Month: March 2020

Wolters Kluwer Study Aids and Casebooks: Free Online through June

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The W&L Law Library is pleased to announce complimentary access to dozens of online study aids and casebooks from leading legal publisher Wolters Kluwer.

Through June 30, 2020, all W&L Law students, faculty, and staff can enjoy the following materials online, free of charge:

Wolters Kluwer Study Aids
Over 180 study aids and supplements on virtually every core law school subject, all available to browse as e-books online or download in PDF. Click here for full access, including:

  • Examples & Explanations
  • Emanuel Law Outlines
  • Law in a Flash flashcards
  • Glannon Guides
  • Casenote Legal Briefs
  • Emanuel CrunchTime

Connected Casebooks
Students may register at CasebookConnect.com/free to access up to five digital e-textbook titles, featuring:

  • Search, highlighting, and note-taking capabilities.
  • Additional learning materials and practice questions from leading study aids such as Examples & Explanations and Glannon Guides.
  • Video explanations, multiple-choice questions, short answer questions, and flashcards.
  • Outlining and case-briefing tools to help you work more efficiently.

Constitutional Law Videos
A helpful supplement for all Constitutional Law courses, An Introduction to Constitutional Law by Randy E. Barnett and Josh Blackman teaches the narrative of constitutional law as it has developed over the past two centuries. The online library of 63 videos brings the Supreme Court’s 100 most important decisions to life. The videos are enriched by photographs, maps, and audio from the Supreme Court. Students can watch the videos to prepare before class, or afterward to fill in any gaps in their notes. The entire collection can be viewed in roughly 12 hours in preparation for exams. See Professor Blackman’s guide to the resource and instructions for accessing it on the Wolters Kluwer platform.

Prepare to Practice Webinars & Online Training: Lexis, Westlaw, Bloomberg Law

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In light of current events, Westlaw, LexisNexis, and Bloomberg Law are each offering an expanded range of online “Prepare to Practice” programs this spring. Below is an outline of upcoming virtual trainings and live webinars from these three major legal research platforms, designed to help get you ready for summer positions and post-graduation jobs.

Westlaw

Westlaw will host a live national webinar on Prepare To Practice/Cost Effective Research on Tuesday, March 24 at 12:00pm EDT, and again on Thursday, April 2 at 1:00pm EDT. Visit www.lawschool.tr.com to register. The program description from Westlaw:

Academic and Law Firm specialists will provide you with an awareness of Westlaw – the tools, resources and content that help you to be a successful and productive summer associate. This 45 minute webinar will focus Practical Law, efficiency tips and Westlaw in the law firm. Registered attendees are eligible to win a $100 Amazon gift card.

Bloomberg Law

A series of upcoming live webinars on a range of topics will help students get the most out of the Bloomberg Law platform. All webinars begin at 2:00pm EDT on the specified day and will last 30 minutes. Click on the webinar titles below to register.

  1. Tuesday, March 24 – Legal News & Current Awareness
    • Learn how practicing attorneys stay ahead of new legal developments by reading special legal news publications, including top sources such as US Law Week.
  2. Thursday, March 26 – Searching News
    • Stay on top of the news using Bloomberg Law’s tools to easily browse and search news reports.
  3. Tuesday, March 31 – Advanced News Sources
    • Explore key resources available only to Bloomberg Law customers to stay on the leading edge of legal, business, and government news.
  4. Thursday, April 2 – Business Intelligence Center
    • Use the Bloomberg Law Business Intelligence Center to keep track of news, current awareness, client research, docket tracks, and developing case law.

LexisNexis

Lexis offers a multi-faceted Prepare to Practice online program, focusing on research and other practical skills for summer success. Students who complete the requirements also earn a Practice-Ready Certification to show value to employers.

Visit the LexisNexis Prepare to Practice website to discover training and certification opportunities you can complete at your own pace, including guided modules, on-demand video tutorials, and weekly tips on researching and drafting.

Lexis will also host a nationwide webinar series during the month of April. Click on the program titles to register.

  1. Thursday, April 2 at 4:30pm EDT – Litigation: Problem Solving vs. Researching
    • Are you ready to work with a litigator? They’re a different breed who uses a variety of sources and tools to problem solves issues before, during and after trial. This 30-minute webinar walks you through a typical litigation assignment and the tools litigators use to solve problems for their clients.
  2. Thursday, April 9 at 4:30pm EDT – Working at the Federal Government
    • Whether you’re planning to work for a federal judge, agency, or the DOJ, it’s best to know what to expect. This 60-minute webinar in 20-minute segments walks you through a typical day in the life of three of the most popular government lawyer positions:
      • U.S. Courts: 4:30–4:50pm
      • U.S. Department of Justice: 4:50–5:10pm
      • Federal Agencies: 5:10–5:30pm
  3. Thursday, April 16 at 4:30pm EDT – Ethics of Open Web Searching
    • Have you considered the risks of open web research? You probably don’t even think about it. Everyone starts their research on the open internet. What could go wrong in the practice of law? This 30-minute webinar explores the benefits and risks of performing factual and legal research on the open web.

