LexisNexis and Westlaw – General Information
Cleveland-Marshall College of Law Library – Fall Semester 2008 Orientation

This LexisNexis and Westlaw orientation will very briefly review information on (a) your activation code, ID, usernames and passwords; (b) signing on to each of the databanks; (c) retrieving specific cases; and (d) document delivery.  Later this semester, you will receive one or more additional training sessions on LexisNexis and Westlaw according to your individual Legal Writing and Research curriculum.

The LexisNexis for Law Schools and lawschool.westlaw.com Web sites may look different than other versions or services of these databanks, such as LexisNexis Academic or FindLaw.  For a good overview and comparison of these databanks, connect to the LexisNexis and Westlaw Features Compared guide (http://www.law.csuohio.edu/lawlibrary/resources/lawpubs/LexisNexisandWestlawFeaturesCompared.html).

Basic Description of LexisNexis and Westlaw
LexisNexis and Westlaw are electronic legal research services that provide access to tens of thousands of databases composed of cases, statutes, regulations, law review articles, practice materials, newspaper articles, and many other materials.  The vast majority of these materials are available full text.

LexisNexis and Westlaw Acceptable Use
As a student of the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, you are being given access to the LexisNexis and Westlaw databanks free of charge.  It is a violation of the student honor code (http://www.law.csuohio.edu/currentstudents/responsibilities/documents/honorcode.pdf) to use these databanks for nonacademic work.  Your use of these databanks is to be for academic work only.   Violators may be subject to loss of LexisNexis/Westlaw privileges and expulsion from school.

Printing to the LexisNexis/Westlaw Printers (not the Law Library Computer Lab printers)
The LexisNexis and Westlaw student printers are along the north wall of the Law Library Computer Lab.  Students may print 200 pages (ie, sheets of paper; approximately 10,000 lines) per day to each of the LexisNexis and Westlaw printers.  Printing in excess of this amount may result in cancellation of the print request and/or suspension of your ability to print to the LexisNexis printer.  Students found to be printing excessively will receive warning email notices before suspension of their printing abilities.

Alternative to LexisNexis and Westlaw
	Law school students may join the Ohio State Bar Association for free.  Membership benefits include access to Casemaker, which provides access to a Federal Library of US Supreme Court and Circuit Court opinions, and other materials, as well as over 20 State Collections, each composed of case law, court rules, statutes, attorney general opinions, and selected municipal codes.  For an OSBA membership form, connect to:  http://downloads.ohiobar.org/applications/2006StudentApp.pdf
	Law school students may join the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association for free.  Student membership benefits may soon include access to Fastcase, a federal and 50-state case law database.  For a CMBA membership form, connect to:  http://www.clemetrobar.org/student_application.html