Legal research tools available to you at BU Law include many specialized tools that are more heavily used by practitioners that academics. Does your research toolkit include sources like these?

• Topical research platforms such as IntelliConnect and RIA Checkpoint
• Legal news such as BNA’s daily and weekly updates
• Databases for corporate and business information
• Practice guides on Lexis and Westlaw

The next weekly workshop can help. A handout is available here.
Top Tools for Practicing Tax, Securities or Corporate Law
Wednesday, March 3
1 p.m.
Room 312 (Training Lab)

Hey OneLs - You can find resource webpages for your Spring writing assignments at the link below.  If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask a librarian.

Spring Resources for OneLs

Missed today’s Weekly Workshop?  Attended but need more details on the topics covered?  Whatever your interest, here are links to guides on the topics covered. 

Alerts: Use these tools to set up a recurring search and to receive notices of search results to email or online.

• WestClip (Westlaw)
• Agency Tracker (Westlaw)
• Keycite Alert (Westlaw)
• Alerts (LexisNexis)
• Shepard’s Alert (LexisNexis)

History: These tools allow you to return to searches conducted during prior research sessions and to re-run them as needed. 

• History (LexisNexis)
• Research Trail (Westlaw)

Customization: Both LexisNexis and Westlaw allow you to customize the system to have the research sources you need for a project or practice area.  

• Customizable Westlaw
• Adding Custom Source Tabs to your Menu (LexisNexis)

Remember for assistance and more tips on LexisNexis and Westlaw, see a Reference Librarian for research help. 

So you’ve learned how to find legal sources on Lexis and Westlaw. Now learn about their great built in tools to help you track your research, keep your research current, how to customize the services to suit your research preferences, and other tricks that the best and most efficient researchers use.

Learn this and more during our 30 minute session on:

Tips for Using Lexis and Westlaw
Wednesday, February 24
1pm
312 Training Lab

In the Law Library’s Certificate in Research Skills for Practice series, the next class is on Massachusetts Legal Research. This session will focus on state-specific materials used by Massachusetts practitioners, including primary legal sources, administrative materials, court rules, practice sets, and legal forms.

If you were unable to register for a spot in this popular class this week, spaces are now available for a new time on Monday, March 1, at 1 p.m. in Room 334.

Remember, it is not too late to register for the Certificate in Research Skills for Practice, running now through May 2010. Or, you can register for just those classes that most interest you. Learn more and register at:  http://tinyurl.com/lawskills

This month the National Jurist named BU as one of four law schools on its public interest honor roll.  Using data from the Equal Justice Works Guide to Law Schools, the National Jurist identified the schools as having strong support for public interest, a department devoted to public interest, a vast array of projects available to students, social networks for students interested in public service careers, and public interest orientation programs, welcome receptions, and awards.

Read the article, complete with picture of BU students on a spring break pro bono trip at Public Service Honor Roll.

If you attended the “Alternatives to Lexis and Westlaw” class today, you heard about Fastcase, an alternative to Lexis and Westlaw. For those of you with iPhones, Fastcase has an a free app that allows users to search for cases and statutes. For more information on the Fastcase app, check out this detailed review on iPhone J.D.

This week’s weekly workshop, Looking for Business Information, is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 17, 1 pm, in Room 312. We’ll discuss sources for journal articles on economics and business, and corporate/industry information, including select Lexis/Westlaw databases, subscription services, and government web sites. The workshop is 30 minutes.

A handout with a select group of sources is available here.

Your legal workplace may provide access to LoisLaw, Fastcase, or another lower-cost Lexis and Westlaw alternative.  These databases have different search interfaces and different content, but may be used alone or with Lexis and Westlaw to lower overall research costs.  This class will introduce you to the major alternatives and teach you how to begin using them.

Space is limited, so please register online.

Join us today at 1 p.m. in Room 312 for a survey of US Legal Materials available on the Internet and how to use them.

If you miss today’s session, there will be another session held on Thursday at 1:00 p.m. in Room 312. More information on the training is available here.