W&L Law Library Resources and Services During the Coronavirus Outbreak

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Per Washington and Lee University policy, the Law Library facilities are closed until further notice to students, guests, and visitors from outside W&L. On-site Library services for faculty and staff, including Circulation and Reference, are also limited.

The Law Library continues to offer our services online. Please see our guide on Accessing Law Library Resources During the Coronavirus Outbreak for current policies and information on using the W&L Law Library, and our modified service hours and contact information below.

Circulation Desk – (540) 458-8552

Monday – Friday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Saturday – Sunday Closed

Reference – LawRef@wlu.edu

Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

 

New eBook Collection: LexisNexis Digital Library

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The W&L Law Library is pleased to announce our new subscription to LexisNexis Digital Library.

Accessible to all Law School students, faculty, and staff, this leading legal eBook platform provides online access to over 500 print-volume equivalent resources, including core primary law materials like the Code of Virginia and United States Code Service (USCS) and valuable secondary and reference resources like Corbin on Contracts, Immigration Law & Procedure, Michie’s Jurisprudence, and Nimmer on Copyright to name just a few.

Browsable online and fully printable or downloadable in PDF, titles in the Digital Library are paginated just like their print counterparts and can be easily annotated with highlights and comments you can save and share with others. Customizable tools for organizing, viewing, and exporting materials also enhance a reader’s interactive experience, beyond both a traditional print or website format.

Where available, references and citations within texts are hyperlinked to the corresponding materials in Lexis Advance. A mobile app for iOS and Android also allows for easy reading online or offline.

To access LexisNexis Digital Library, go to https://lexisdl.com/welcome/login/wlu. (Off-campus access requires log-in with valid W&L credentials.) For tutorials and guidance on getting started, visit lexisnexis.com/GoDL.

The W&L Law Library reference and instructional team is happy to help with your questions about this new resource. You can reach us at LawRef@wlu.edu.

A sample screen from our new LexisNexis Digital Library:

Lord of the Flies: W&L Law Community Read Discussion, Thu. 3/5

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Washington and Lee Law professors Mark Drumbl and David Eggert will lend their literary opinions and legal insights as part of a panel discussing William Golding’s classic novel Lord of the Flies on Thursday, March 5 at an event hosted by the W&L Law Library. W&L Sociology and Anthropology professor Lynn Chin will also be a panelist, and law librarian Andrew Christensen will moderate the discussion.

The event is the sixth annual program of its type. A book with both popular appeal and legal aspects is promoted for pleasure reading among the W&L Law community, and then discussed by faculty from the Law School, other University departments, and the audience. Prior selections include To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, All the President’s Men by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, and most recently in 2019, Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson.

The event will take place in Classroom A of the Law School (Lewis Hall), from 5:00 to 6:00pm on Thursday, March 5. Light refreshments will be provided. The event is free and open to all members of the University community.

Spring Into Summer Success Legal Research Certification – Wed. 3/18

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Sign up today for W&L Law Library’s Spring Into Summer Success Legal Research Certification, Wednesday, March 18, from 4:30pm to 7:30pm in Classroom B. Open to all 1L, 2L, and 3Ls – dinner provided.

Learn expert tips and strategies from librarians and lawyers to help you succeed this summer and beyond. Sessions from the W&L Law Legal Research faculty will introduce research methods and resources useful for firm, court, public interest, and government jobs, including specialized practice materials, news and awareness, and litigation and transactional resources.

The program includes a panel discussion with insights on legal research and professional success from experienced legal practitioners:

  • Lauren Bohdan ’14L, Associate, Timberlake, Smith, Thomas & Moses, P.C.
  • Suzanne Corriell, Circuit Librarian, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
  • Hon. Anita Filson ’86L, Judge (Ret.), 25th Judicial District of Virginia
  • Noelle Quam ’15L, Associate, Timberlake, Smith, Thomas & Moses, P.C.

Attendees will earn a Certificate in Legal Research to add to your credentials and show value to employers.

Visit go.wlu.edu/success to register by Friday, March 13.