Because keeping up with current events and scholarship is important for faculty research and writing, the Law Library provides a number of current awareness tools. This page summarizes some common current legal awareness resources. Most of these resources are also available to students and can be utilized in teaching. Contact your library liaison with questions or to develop a current awareness plan tailored to your needs.

Law faculty can receive notifications when their articles are cited by signing up for various citation alert services.

HeinOnline

On HeinOnline, faculty can sign up for email alerts in their HeinOnline author profile page for whenever their articles on Hein are cited by new publications and cases on Hein. View instructions on how to manage author alerts from HeinOnline here: https://help.heinonline.org/kb/how-to-manage-author-alerts/.

Google Scholar

You can make a Google Scholar profile and receive alerts any time your articles on Google Scholar are cited by other works in Google Scholar. You can read more about Google Scholar profiles and how to receive alerts here: https://scholar.google.com/intl/en/scholar/citations.html#citations. If you need help making your Google Scholar profile, see the screencast made by the BYU Law Library here: http://huntersquery.byu.edu/google-scholar-profiles/.

Contact your library liaison for any assistance you may need.

Lexis

Graduating law students have access to Lexis through December 31, 2022. Beginning July 10, 2022, when you sign on to Lexis you will see the Graduate Homepage where you can select a gift from Lexis (Law360, Intelligize, Lexis for Microsoft Office, Practical Guidance, or a LexisNexis e-book).

Bloomberg Law

Graduating law students have access to Bloomberg Law for six months after graduation.

Westlaw

Westlaw provides access for six months after graduation for up to 60 hours per month. You must register for “Grad Elite” status at https://lawschool.thomsonreuters.com/grad-elite-status/. Just like with summer access, you may NOT use Westlaw to do research for a client— only for personal learning or preparing for the bar exam.

The Law Library also has two computer terminals near the reference desk with public Westlaw access. They are available for use by anyone when the library is open to the public. Researchers must limit their sessions to 30 minutes when someone else is waiting. You are welcome to return to the library to use the terminals.

Fastcase

All attorneys who have bar membership in the United States have free access to Fastcase. Check your bar association’s website for details.

Other Law Library Databases

Students have access to most other law library databases including Quimbee until the August 1st following graduation. After graduation, BYU Law School alumni have access to two electronic resources through the Law Library: HeinOnline’s Law Journal Library and the LexisNexis Digital Library. Alumni can access some databases like HeinOnline (all BYU Law content), Westlaw patron access, and VitalLaw by visiting the Law Library in person.

HeinOnline Alumni Access: Alumni can access HeinOnline’s extensive library of over 2,800 law journals. Use the HeinOnline Alumni Access link at the bottom of the Law Library’s home page under “Helpful Links” and log in with your NetID and password.

LexisNexis Digital Library Attorney Access: Alumni and members of the Utah Bar can sign up for an account to checkout e-book versions of legal treatises and volumes of the Utah Code Annotated. For more information and a complete list of titles, go to https://lawlibrary.byu.edu/information/digital-library-attorney-access/. 

Carrels

Carrels are available to recent graduates who are studying for the bar exam. Students who graduate in December are able to continue using the carrel they are currently assigned. Students who graduate in April will need to vacate their current carrel and pick a carrel for the summer via the carrel pick website. Further instructions regarding carrel picks will be sent to graduating students prior to the end of the semester.

Building Access

Security and building access to the J. Reuben Clark Building remain the same until August 1 of the year you graduate. Graduating students have 24/7 access to the building and the quiet reading room in the library during library hours until August 1.

Reference Services

Graduates are always welcome to contact Reference Services or law librarians with research questions! Contact information is available at https://lawlibrary.byu.edu/information/ask-a-librarian/.

Law Library Checkout Privileges and Document Delivery

Full checkout privileges extend through the end of the August following graduation. Afterward, graduates can sign up for a Community User account. Open the Community User Agreement.

In addition, we can provide scans of pages from non-circulating materials and email them to you. Send the title, author, and page range, along with a link to the book in our library catalog, to Melanie Coleman. Please allow 24 hours for turnaround. Requests are not processed over the weekend. Requests received after 3 p.m. on Friday are processed the following Monday. Requests that violate copyright law will not be processed.

