ZiefBrief

NEW: Extended Westlaw Access for May 2013 Grads

Our Westlaw representative, Mark Cygnet, just announced that Westlaw has decided to extend access to Westlaw for graduating students through November 2013.  May 2013 graduates must extend their passwords on the Westlaw law school home page by May 30 -- if you don't extend by this date, you will not receive access through November.  Here are more details:

Graduates who extend their password will receive access to WestlawNext and Westlaw Classic through November 2013 instead of just through July.  The exact number of monthly access hours is not available, but is at least 40 hours per month.

Graduating students who have already extended their access don’t have to do anything further to get the extension through November.  There’s a link to the extension site in an  e-mail sent to graduating students.  Students may also click the “Need Westlaw this Summer?” ad on lawschool.westlaw.com. 

Summer Job Research Survival Guide from Westlaw

Westlaw has created a website specifically for summer associates.  Although some of the material is designed exclusively for students working at firms, the website content will be useful to law students working in a variety of settings. Law students will find lots of research guides and tutorials covering both WestlawNext and Classic Westlaw.  One of the guides even covers cost-effective research.

Saving Time During Finals

Titilayo Tinubu, founder of JD Job Coach, has some great tips for saving time during finals in this post on Ms JD.  Tops on her list - learning how to say "no."

Free Westlaw Printing Ends on June 30

We've been sending out periodic reminders about the demise of free Westlaw printing at law schools across the United States, and we're just two months away from the end of free Westlaw printing on our campus.  Free Westlaw printing for USF Law students, faculty, and staff will end on June 30.  You can still print documents from Classic Westlaw and WestlawNext, but you will now have to print those documents using your own printer or a printer at the school.  Here are a few tips on using Westlaw's folders and your search history to make this transition a little easier:

Unlimited Online Folders

There’s no limit to how many documents you can store in WestlawNext folders. Unlike printed documents, foldered documents are continually updated. In a WestlawNext folder, you’ll be able to see instantly if a yellow-flagged case has turned red. You can also share your WestlawNext folders with your USF colleagues and professors, reducing the need to email large files.

One-Year History

Remember that every search you’ve run and every full-text document you’ve viewed over the previous 12 months is automatically recorded on WestlawNext. That means even material you did not permanently store in a folder can be easily re-accessed for a year.

 

 

 

Finding Statutory Definitions on WestlawNext

The Westlaw's Legal Solutions blog has a helpful post on search strategies for finding definitions within statutes.  The post has some tips for finding definitions of legal terms within case law, too.

Oral Argument Now Available in SCOTUS Same-Sex Marriage Case

If you're interested in listening to today's SCOTUS oral argument in Hollingsworth v. Perry, it's now available on this page on the SCOTUS website. 

Westlaw Summer Use Restrictions

As in previous years, Westlaw is limiting law students' summer access to Westlaw and WestlawNext.  In a few weeks, Westlaw's home page, lawschool.westlaw.com, will display a link allowing students to register for summer access. You must register yourself for summer access.  Westlaw only allows summer access registration for students who fit the following categories:

Westlaw offers extensions of your educational password for summer classes, journal work, projects for faculty, moot court, unpaid/non-profit public interest internships or externships, or a pro bono project that is required for graduation. There is no password extension for any paid work (including work paid by stipend) or for work in the courts or for the government (even if unpaid). Students in paid positions (or who work for the government) should consult their employers about obtaining Westlaw access. Recent graduates can also extend their passwords to obtain additional hours of research time for bar exam study. If you qualify for a summer extension of your Westlaw password, log into http://lawschool.westlaw.com and look for the link to extend on the welcome screen. 

 

Lexis Advance Available Without Restriction Over Summer

Lexis announced last week that Lexis Advance will be available to all law students without any restrictions this summer.  In the past, Lexis and Westlaw have restricted summer access to students taking classes, working for a journal or for a professor, or working in an externship for course credit.  These restrictions do not apply to Lexis Advance during Summer 2013.  If you are a USF Law student and have not yet registered for Lexis Advance, please contact our representative, Alicia Luchetti, at alicia.luchetti@lexisnexis.com, for assistance with registration.  

The Court's Options in the California Same-Sex Marriage Case

SCOTUSblog's Marty Lederman has a helpful post today describing the possible directions the Court may take with Hollingsworth v. Perry.  If you're interested in reading all of the briefs filed with the Court, you can access all of the relevant documents at SCOTUSblog.

Tips on Finding Mentors

Above the Law has some good tips on finding a mentor for new attorneys.  While it's great if you can find a mentor within your practice group or your firm, it's not always possible.  I had wonderful mentors who didn't work for the same firm as me when I was a new attorney who taught me crucial practice skills.