Among the most important skills all lawyers rely upon is the ability to do legal research–to find what’s needed to analyze and interpret legal issues. It’s an integral part of the Student Learning Outcomes that NYLS has adopted. Effective research skills are vital to students engaged in any type of legal writing, to those who are clerking or participating in externships, and to those entering legal practice.

To help prepare you for the realities of law practice, we offer several courses that will make you a more efficient, confident and successful researcher. Click here to read what other                  students have said about these classes.

Legal Research: Practical Skills (1 credit)

Builds on fundamental research skills through refining students’ techniques, introducing shortcuts and new approaches, and developing effective strategies. The course focuses on finding legislation, administrative materials, and related cases; using the secondary sources relied on by practitioners; attaining greater proficiency and comfort with Lexis, Westlaw, Bloomberg, and other online research tools, including reliable free and low-cost sources. We also offer this class with a focus on a particular substantive practice area, including Corporate & Business Law; Criminal Law; Family Law; Intellectual Property Law; Real Estate Law; and Labor & Employment Law.

For the Fall ’24 semester we are offering Legal Research: Practical Skills (5 remote Saturday classes) and Legal Research: Criminal Law (7 weekday classes, in-person).

For the Spring ’25 semester we are offering Legal Research: Practical Skills (5 remote Saturday classes) and Legal Research: Labor & Employment Law (7 weekday classes, in person).

Legal Research: Skills for the Digital World (3 credits)

Continues to build on the fundamentals described in Legal Research: Practical Skills. Students concentrate on more advanced techniques and strategies and learn to evaluate online and print materials in order to choose the best and most cost-effective source for projects. Some assignments are geared to students’ individual subject interests. Take-home assignments test and enhance students’ ability to perform various research tasks and strengthen their understanding of important research process and strategy consideration. This class will be offered only during the Spring ‘25 semester.

Want more information? Contact Associate Dean and Professor Camille Broussard or Professor Michael Roffer.

Tuesday April 30th at 1 PM ET  –  Register Here

Enhance your legal knowledge and skills as you prepare to practice by focusing on practical, actionable content.

Join our fast-paced, 30-minute course that will include:

1. Learning about the VitalLaw pricing structure at your place of employment
2. Focusing on Work Flow tools that will accomplish specific tasks making your job easier, and adding more value.
3. Familiarizing yourself with the practice areas and content available on VitalLaw.

Register Here

Two attendees will be picked to win a $50 Amazon gift card.

Please contact Stefanie Efrati, the Wolters Kluwer Customer Success Manager, for more information at stefanie.efrati@wolterskluwer.com.

NYLS students recently received an email from LSSSE (Law School Survey of Student Engagement) asking you to complete the survey on your thoughts about legal education and your experiences in law school. The Library hopes you will participate and complete the survey by the deadline of Friday, April 19th.  The LSSSE survey is anonymous and is centered on providing insights about student viewpoints on legal education and their law school experiences.  This information is very helpful to NYLS in making sure that our programs focus on areas of importance to you and your colleagues.  We hope you will use the link provided in your NYLS email and complete the survey. If you would like more information on LSSSE, visit their website.

Enhance your legal knowledge and skills as you prepare to practice by focusing on practical, actionable content.

Join our fast-paced, 30-minute course that will include:

1. Learning about the VitalLaw pricing structure at your place of employment
2. Focusing on Work Flow tools that will accomplish specific tasks, making your job easier and adding more value.
3. Familiarizing yourself with the practice areas and content available on VitalLaw

Thursday, April 11^th at 1:00pm ET   – Register Here

Two attendees from the training session will be picked to win a $100 Amazon gift card.

Please contact Stefanie Efrati, the Wolters Kluwer Customer Success Manager, for more information at stefanie.efrati@wolterskluwer.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you’re interested in corporate/securities law VitalLaw is a powerful online legal research tool with important legal content.

Stefanie Efrati, our VitalLaw Customer Success Manager, will be offering a fast-paced 30-minute virtual tour of how VitalLaw intelligently integrates and contextually links EDGAR Filings, primary law, SEC Guidance, No-Action Letters, Staff Comment Letters, Law Firm Memos, and Private Placements— providing multiple pathways into the content to match your workflow. It will include:

1. One workflow solution for all your SEC research and filing needs
2. Search filings by section, redline-compare filings, and monitor relevant disclosures to keep you up to date on the latest developments
3. Locate “on-point” precedent documents so you can ensure your compliance with the latest standards!

Friday March 29th from 1:00pm-1:30pm ET

Register Here (If you encounter difficulties with the link, please contact stefanie.efrati@wolterskluwer.com.)

Two attendees from the training session will be picked to win a $100 Amazon gift card.

Additional Wolters Kluwer trainings will be offered in April.  Please contact Stefanie Efrati, the Wolters Kluwer Customer Success Manager, for more information at stefanie.efrati@wolterskluwer.com.

March is Women’s History Month. So introduce yourself to Peggy, the Women and the Law database available on HeinOnline. It brings together books, biographies and periodicals dedicated to the role of women in society and the law. You can access it from the HeinOnline home page. In addition, the Library of Congress has a dedicated web page for Women’s History Month, including information about events, ceremonies, and celebrations.

Please be advised that the Library will be closed on Saturday March 9 and Sunday March 10, 2024. We will reopen on Monday March 11 at 8:00 a.m.

 

 

If you’re interested in tax, corporate/securities, or arbitration VitalLaw is a powerful online legal research tool with important legal content. Our subscription includes comprehensive access to treatises and other tools in these areas in addition to materials in the areas of intellectual property, evidence, and real estate finance.

Stefanie Efrati, our VitalLaw Customer Success Manager, will be offering a 20-minute virtual session that provides a quick intro to VitalLaw and a demonstration of how to:

1. Save time – with Expert Treatises, Guides and Tools such as Smart Charts

2. Streamline Your Research- Using the Practical Content Dashboard helps you get relevant resources efficiently in one place

3. Stay Current- our News provides the latest developments in your practice area!

The session is scheduled for Wednesday February 28th at 1:00 P.M. Register Now

Two attendees from the training session will be picked to win a $100 Amazon gift card.

Additional Wolters Kluwer trainings will be offered in March and April. Please contact Stefanie Efrati, the Wolters Kluwer Customer Success Manager, for more information at stefanie.efrati@wolterskluwer.com.

 

The Mendik Library wishes the very best of luck to all New York Law School graduates who will be sitting for the bar exam on February 27th and 28th! You know you can do it!