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We offer two ways of searching our catalog: a law library only catalog and OCLC WorldCat. Other catalogs are also available. More
Expand your legal research options with online sources provided by the Gallagher Law Library. More
How do I search for laws on a particular subject? How can I compile a legislative history for a Washington (or federal) law? How can I locate court opinions about a topic? To answer these and other frequently asked questions, the reference librarians have prepared a series of legal research guides. Use these guides to get started on your research project when a reference librarian is not available to assist you or as a reminder as you conduct your research. More
Here, you will find a list of websites that provide legal information and materials (including laws, bills, court opinions, and related documents) and/or links to legal material. Most of these sites are freely available to all users with Internet access. Some sites are UW Restricted, that is, available to University of Washington faculty, students, and staff and visitors to UW Libraries.More
Updated Dec. 13, 2011.
Prepared by Nancy McMurrer; updated by Cheryl Nyberg
The Law Library subscribes to several online legal research services (also called computer-assisted legal research, aka CALR). This guide describes who has access to these services.
See also the Gallagher guides on:
The Gallagher Law Library subscribes to these services under contracts that restrict access to the following users:
Westlaw passwords and LexisNexis IDs are distributed to JD students during the Foundations for Legal Study (FLS) program that precedes the beginning of fall quarter classes. Students should follow the instructions given in the materials to register their passwords.
Very basic instruction is provided during FLS and vendors representatives provide additional training opportunities during the fall. Look for information about signing up for these training sessions. More training may be offered in the winter quarter as part of the Legal Analysis, Research, and Writing course.
Students who transfer to the University of Washington School of Law should come to the Reference Office to obtain ID and password registration sheets.
University of Washington graduate law students in most LL.M. programs (other than those who did not graduate from law schools in common-law countries) typically receive LexisNexis IDs and Westlaw passwords at orientation. If you cannot attend orientation, please stop by the Reference Office to obtain ID and password registration sheets.
If you graduated from a law school in a civil law country, you will receive training in LexisNexis and Westlaw as part of the Legal Analysis and Research course.
Students may only use Westlaw and LexisNexis for academic purposes; that is, for research related to coursework. Students may not use their academic IDs or passwords for work projects for their full-time or part-time jobs (including part-time work during the academic quarters) or for summer clerkships. Students may use their academic access to Westlaw and LexisNexis during externships for which law school credit is given.
The Westlaw contract signed by each law student as a condition of being issued a password outlines one possible penalty for violating the restrictions in the use of the academic password: "West reserves the right to collect from User all Westlaw Charges incurred through use of the Law Student Password for purposes other than Educational Purposes at the then-current commercial Westlaw rates."
Law students are encouraged to develop and improve their skills in searching Westlaw and LexisNexis. Expertise in these services is a marketable skill!
CALR services are accessible at computers available at the Law School in the Computer Lab (Room 222) and in the Law Library. Students with laptops can access LexisNexis and Westlaw through the Gates Hall wireless network and off-campus by accessing the law school versions of LexisNexis and Westlaw.
High-speed standalone printers for students are located in the Computer Lab and in the CALR office, L240, near the group study rooms on the lower level of the Law Library. Printers are also available in the staff offices of the student-edited law reviews.
Representatives from both companies visit the Law School at least once a week to assist users. In addition, both services employ law student representatives who maintain office hours in the CALR office (Room L240). The student reps' schedules are posted there. Stop by during scheduled office hours for one-on-one training.
Other sources of information and assistance in using LexisNexis and Westlaw are:
Those who use assistive technologies--such as screen readers, voice recognition software, and screen magnifiers--can find help with problems with those tools interact with the online services.
For LexisNexis, call the technical helpline at 1-800-543-6862. Technical advisors have stated that LexisNexis is compatible with software such as ASAP, HAL5, IBM Screen Reader, JFW (Jaws for Windows), and others.
Westlaw's text-only version facilitates use of assistive software. Direct questions to West Customer & Technical Services at 1-800-937-8529. Note that this text version is also useful when using a slow Internet connection.
During the summer months, when most law students are working in the "real world," access to LexisNexis and Westlaw is restricted to the career databases. However, both services extend full access for certain categories of students:
If you meet any of these criteria, you should extend your LexisNexis ID before the spring quarter ends so your full access will not be interrupted. The quickest and easiest way to extend is to complete the form on the law school section of the LexisNexis website. Westlaw automatically extends passwords for students engaged in the activities listed above. Remember, neither Westlaw nor LexisNexis may be used in a summer clerkship.
Both services sets deadlines by which you must apply for an extension. The Law Library and the student representations broadly publicize this information as the end of spring quarter approaches.
Visiting professors and scholars at the University of Washington School of Law are entitled to Westlaw passwords and LexisNexis IDs. Please stop by the Reference Office and leave your name, email address, and the ending date of your appointment. We will email your password and ID to you.
Students enrolled in other law schools may access LexisNexis and Westlaw via the Internet from any computer in the Law Library so long as they already have individual passwords and IDs. Please obtain a temporary ID to sign on to a computer at the Circulation Desk. The Law School's Computer Lab is available only to UW law students.
We recommend that you download results and documents to a USB drive or email results to your personal email address. If you need a paper printout, please use the web browser's print command (LexisNexis) or use Westlaw's option to print to the attached printer, both of which will initiate a printout identification system for the pay-to-print option. Your Lexis and Westlaw accounts are tied to your home institution.
The University of Washington Libraries subscribes to a version of LexisNexis called LexisNexis Academic. This service is available to all University of Washington students, faculty, and staff and to people who visit the Law Library. It is available through the UW Libraries Information Research Databases page.
This version of LexisNexis provides federal and state cases, laws, and regulations; law review articles; news items; and additional material. It does not provide access to all of the same sources that are available to members of the legal community. By the terms of our contracts with the vendors, the Law Library cannot provide access to the full version of LexisNexis or Westlaw for people outside of the School of Law community.
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