Legal News Hub in Lexis+. Most stories appear there within a day or two of being posted in Law360.

Here is the list of available newsletters. Remember that you cannot access the full text of the stories via Law360 if you are off campus. However, you can look for the stories in the Legal News Hub in Lexis+. Most stories appear there within a day or two of being posted in Law360

How to Access the Lexis+ Legal News Hub ▼

1. From the main Lexis+ page, select Legal News Hub.

Click on newsStand

2. Here is the Legal News Hub. You can do a keyword search or select All Sections to see a list of subject-oriented news feeds.

Here is the Legal News Hub. You can do a keyword search or select All Sections to see a list of subject-oriented news feeds.

How to Sign Up for Email Newsletters ▼

1. Click on Newsletters in Law360.

Click on Newsletters in Law360.

2. Provide your email address and then make your selections. You will also need to save at the bottom of the screen by clicking Sign Up Now. 

Remember that you cannot access the full-text of Law360 articles off campus via the Law360 website. As an alternative, try looking for the article within the Lexis+ Legal News Hub. Most Law360 articles appear there after a few days.

 

Provide your email address and then make your selections. You will also need to Save at the bottom of the screen by clicking Sign Up Now.

List of Newsletters ▼

Practice of Law

  • Access to Justice
  • Aerospace & Defense
  • Appellate
  • Asset Management
  • Banking
  • Bankruptcy
  • Benefits
  • Cannabis
  • Capital Markets
  • Class Action
  • Commercial Contracts
  • Competition
  • Compliance
  • Construction
  • Consumer Protection
  • Corporate
  • Cybersecurity & Privacy
  • Employment
  • Energy
  • Environmental
  • Fintech
  • Food & Beverage
  • Government Contracts
  • Health
  • Hospitality
  • Immigration
  • Insurance
  • Intellectual Property
  • International Arbitration
  • International Trade
  • Legal Ethics
  • Legal Industry
  • Life Sciences
  • Media & Entertainment
  • Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Native American
  • Personal Injury & Medical Malpractice
  • Private Equity
  • Product Liability
  • Project Finance
  • Public Policy
  • Real Estate
  • Retail & E-Commerce
  • Securities
  • Sports & Betting
  • Tax
  • Technology
  • Telecommunications
  • Transportation
  • Trials
  • White Collar

State Specific Coverage

  • California
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Illinois
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • New Jersey
  • New York
  • North Carolina
  • Ohio
  • Pennsylvania
  • Texas
  • Washington

Law360 Pulse | Business of Law

  • California Pulse
  • Connecticut Pulse
  • Courts
  • DC Pulse
  • Daily Litigation
  • Delaware Pulse
  • Florida Pulse
  • Georgia Pulse
  • In-House

Insights

  • Legal Tech
  • Mid-Law
  • Modern Lawyer
  • New Jersey Pulse
  • New York Pulse
  • Pennsylvania Pulse
  • Small Law
  • Texas Pulse

Law360 Authority | Deep News & Analysis

  • Tax Authority
  • Tax Authority Federal
  • Tax Authority International
  • Tax Authority State & Local
  • Employment Authority
  • Employment Authority Discrimination
  • Employment Authority Labor
  • Employment Authority Wage & Hour
  • Insurance Authority
  • Insurance Authority General Liability
  • Insurance Authority Property
  • Insurance Authority Specialty Lines
  • Real Estate Authority
  • Real Estate Authority Commercial
  • Real Estate Authority Other
  • Real Estate Authority Residential

International

  • UK
  • Canada

Bloomberg Law News

There are more than 45 subject-based channels available on Bloomberg Law News. In-depth consideration of legal and regulatory developments and trends is provided by Bloomberg Law Analysis. Both news and analysis can be delivered via email newsletters.

In addition to the subject-based channels, Bloomberg Law provides access to U.S. Law Week, which is a popular general legal news resource which also provided in-depth information on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Bloomberg Law News can be found by selecting News & Analysis from the Browse menu on the left side of the screen. Sign up by clicking the Subscribe to Newsletter link at the top of the page in a subject-based feed.

How to Access Bloomberg Law News ▼

1. Click on Bloomberg Law News under Featured or News & Analysis at the top of the screen (and then select Bloomberg Law News).

Click on Bloomberg Law News under Featured or News & Analysis at the top of the screen.

2. To see a list of subject-specific news feeds, click on the caret.

To see a list of subject-specific news feeds, click on the caret.

3. Click on Crypto to see that specific news feed.

Click on Crypto to see that specific news feed.

4. This is an example of a subject-specific news page.

This is an example of a subject-specific news page.

How to Sign Up for Email Newsletters ▼

1. Select Subscribe to Newsletters from the home page.

Make sure that you are signed into your law school account. The home page that you see before you log in to your law-school specific access is different!

Select Subscribe to Newsletters from the home page. (Make sure that you are signed into your law school account. The home page that you see before you log in is different.)

2. On the Subscription Management page, you can toggle newsletters on and off.

On the Subscription Management page, you can toggle newsletters on and off.

3. In the alternative, if you are looking at a news page, you can select Subscribe to Newsletter.

In the alternative, if you are looking at a news page, you can select Subscribe to Newsletter.

List of Newsletters ▼
  • Antitrust
  • Banking
  • Bankruptcy Law
  • Benefits & Executive Comp
  • The Brief: Today’s Top News From Bloomberg Law
  • Business & Practice
  • Cannabis
  • Capital Markets
  • Class Action
  • Construction Labor
  • Crypto
  • Daily Labor Report
  • Daily Tax Report
  • Daily Tax Report: International
  • Daily Tax Report: State
  • E-Discovery & Legal Tech
  • Energy
  • Environment & Energy
  • Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
  • Federal Contracting
  • Financial Accounting News
  • Health Law & Business
  • Human Resources
  • IP Law
  • Immigration
  • In-House Counsel
  • Insurance
  • International Trade
  • Legal Ethics
  • Litigation
  • Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Occupational Safety
  • Payroll News
  • Pharma & Life Sciences
  • Privacy & Data Security News
  • Private Equity
  • Product Liability & Toxics Law
  • Securities Law
  • Tax Insights & Commentary
  • Tech & Telecom Law
  • Transfer Pricing Report
  • US Law Week
  • Weekly Tax Report
  • White Collar & Criminal Law