With the semester over, a common question students have is how they can get access to Westlaw and Lexis. With the coronavirus pandemic upending everything, it’s fair to ask whether it’s upending access to your legal research tools as well. Here, for once, we have some unequivocal good news for you!
Bloomberg: Have you used Bloomberg? You may like it for docket research, sample documents, or secondary sources. Current students get access to Bloomberg all summer long with their current credentials. There’s nothing to register for. Graduating students get access to Bloomberg all the way until June 2021.
Lexis: Like Bloomberg, Lexis is giving current students access all summer. Graduates get access until February 8, 2021. Again, no registration required. Keep using your normal ID and password.
Westlaw: Westlaw’s access offer has more restrictions, but it’s still good. Current students have access for non-commercial purposes over the summer. What does that mean? Essentially, if you’re working for a law firm, the firm needs to get you a Westlaw password to use. If you’re using Westlaw for law review, clinic, or work for a non-profit, then you can you your current Westlaw password.
For graduates, the library subscribes to a Westlaw Practice Ready library that provides 18 months of continued access for graduates. This access gives you 60 hours of usage on these products per month. To extend access, graduates must log into lawschool.thomsonreuters.com. Choose “Grad Elite Status” from your homepage and press the “Extend Access” button.
All those other goodies? Current students have continued access to all of our other electronic resources like HeinOnline and Law360 via your NetID throughout the summer and graduates retain access for as long as your NetIDs remain active (through Oct. 2020).
If you have any questions about the ins and outs of these policies or if you want to talk about free or low-cost alternatives to these services, reach out to the library.
Stay safe and be well.
Northwestern Law Library Blog 