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Summer & Post-Grad Access: Lexis, Westlaw, and Bloomberg Law

Lexis +

USF Law 1L and 2L students will automatically have free unlimited use of their law school Lexis + accounts this summer. No registration is required--just sign in to Lexis as usual and start researching.

Students also have access to online tutorials on Lexis. The on-demand Prepare to Practice Resources include lessons on improving Lexis search skills and Practice-Ready Certification. The program includes 3 modules and an exam to test your knowledge related to researching unfamiliar topics, litigation and transactional drafting, and legal analytics. 

USF Law students graduating in May 2021 can continue accessing their Lexis academic accounts through December 31, 2021. All law students have automatic extended access. No registration is required, there are no restrictions, and no limits on your research time.

Westlaw Edge

Westlaw is giving all continuing law students (1Ls & 2Ls) full access to their academic Westlaw accounts over the summer.

For individuals graduating in May 2021, Westlaw will give continued access through November 30, 2021 if graduates register for this access. May 2021 graduates need to confirm that they want post-graduate access by clicking on the pop-up reminder to register for post-graduate access that appears when you log on to Westlaw. If you haven't seen this pop-up reminder and want to ensure access to Westlaw after graduation, contact USF's campus representative, Marc Fong, at [email protected].

Bloomberg Law

Bloomberg Law is available to 1L & 2L students over the summer. It's also available to graduating students until November 30, 2021 if students register for Bloomberg Law access before graduation.

To register for Bloomberg Law, follow these steps: 

1. Go to: https://profile.bna.com/bloomberglaw-activate/
2. There is no need to enter an activation code - skip that field and complete the other fields.
3. You must use your @usfca.edu email address to register.
4. You should receive a confirmation email within 1-2 business days with login information. 

If you run into any registration difficulties, phone the Bloomberg Law help desk 24/7 at: 888.560.2529

Lexis, Westlaw, & Bloomberg Law — Summer Access is Available!

Bloomberg Law & Lexis Advance

You can use Bloomberg Law and Lexis Advance for any summer research project, even projects for paying jobs.  And you don't need to do anything to take advantage of this generous opportunity. Just keep on using Lexis & Bloomberg Law with your student usernames and passwords.

If you haven't signed up for Bloomberg Law, this would be a great time to get started. Bloomberg Law has great primary and secondary materials, helpful transactional tools, and lots of company information and news. Bloomberg Law's "Litigation and Dockets" also is a very user-friendly front end to the federal courts' PACER system.)

To sign up for Bloomberg Law, go to the Bloomberg Law law school registration site. You can skip the box labeled "Activation Code."  Fill out all of the required fields, and be sure to use your "@usfca.edu" email address. You'll get an email confirmation with sign-on information after you register.

Westlaw

You can use Westlaw over the summer if you're participating in one of the following programs or activities

• Summer law school classes
• Law Review and Journal work
• Project for a professor
• Moot Court
• Unpaid non-profit public interest internship/externship or pro bono work required for graduation

To sign up, visit Westlaw's Summer Extension site.

Lexis Refresher Sessions: 30 Minutes to a Better Memo

Lexis representative Teal Taylor will be offering three on-campus training sessions, which will cover research skills such as secondary sources, Terms & Connectors searching,  and starting research with a statute. To sign up, visit the Lexis training calendar page. Students will receive 400 Reward points and will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win 5000 Reward points (2 prizes will be awarded).

Yes, food will be provided!

Training sessions dates and times are:

• Wednesday, January 27 at 12:30 in Kendrick 101
• Thursday, January 28 at 5:30 in Kendrick 104
• Wednesday, February 3, at 12:30 in Kendrick 101

Non-Graduating Law Students: Registering for Summer Access to WestlawNext

If you are a non-graduating law student, you may extend your WestlawNext access during the summer by visiting the Westlaw summer registration web page and following the instructions.  Westlaw has chosen to continue to restrict the settings in which students may use their academic student accounts during the summer.  Law students may only register for WestlawNext summer access if they are participating in one of the following summer activities:

1.     Summer law school classes and study abroad programs;

2.     Law review and journal work, including write-on competitions;

3.     Working as a research assistant;

4.     Moot court; or

5.     Working in an unpaid internship/externship.

If you have questions about WestlawNext summer access, contact one of the research librarians.

