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Westlaw and Lexis Directories

Law students often have trouble transitioning from the "free" (flat-rate) Westlaw and Lexis access they receive in law school to using these systems at firms where charges must be justified and clients don't like to see large bills for online research.

A common problem clerks and new attorneys who use these systems have is spending too much time looking for the right database (this can be especially costly if your firm is paying for access by the minute), and searching in the wrong database before finding the right one (assuming there is a right one).

Both Westlaw and Lexis offer free searchable directories of their databases, which can help you reduce your searching costs by finding the right database before you've even entered your ID or password.

They are:

Westlaw

Lexis

Of course, over-reliance on Westlaw and Lexis is a problem too, when so much legal information is available online for free.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Full post as published by Virtual Library Cat's Eye View on July 20, 2008 (boomark / email).