Many of you have asked about access to Westlaw and Lexis over the summer.  Each company’s rules regarding use of your student account this summer are provided below.  Generally speaking, your student IDs can be used for academic, not commercial, purposes.  Both companies use nearly the same language to describe academic v. commercial; “Academic purposes” do not include research conducted for a law firm, corporation, or other entity (other than a professor or law school) that is paying you to conduct research, or that is passing along the cost of research you conduct to a third party.  These are deemed “commercial purposes.”

For details see the policies below or contact our reps (Westlaw-Jeff Brandimarte (jeff.brandimarte@thomsonreuters.com) or Lexis-Kristy Ballard (kristy.ballard@lexisnexis.com)).  The Law Library provides many other research alternatives if you do not qualify for Westlaw/Lexis use this summer.  I will blog more about those options next week.

Westlaw/WestlawNext

Students can extend their Westlaw/WestlawNext access by clicking on a link on the “Need Your Westlaw Password This Summer?” link once you sign in to Westlaw.  The Westlaw summer access policy is as follows:

Westlaw can be used for:

  • Summer law school classes
  • Law Review and Journal work
  • Project for a professor
  • Unpaid non-profit public interest internship/externship or pro bono work required for graduation, except as stated below*

* I understand that I may access and use Westlaw solely for Academic Purposes directly related to my course work at my law school. “Academic Purposes” do not include research conducted for a law firm, corporation or other entity (unrelated to law school) that is paying you to conduct said research or that is passing along the costs of said research to a third party. These are deemed commercial purposes.

I understand that using my Westlaw student password for Non-Academic Purposes is strictly prohibited. I also understand that personal use, practice and preparation for the bar exam are not educational purposes and are not valid reasons for extending my password.

Lexis Advance/Lexis

Students don’t need to do anything to extend their access to Lexis Advance for the summer.  To extend access to Lexis.com, students will need to fill out a form that has not yet been made available.  Lexis’s summer access policy follows:

You may use your Lexis Advance ID from June 1 – August 1, 2012 for academic purposes** which include, but are not limited to:

  • Summer course preparation and assignments
  • Research associated with Moot Court, Law Review, or Law Journal
  • Research associated with pursuing a grant or scholarship
  • Service as a paid or unpaid research assistant to a professor
  • An internship, externship or clinic position for school credit or graduation requirement
  • Study for the bar exam
  • Research skill improvement

**“Academic purposes” do not include research conducted for a law firm, corporation, or other entity (other than a professor or law school) that is paying you to conduct research, or that is passing along the cost of research you conduct to a third party. These are deemed “commercial purposes.” LexisNexis is committed to ensuring that its educational IDs are used by authorized users for legitimate purposes. To ensure that the highest standards of consumer privacy and data security are met, LexisNexis regularly monitors search activity and reviews usage patterns. There can be consequences when inappropriate searches are performed.

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