Superbrowse Option on WestlawNext

WestlawNext recently announced a new "superbrowse" feature, which pulls together summaries of a statute or regulation's entire chapter or subchapter text for you to review. When viewing a statute or regulation, click on the "superbrowse icon" in the gray box at the top of the page next to the chapter or subchapter title -- it's the icon that looks like a printed page with an arrow at the top.  In the example below, the superbrowse icon is just to the left of "Chapter 1."  Very handy feature!

Words & Phrases Now Available on WestlawNext

We're pleased to see the return of Words & Phrases on WestlawNext.  Words & Phrases is a West-published resource that allows researchers to locate judicial definitions of a particular phrase or word.  

For example, let's say you need to locate California cases that define the term "gross negligence."  Click on "Cases" on the WestlawNext home page.  On the next screen, you'll see a list labeled Tools & Resources on the right-side of the screen.  Click on "Words & Phrases" at the bottom of the list. At the search screen, enter the phrase or word for which you want to locate a definition -- if it's a phrase, place in quotation marks:  

"gross negligence"  

You may also choose specific jurisdictions from the Jurisdiction drop-down menu on the bottom of this search screen.  After you've selected California as your jurisdiction, you can hit search, and cases defining this term will appear in your search results.  If you need assistance with this function, ask one of the librarians! 

Westlaw Classic is Gone

Westlaw Classic, the "old" Westlaw interface, is no longer available on our campus.  If you need help using WestlawNext, please ask a librarian!

Find & Print Appears on WestlawNext

Find & Print has made its way back to Westlaw. You can now find the Find & Print links under the "Tools" tab on the WestlawNext home page. You'll have to scroll a bit to get to it -- it's the 14th link on the "Tools" tab. You can find a step-by-stop guide to using Find & Print on the West Legal Solutions Blog. 

Access to Westlaw Classic Ends on July 1

We've just been notified that access to the "classic" Westlaw interface, known as Westlaw Classic, will end for all academic users on July 1 of this year.  Some USF Law students may not have ever used Westlaw Classic, but some of you may still log on from time to time for certain research tasks.  For faculty, this means that, if you haven't done so already, you will have to transition to using the new interface known as WestlawNext. Have questions about this change?  Please contact the research librarians.

 

Westlaw's Summer and Post-Grad Access Policies

Unlike Lexis Advance and Bloomberg Law, Westlaw continues to impose restrictions on students' use of academic accounts for legal research associated with intern/externships, summer associate positions, and clerking. Westlaw restricts access for those law students who do not register for summer access.

If you are a 1L or 2L, you may register for unlimited summer access to Westlaw ONLY if you are engaged in the following activities:  

1) working as a research assistant for a faculty member;

2) taking a summer law school class or participating in a study abroad program;

3) participating in law review or moot court activities, including write-on competitions;

4) working in an unpaid externship or internship.  

If you're graduating in May 2014, you can register for extended access to Westlaw. According to Westlaw, graduates who register for access can use Westlaw for six months following graduation.  Graduating students will receive a Westlaw email with details on post-grad access this week.

Unrestricted Summer Access to Lexis Advance (Including Post-Grad Access)

Lexis just announced that 1L and 2L law students will be able to use Lexis Advance for any purpose this summer for an unlimited amount of time.  You may use your Lexis Advance academic account for work research projects regardless of the type of organization in which you work.  

If you are graduating in May 2014, please note that you must register if you wish to have continued calendar year access to Lexis Advance after graduation.  You must register for post-bar access before your Lexis Advance ID expires on July 31, 2014. It's worthwhile to register for this access because you can use Lexis Advance through December 31, 2014 to assist with your job search.