In order to have access to Westlaw and Lexis during the summer take a minute to extend your passwords. If you neglect to do this your access will be limited to 2 hours a month during June and July.

For Westlaw summer access click here. There are separate links for current and graduating students. Current students are restricted to the following uses:

• Summer law school classes
• Law review or law journal work
• Project for a professor
• Moot court
• Unpaid, nonprofit public interest internship/externship pro bono work required for graduation.

Passwords may NOT be used for research for law firms, government agencies, corporations or other purposes unrelated to law school coursework.

Graduating students’ passwords expire on May 31, 2012 but can be extended for bar preparation. If you extend your password you will receive 10 hours of Westlaw access during the summer – 5 hours in June and another 5 hours in July. Note that password extension in no way alters the WestlawRewards membership agreement. WestlawRewards points expire 30 days after graduation.

If you have already registered your Lexis Advance password, you don’t need to do anything to have access over the summer. For Lexis.com summer access, click here. Current and graduating students are restricted to the following uses:

• Summer course preparation and assignments
• Research associated with Moot Court, Law Review, or Law Journal
• Research associated with pursuing a grant or scholarship
• Service as a paid or unpaid research assistant to a professor
• An internship, externship or clinic position for school credit or graduation requirement
• Study for the bar exam
• Research skill improvement

Additionally, Lexis has the ASPIRE program again this year. The ASPIRE program enables students and graduates pursuing public interest work to benefit from free access to LexisNexis tools and services. Eligibility includes all students and graduates (including December 2011 graduates) engaged in verifiable 501(c)(3) public interest work, including:

• Deferred fall associates engaged in verifiable public interest work
• 2012 graduates engaged in verifiable public interest work while searching for employment
• 2012 graduates engaged in verifiable public interest work as a continuing profession
• Current students engaged in verifiable public interest work

Students/graduates must work directly for a non-profit or charitable organization, and access continues throughout public interest employment until September 1, 2012. The registration form is available here, and more information is available here.

One last thing–the Law Library website has a number of research guides that you might find helpful, especially the guide to Free and Low Cost Resources for Legal Research. Remember that the reference librarians are here all summer long and that you can always call the reference desk at 914-422-4208, or use our Ask Us service to email questions.