At the request of Con Edison, the A/C in the library is going to be turned off temporarily today (Tues. July 16th) and tomorrow (Wed. July 17th), alternating between the four floors. Each floor will lose A/C for two one-hour periods between the hours of 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. All A/C should be restored at 6:00 p.m.
On Wednesday, June 19th, the Mendik Library will be closed in honor of Juneteenth, and will reopen Thursday June 20th at 9AM.
As you prepare for the bar exam, we wanted to remind you about the ways in which you can still benefit from The Mendik Library. For a summary of all resources, please visit our Student Services guide:
https://libguides.nyls.edu/studentservices/graduates
Recent law grads have access to Lexis, Westlaw and Bloomberg Law for a limited amount of time after you graduate. Please see the details below.
You do not need to do anything to be able to continue to use your law school Lexis account through December 31, 2024. Just use the same Lexis account log on credentials you used during law school. This access is intended to help you study for the bar, conduct your job search and become more efficient in Lexis+ research.
ASPIRE Program: The ASPIRE (Associates Serving Public Interest Research) program provides 12 months of free access to federal and state cases, codes, regulations, law reviews, Shepard’s Citation Service and Matthew Bender treatises to graduates who are engaged in verifiable 501(c)(3) public interest work. Graduates who apply to this program must work directly for a non-profit or charitable organization, and be able to provide documentation (e.g. email) from a supervisor of the same. Exclusions include government work (even if unpaid), work for a law firm (even if it represents a non-profit organization), and solo practice (even if it encompasses non-profit work). A 501(c)(3) organization is defined as one that is organized and operated exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, testing for public safety, literary, or educational purposes. Graduates should receive a new Lexis+ ID about a week after they submit the completed application.
To apply for the ASPIRE program, please contact our LexisNexis representative, Nejat Bumin, Esq. (email: nejat.bumin@lexisnexis.com; 551-580-1920).
Note: Students who have changed their expected graduation date since they first created their NYLS account must contact LexisNexis Customer Service (800-45 LEXIS) to change their graduation date on the LexisNexis system.
Westlaw Grad Elite
Graduates have access to Thomson Reuters products, including Westlaw and Practical Law, for six-months after graduation by registering for Grad Elite access.
This will give you access to these Thomson Reuters products for 60-hours per month. While you cannot use these products in situations where you are billing a client, Thomson Reuters encourages you to use the tools to build your knowledge of the law and prepare for the bar exam. In addition, you get access to job searching databases on Westlaw and TWEN for 18-months after graduation for 1 hour a month. If you have any questions, please contact our Westlaw Account Manager Shawn Lopez (Shawn.Lopez@thomsonreuters.com)
Bloomberg Law offers students unlimited and unrestricted access to their Bloomberg Law accounts for any purpose, anytime, anywhere, including for use over the summer. 2024 graduating students will retain unlimited and unrestricted access to their accounts through November 31, 2024.
Please contact the Reference Desk (212.431.2332; reference@nyls.edu) or sign into Microsoft Teams during Reference hours) if you need any assistance.
Ramp Up Your Research Skills!
This summer, take advantage of multiple opportunities to up your research game and learn more about tools you’ll need in practice through our popular Summer Research Challenge! Click here for details. Each virtual session begins at 6:00 p.m., with a short introduction to the research area, and then moves on to a concrete research problem where you need to efficiently identify the law bearing on your client’s situation. The sessions are two hours long and will wrap up with a discussion of results and strategies.
Attend whichever sessions most interest you, but researchers who successfully complete all four will receive a certificate signed by both Dean of Faculty William LaPiana and Associate Dean & Library Director Camille Broussard recognizing this achievement. It’s a great practical skill certification for your resume.
May 29: Researching Congressional Documents: Statutes and Legislative History
June 5: Navigating the Regulatory Maze: Research in Administrative Law
June 12: Research on the Road to Trial: Experts, Juries, Discovery and More
June 26: Legal Research for Transactional Lawyers
For more information and to register, click here. Select the sessions you would like to register for and you will be taken to the registration page.
