Network with Solo and Small Firm Lawyers
Now that I’m actually on the cusp of being a real attorney, I’m on the lookout for networking opportunities. I’ve already got my job nailed down, but I definitely want to know other lawyers and make solid connections.
Thus, I’m delighted to have joined Solosez. It’s the American Bar Association’s network devoted to solo and small firm practitioners. The cool thing is that anyone can join.
The main benefit of Solosez is the awesome list serve, hosted by the ABA. I’ve seen a ton of great information go through that list, and I’ve only been …
Does a Restricted Info Base Have a Benefit?
Kevin doesn’t think so. He wrote an interesting article about LexisNexis’ approach to blogs. He talks about the differences between the Lexis blog directory, which contains only 35 blogs, and Justia Blawg Search, which boasts 1792 blogs.
It’s against the nature of blogging
Kevin’s absolutely right that Lexis’ 35-blog directory is fairly anti-blog. One of the draws of blogging is that there are so many voices out here. The benefit of multiple voices is clear – more knowledge, more points-of-view, etc.
But …
LexisNexis Took me to Lunch and Gave me a Toy!
One thing I’m definitely going to miss about law school is being bribed by LexisNexis and Westlaw. For those of you who don’t know, both these companies continually throw free things at law students, hoping that we will primarily use their research system when we start practicing. It’s a great arrangement!
Our school had a really good Lexis presentation yesterday, by one of the Virginia law firm representatives. She highlighted some of the different practice tools Lexis has, and how they can be useful down the road.
The best part of attending …
Legal Research Tips for LexisNexis and Westlaw
Do you need a little legal research help? Law Student has you covered. Check out this awesome list of legal research tips.
My favorite tidbit from this post is Zimmerman’s Research Guide. This is an alphabetical index of legal information sources. This is a great place to look if you’re having trouble finding a source in Lexis OR Westlaw. Very handy.
For the rest of the helpful tips, check out Law Student’s list.
Punch up Your Legal Research – Start With FREE Search Engines
Do you Google legal matters? Chuck Newton has a terrific post about using Wikipedia, Google, et al. on legal research projects.
Chuck definitely isn’t advocating ending your legal research with nothing but free online search engines. However, he points out that you’re passing on some great info if you neglect them. Heck, even judges are citing Wikipedia these days!
Personally, I love that free online research is becoming acceptable in the legal profession. We should always verify sources and not just cite a random blog to stand for X …
Make Money in Law School with Lexis and Westlaw
It’s a new semester of law school, which means you have another chance to earn money from Lexis and Westlaw. I just made $34.88 in about an hour. Here’s how you can do it too!
Points = Money
First of all, you have to understand that Lexis and Westlaw reward points allow you to buy things and gift certificates. Thus, they have value.
Admittedly, the marketplace where the points are accepted is limited (even more so with Westlaw). But you can still get valuable and useful things for your hard work. Thus, in my mind, they are …
Get A Free Starbucks Gift Card, Courtesy of Westlaw
Do you like coffee? I suppose some people don’t, but you probably do.
Do you read every Westlaw email that comes to your inbox? If not, you’re missing out on what could be a free Starbucks gift card.
A couple weeks ago, our Westlaw representative sent out an email. It said that everyone who registers for training on X date will be entered into a drawing for several different gift cards and a digital camera. I threw my hat in the ring.
Last week, I got an email telling me that …
Search for Real Estate and Apartments with Google Base
Have you ever tried searching for houses or apartments online? It can be darn frustrating with all the different sites available. Personally, Realtor.com doesn’t do quite what I would like. Have they even heard of RSS?
Enter Google Base. It’s hyped as a online database into which anyone can add data. You might’ve seen it before and wondered “what’s that good for?” Real estate and apartment searching, that’s what.
Enter your search terms
To search for housing, Google even has a handy little …
Westlaw Preference Overrides “Link Viewer”
Do you have the impression that Westlaw is just “the man” or a big, faceless organization? Honestly, I did too. Until today.
I opened Gmail to find an email from a Westlaw employee. Actually, it’s from the VP for New Product Development. He read my blog. In particular, he saw my Greasemonkey scripts for Westlaw (kill the mini-window and rename windows).
Now, instead of using the mini-window Greasemonkey script, Westlaw actually provides a preference where you can officially disable the “link viewer.” …
Utilize Law School Library for Career Search
If you are in law school, the odds are that you want to be a lawyer. But do you even know that much? If you do plan to apply to a state bar, do you know which one? Do you know what type of law you want to do? What type of organization do you want to be in?
Fortunately, your law school might actually have some answers. Yep, law school might be good for something other than posing questions. Shocking, right?
Free career resources
The next time you have a second, get on your school’s library …
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About Andrew Flusche
Lawyer, bicyclist, husband.
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