Whether you’re about to graduate from HLS or you’re preparing for a summer job, you’ve got legal research options. Read on for information about the big three databases and beyond.
BLOOMBERG LAW
RETURNING STUDENTS’ SUMMER USE: You may use your HLS Bloomberg Law account for any purpose, including research for employers.
NEW GRADUATES: You may continue to use your HLS Bloomberg Law account for six months after graduation. UPDATE 5/15: Bloomberg Law is now extending access for graduating students through June 1, 2021.
If you haven’t already signed up for a Bloomberg Law account and would like to do so, go to www.bloomberglaw.com/activate (use your Harvard email. No activation code is necessary). If you have any questions, contact the Bloomberg Law 24/7 Help Desk at 1-888-560-BLAW or [email protected]. You may also contact our representative, Warda Khan.
LEXIS NEXIS
RETURNING STUDENTS’ SUMMER USE: You have free unlimited use of your HLS Lexis Advance account during the summer, whether you’re clerking, interning, externing or at a firm. No registration is required. (Keep in mind that you may be required to use a different ID when researching for a client. Be sure to check with your employer.)
Get ready for practice with Lexis’s on-demand Prepare to Practice Resources, including Practice-Ready Certification. The program includes 3 modules plus an exam to test your skills in researching unfamiliar topics, legal analytics, and litigation and transactional drafting.
NEW GRADUATES: After graduation, you have automatic extended access to your HLS Lexis Advance account for six months, through December 31, 2020. When you sign in after July 5, you will notice a new Graduate Homepage containing access to research resources, videos, career support and breaking legal news. Plus, you can choose one of four gifts: extended access to Law360, Lexis Practice Advisor, Lexis for Microsoft Office, or one of 13 LexisNexis e-books.
If you have any questions, please contact our representative, Stacy Sanchez.
WESTLAW
RETURNING STUDENTS’ SUMMER USE: You can use Thomson Reuters products, including Westlaw and Practical Law, over the summer for non-commercial research. You can turn to these resources to gain understanding and build confidence in your research skills, but you cannot use them in situations where you are billing a client. You do not have to do anything to gain access to these tools over the summer. Examples of permissible uses for your academic password include the following:
- Summer coursework
- Research assistant assignments
- Law Review or Journal research
- Moot Court research
- Non-Profit work
- Clinical work
- Externship sponsored by the school
NEW GRADUATES: You have access to Thomson Reuters products, including Westlaw and Practical Law, for six months after graduation by registering for “Grad Elite” access here. “Grad Elite” access gives you 60-hours of usage on these products per month to gain understanding and build confidence in your research skills. While you cannot use it in situations where you are billing a client, Thomson Reuters encourages you to use these tools to build your knowledge of the law and prepare for your bar exam.
If you have any questions, please contact our representative, Mark Frongillo.
OTHER DATABASES
Continuing students have full access over the summer to most other online library resources at Harvard simply by using your HUIDs and PINs. So if you need JSTOR, HeinOnline, Academic Search Premier or most other databases, you’re all set!
New alumni continue to have access to some databases, including HeinOnline’s Law Journal Library and the CQ Press Library, a great source for information and data on government and politics. Click through to our guide to Library Services for HLS Alumni for information about how to claim your Harvard Key and get access, plus learn about other resources for alumni and how to stay connected from afar.
QUESTIONS?
We’re here for you. Feel free to contact us with any questions about summer access, alumni access, or any research-related questions over the summer and beyond. Current contact information is available at Ask a Librarian.