Circulation Desk - 617-573-8177 - law_circulation@suffolk.edu
Research Desk - 617-573-8516 - lawref@suffolk.edu
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This week, you will learn about cost-effective legal research, including free websites, where to find helpful practice materials & dockets, and how to use the new generative AI tools in Lexis+ and Westlaw.
Professor | LPS section | Day | Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|
Prof. Hennessey | 1 | Wed. March 19 | 2:00PM - 2:55PM | 285 |
Prof. Crane | 2 | Wed. March 19 | 2:00PM - 2:55PM | 285 |
Prof. Ramos | 3 | Wed. March 19 | 2:00PM - 2:55PM | 305 |
Prof. O'Leary | 4 | Wed. March 19 | 2:00PM - 2:55PM | 315 |
Prof. Vinson | 5 | Wed. March 19 | 2:00PM - 2:55PM | 315 |
Prof. Eckart | 6 | Thur. March 20 | 10:00AM - 10:55AM | 335 |
Prof. Black | 7 | Thur. March 20 | 10:00AM - 10:55AM | 335 |
Prof. Leahy | 8 | Thur. March 20 | 10:00AM - 10:55AM | 335 |
Prof. Kim | 9 | Thur. March 20 | 10:00AM - 10:55AM | 275 |
Prof. Moppett | 10 | Thur. March 20 | 10:00AM - 10:55AM | 275 |
Prof. Eckart | 11 | Thur. March 20 | 9:00AM - 9:55AM | 335 |
Prof. Black | 12 | Thur. March 20 | 9:00AM - 9:55AM | 335 |
Prof. Leahy | 13 | Thur. March 20 | 9:00AM - 9:55AM | 335 |
Prof. Kim | 14 | Thur. March 20 | 9:00AM - 9:55AM | 275 |
Prof. Moppett | 15 | Thur. March 20 | 9:00AM - 9:55AM | 275 |
Prof. Hennessey | 16 | Wed. March 19 | 8:00PM - 8:55PM | 335 |
Prof. Bolen | 17 | Wed. March 19 | 8:00PM - 8:55PM | 275 |
Prof. Spangenberger | 18 | Wed. March 19 | 8:00PM - 8:55PM | 275 |
Prof. Crane | 19 | Wed. March 19 | 8:00PM - 8:55PM | 335 |
Prof. Spinelli | 20 | Wed. March 19 | 8:00PM - 8:55PM | 335 |
This chart lists free and fee-based resources. Some lead to primary law, some lead to secondary law and practice materials; others are comprehensive and lead you to a broad range of legal resources.
We encourage you to become familiar with all of these resources, always consider accuracy and cost, and use all the research tools that are available to you.
Name of Research Database / Website | This Resource Will Be Covered in Your Training | Description | Availability | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Lexis+ CourtLink | Yes | Docket searches on Lexis+. Learn about the status of pending cases and locate filings. Contains documents in PACER and selection of other court dockets. | Suffolk Law School community members with Lexis+ access credentials | |
Westlaw Precision Dockets | No | Docket searches on Westlaw Precision. Learn about the status of pending cases and locate filings. Contains documents in PACER and selection of other court dockets. | Suffolk Law School community members with Westlaw access credentials | |
Court Listener RECAP Archive | No | Free docket searches. Contains a subset of documents in PACER. | Free, public access | |
Massachusetts Trial Court Libraries | Yes | Use the “Massachusetts Law About” section (under "Popular Legal Topics") for time-saving research guides that list key primary and secondary materials on your topic |
Free, public access |
|
Massachusetts Practice Series | Yes | Series of treatises on Massachusetts law, including substantive analysis of major areas of law as well as forms and trial practice materials. Available on Westlaw Precision and in print. | Suffolk Law School community members | |
MCLE OnlinePass | Yes | 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+. | Suffolk Law School community members | |
|
No | Massachusetts primary resources, such as cases, statutes, regulations, and administrative decisions. Includes some state-specific content unavailable on Lexis+ or Westlaw Precision. | Suffolk Law School community members | |
Lexis+ Practical Guidance | Yes | Practice notes, forms, checklists, drafting tools, and more. | Suffolk Law School community members with Lexis+ access credentials | |
Westlaw Practical Law | Yes |
Checklists, forms, articles, and other practice materials available on Westlaw Precision. Materials are arranged by practice area. 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 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. |
Suffolk Law School community members with Westlaw access credentials | |
Caselaw Access Project | No | More than 6.5 million decisions published by state and federal courts throughout U.S. history. | Free, public access | |
Google Scholar | No |
Case Law: Published opinions of US state appellate and supreme court cases since 1950, US federal district, appellate, tax, and bankruptcy courts since 1923 and US Supreme Court cases since 1791. Articles: Scholarly articles, theses, books, and abstracts from academic publishers, professional societies, online repositories, universities, and other websites. |
Free, public access | |
Decisis | No | Cases, statutes, administrative materials, and court rules. Exact content varies by state depending on the preferences of the state bar association. | Free, unlimited access for members of the Massachusetts Bar Association |