Free Research Tools Alert: San Francisco Law Library Offers New Attorneys a Wealth of Free Top Resources to Advance Your Career

By Frank Zeccola 
LCD Graduate Fellow 

If you are just starting your career in the law as a solo or at a small firm, or even if you’re an old pro, the San Francisco Law Library offers you a range of tools—from Lexis Advance WestLaw Next, Hein Online, FindLaw, Fast Case, California Cases, and much more—completely free of charge.

This is a great opportunity for lawyers who want to do legal research for free.

Further, the library provides reference assistance through its reference and support staff to all patrons for their legal research needs—so if you need help researching an issue, just ask at the front desk.

The library collections and in-house databases are open to all. Public access computers are available up to two hours per day for free use of Westlaw, Lexis, Fastcase, CEB OnLaw, HeinOnline and other databases at the library for legal research. Borrowing privileges are available to San Francisco attorneys, law firms, judges, and government officials. An Interlibrary Loan Retrieval Program is available to solo practices, small firms, and larger law firms.

Take Advantage of LexisNexis, Westlaw, & Bloomberg Law’s Extended Summer Use Programs!

By Melissa LeBlanc
Law Career Services Intern

LexisNexis, Westlaw, and Bloomberg Law offer the following programs that will be useful for 1Ls/2Ls over the summer, and for graduating students after they take the bar exam.

First Year & Second Year Law Students

Lexis Advance’s All Access summer program allows first and second year law students to continue to use their Lexis Advance ID during the summer for all of their legal work purposes. Visit http://www.lexisnexis.com/documents/pdf/20140205051258_large.pdf for more information. 

Westlaw also offers a password summer extension program for academic purposes. This includes pro bono and public service programs, unpaid public internships or externships etc.; however, it may not be used for research conducted for a law firm, corporation or other entity that is paying you. Visit http://lawschool.westlaw.com/registration/SummerExtension.aspx for more info.

Bloomberg Law offers summer use access to law students as well. Visit http://www.bloomberglaw.com/terms_of_service for more information.

Graduating Law Students

If you are a graduating JD or LLM student, Lexis is offering free continued use of Lexis Advance through December 31, 2014. If you would like to have access to their resources for educational use, bar exam preparation, and post-graduate job searching, then you can apply now for a Lexis Advance ID through Lexis’ Graduate program – it only takes a minute! Visit www.lexisnexis.com/grad-access for more information.

If you are a graduating law student and would like continued free access to Westlaw’s resources you may extend your password by going to http://lawschool.westlaw.com/registration/gradelite.aspx. 

Bloomberg Law offers graduating law students 6 months of continued use. Visit http://www.bloomberglaw.com/terms_of_service for more information.