LibGuides: Practice Materials and Cost-Effective Alternatives to Westlaw Precision and Lexis+: Home

Contact the Research Desk

Feel free to reach out to us if you have questions! You can visit us at the Research Desk during our regular hours, or we can schedule a time to meet one-on-one in-person or over Zoom.

Contact the Research Desk at:

617-573-8516
lawref@suffolk.edu

There's a librarian available at the desk from 10 to 6, Monday through Thursday, and from 10 to 5 on Friday.

We respond to any voicemails and emails during our shifts.

Learn more about the law library at our website.

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More info (hover).

Available Online Available to all users.

Limited to users within the Suffolk University community. May require login with unique username and password.

Available in print.

Lexis+ Use is limited to those with a Lexis+ account.

Westlaw Use is limited to those with a Westlaw Precision account.

May require individual username and password for the playing platform.

Audio

Podcast

Online Film/Movie/Short Video

DVD

To-Do Items

Before Week 1, Class 2 of Module 4, review and watch the following:

Watch (below):
- Databases I: Massachusetts resources
- Databases II Overview
- A Discussion About Cost-Effective Legal Research in the Real World with Suffolk Law Alums and a 3L
- ChatGPT: Citation Issues and Quizzes
Review (below):
- The descriptions of the "Research Databases" on this page
Optional:
- B ibliography: Cost of Doing Legal Research & Cost-Effective Methods

During class we will be working on the following hypo: Practice Materials & Cost-Effective Alternatives to Westlaw and Lexis

After class (optional) you may wish to review the PowerPoint slides.

Video Overviews of Databases

Databases Overview I: Massachusetts Resources (7:34)
This video covers: Social Law Library Databases, MCLE Online Pass, Massachusetts Practice Series, and Mass.Trial Court Libraries: 'Law About'
Databases Overview II: Practical Law, Practical Guidance, & CourtLink
This video covers WestLaw's Practical Law and Lexis+'s Practical Guidance and CourtLink.
A Discussion About Cost-Effective Legal Research in the Real World with Suffolk Law Alums and a 3L (25:08)
This video features recent SULS grads and a 3L discussing approaches to cost-effective research on the job. The speakers talk about things like: the cost of doing legal research, restrictions on access to Westlaw and Lexis, and using other relevant databases and secondary sources. They also share legal research advice. For more information about the speakers, you can read their bios (below).
ChatGPT: Citation Issues and Quizzes
This video discusses the pros and cons of using ChatGPT.

Speaker Bios
Open this PDF to read the bios of the speakers from A Discussion About Cost-Effective Legal Research in the Real World with Suffolk Law Alums and a 3L. Note: speaker bios are from 2021, when this video was created.

Research Databases

CourtLink
Docket searches on Lexis+. Learn about the status of pending cases and locate filings.
Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries
Use the “Massachusetts Law About” section for time-saving research guides that list key primary and secondary materials on your topic.
MCLE OnlinePass
eBooks, webcasts, and audio files on mostly Massachusetts law for practicing attorneys. Practice Portals contain self-guided development plans on specific practice areas. Browse or search to locate materials. Extensive search filters are available (e.g., limit to forms, webcasts, etc.). MCLE practice guides are also available on Westlaw Precision and Lexis+.
Practical Guidance
Practice notes, forms, checklists, drafting tools, and more.
Practical Law
Checklists, forms, articles, and other practice materials available on Westlaw Precision. Materials are arranged by practice area.
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You can use Thomson Reuters products, including Westlaw, Practical Law, and the Practice Ready solutions, 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. 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.
Social Law Library
Massachusetts primary resources, like cases, statutes, regulations, and administrative decisions. Includes some state-specific content unavailable on Lexis+ or Westlaw Precision.