Harold B. Lee (Main Campus) Library Privileges

Access to books and databases provided by the Harold B. Lee Library ends the August 31 following graduation. You can get circulation privileges by becoming a “friend of the library” for a $50 donation. For larger donations you can get remote access to some databases. For more information, see https://lib.byu.edu/services/friends-of-the-library/.

CLE Credits

The Utah State Bar has authorized a limited number of recordings on CD and DVD for self-study CLE credit. Utah attorneys can check out these materials from the Law Library for free for a short time. For more information and a list of available recordings, see https://lawlibrary.byu.edu/information/self-study-cle-materials/.

BYU Email Addresses

Graduating law students have access to their @law.byu.edu email addresses for one full year following graduation (until May 1 of the next year). Law School IT will contact alumni approximately one month before accounts expire to give you a chance to move your emails to another account.

In addition, BYU alumni have access to a permanent @byu.net email address that can be forwarded to the email service provider of your choice. For information go to https://alumni.byu.edu/email-forwarding.

Software (Microsoft Office, Zoom, Box, Eduroam, etc.)

Graduating students have access to BYU software for 30 days following graduation. For more information go to https://law.byu.edu/departments/it-services/laptop-initiative/software-and-services-for-students/ or email the Help Desk.

LexisNexis Digital Library Attorney Access Policy

The BYU Law Library provides access to the LexisNexis Digital Library through its Attorney Access program to the following individuals:

• BYU Law School alumni
• Members of the Utah State Bar
• Paralegals working for members of the Utah State Bar

The LexisNexis Digital Library contains ebook versions of the following Utah legal titles:

• Utah Code Annotated
• Utah Court Rules Annotated
• Utah Civil Practice

Ebook versions of well-regarded legal treatises including Nimmer on Copyright, Collier on Bankruptcy, and Business Organizations with Tax Planning are also available in the Digital Library. View the complete list of titles.

Interested patrons may apply for Attorney Access by filling out the form below and agreeing to comply with the terms and conditions of this policy. Processing the form and establishing access may take up to two weeks. Upon enrollment in the program, participation in Attorney Access lasts for one year provided the patron complies with the terms of use.

Participants in Attorney Access may check out up to two ebooks in the LexisNexis Digital Library at one time. The check-out period is seven days and may be renewed if the title has not been requested by another patron. The BYU Law Library reserves the right to recall an ebook and/or terminate the patron’s check-out early and without notice. The BYU Law Library cannot guarantee access to titles in the LexisNexis Digital Library. The BYU Law Library reserves the right to terminate the Attorney Access program or the patron’s participation in the program at any time and for any reason. Patrons agree with to comply with all applicable copyright laws and the terms of use of the LexisNexis Digital Library.

Questions? Email Iantha Haight at haighti@law.byu.edu.

Open the Google Form

The Utah State Bar has pre-authorized a limited number of recordings for self-study CLE credit. A fee is not charged to the attorney. Due to high demand, please call 801-422-3593 to verify the availability of CDs prior to coming to the library. The recordings approved for credit in 2023 are:

Title	Media Type	Call Number	CLE Credits	# of Copies	Checkout Period
Constitutional Law (Sum+Substance) (2020)	CD	KF 4550 .Z9 .C43 2020	14	1	24 Hours
Torts (Sum+Substance) (2019)	CD	KF 1250 .Z9 .F56 2019	11	1	24 Hours

Note: The list of CLE materials changes every year.

All of the CLE materials must be picked up in person from the law library circulation desk at BYU and may be borrowed for a 24-hour loan period.  

You also have the option to listen to or watch these materials at the law library when the law library is open to the public. To listen or watch in the library, when you pick up your CLE materials from the Circulation Desk, you may also check out headphones and an external drive (which is compatible with DVDs and CDs), which will allow you to watch or listen to the CLE materials on any computer that has a USB port and applications for CD listening and DVD watching. An employee with Reference Services can get you set up on one of the law library computers to watch or listen to CLE materials.

After you have listened to the recording, please contact Annalee Hickman Pierson (HickmanA@law.byu.edu) to have your credit posted. When contacting her, you must include the following information: (1) your name, (2) your Utah bar number, (3) the name of the recording, (4) how many hours of the recording you listened to, and (5) the date(s) that you listened to the recording.

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Alternative Sources of Credit:

• University of Utah CLE Collection
• Online CLE/MCLE through the Utah State Bar.