Research Skills Workshops
In addition to the Summer Research Challenge, we will also be offering our regular Research Skills Workshops. These virtual sessions are intended to give pointers on how to handle research situations you might face this summer. The workshops are 30 minutes long and will be offered on Tuesdays & Thursdays at 5:15 p.m. from June 4 through June 27, 2024. To register, click this link. Select the sessions you would like to register for and you will be taken to the registration page.
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Congratulations on getting through exams! As you get ready to start your summer employment, we wanted to remind you of your access to Lexis, Westlaw, Bloomberg Law and other subscription databases. Westlaw access for continuing students includes some restrictions. Here’s the specific information for each database. You can also visit our Student Services guide.
Students will automatically have free unlimited use of their law school Lexis+ ID this summer. This includes workplace related research (but check with your employer first; many firms prefer summer associates use a firm-issued Lexis ID for client confidentiality or billing purposes). If you have any questions, please contact our account manager, Nejat Bumin (email: nejat.bumin@lexisnexis.com).
You can use Thomson Reuters products, including Westlaw, Practical Law, and Drafting Assistant, 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:
If you have any questions, please contact our Westlaw Account Manager Shawn Lopez (email: Shawn.Lopez@thomsonreuters.com).
You may continue to use your Bloomberg Law account for any purpose. If you haven’t already signed up for a Bloomberg Law account, go to www.bloomberglaw.com and click on “Academic Registration” (you must use your NYLS email).
For assistance using Bloomberg Law, students and graduates continue to have free access to the 24/7 Help Desk at (888) 560-2529 or help@bloomberglaw.com. You can also contact our Bloomberg Law Relationship Manager, Stefanie Schuette (email: sslavens@bloombergindustry.com)
OTHER DATABASES
Continuing students have full access over the summer to many other subscription resources.
You’ll need to login with your NYLS network password. If you need HeinOnline, Law360, Proquest Congressional or most other databases, you’re all set!
QUESTIONS? Please contact the Reference Desk with any questions about summer access, or any other research related questions over the summer:
T 212.431.2332
Log in to Microsoft Teams with your NYLS network ID, and use Microsoft Web App to connect.
Four important Library resources to keep in mind as you prepare for upcoming exams.
First: The Library’s Study Aids guide contains links to digital study aids and locations of print versions) to help you review particular subjects and enhance or test your understanding of a particular topic or point of law.
Second: Check out our complete collection of digital study aids on the LexisNexis Digital Library. Log in with your network ID.
Third: One of the best ways to prepare for a professor’s exam is to see what they have done in the past! It’s a great way to understand how your professor thinks. The Library maintains an archive of previous years’ exams for most courses. To access, log into the NYLS Portal. Under the Student Resources tab, select “Exams, Grades, and Registration.” You can access these exams by course or professor name.
Fourth: The Library’s Exam Preparation Resources guide offers a host of materials containing practical advice and strategies designed to help you navigate the exam process. They include NYLS resources, the LexisNexis Digital Library, CALI Lessons, exams tips and podcasts and videos.
The Mendik Library will be closed on Labor Day, Monday September 4, 2023. It will be reopened for its regular hours on Tuesday September 5, 2023. Check the Library’s home page for all hours information:
Due to scheduled network maintenance by the Office of Information Technology, you may not be able to access any of the library’s online databases or ebooks this Friday, October 7 from 6:00—9:00 p.m. This will not affect your access to Lexis, Westlaw or Bloomberg Law.
We apologize for any inconvenience.
All 1L students—If you haven’t already done so, please set up your Bloomberg, LexisNexis and Westlaw accounts. You’ll need them later in the semester for legal research and citation checking.
The information necessary to retrieve your registration codes and create your accounts can be found at: https://nyls.libwizard.com/f/2022_BL_Lexis_Westlaw
If you need any help, please contact the Reference Desk (reference@nyls.edu or via MS Teams).
The Library staff hopes that you and yours are staying safe and well in these challenging times. This summer, the Library will be offering a series of 30 minute long Research Skills Workshops via Zoom:
-The Bluebook
-Is All Your Research Up To Date?
-Power Googling
-Researching NYC Law
-Staying Current With The Law
The workshops, which all begin at 5:15, will be held each Tuesday and Thursday from June 9 through July 2.
For a more details and a complete schedule, please visit to https://libguides.nyls.edu/2020sumrsw
We look forward to seeing you.