By Brenda Jones, Reference Librarian Most legal researchers are familiar with the wealth of cases and statutes on Westlaw and Lexis. Additionally, these online services offer a broad range of secondary resources with scholarly analysis of the primary law. Of particular interest is the ever-growing number of electronic books ranging from concise manuals to multivolume treatises and looseleaf services. Both Lexis and Westlaw enhance full text searching with the option to browse the table of contents. Alternatively, use the Database Wizard on the Web interface, or go directly to database IDEN to search for a particular resource.
Some databases have online keyword indexes or tables of cases.
Some libraries are arranged by publisher, others by practice area, type of resource, or jurisdiction. To find electronic treatises on the Lexis Web interface, follow links for descriptive headings like Secondary Legal, Matthew Bender, or Area of Law Treatises. Alternatively, look for a particular book using Find a Source search function on the Web, or the Online Product Guide on Lexis proprietary software. Besides traditional treatises, both Lexis and Westlaw include an array of materials from the American Law Institute, American Bar Association, Practising Law Institute, and various continuing legal education seminars. Moreover, both services offer an extensive collection of periodicals, forms, encyclopedia, restatements, uniform laws, jury instructions, annotations, and practice materials.