New look for Westlaw UK

Westlaw UK has relaunched with a new look and feel. Although quite different to the 'old' Westlaw at first glance, information within it is structured in a similar way. The new version has some interesting additional features, with users able to annotate documents and highlight sections of text, with this information being retained for future use.

For now both the existing and new Westlaw platforms are available to staff and students, with the new platform becoming the default option at the end of the summer term.

To access the new version, please use the link from within the A-Z list on our Databases page. 

TR Legal Student Representative scheme 2019/20

Thomson Reuters (who own Westlaw) are looking to recruit a student representative for the 2019/20 academic year. Training is provided, and representatives are paid a fee in return for running workshops, offering 1-to-1 support and other tasks. To be eligible you will need to be studying full time on the Qualifying Law Degree next year.
Closing date for applications is Friday 17th May - apologies for the short notice, but we've only just been contacted by Westlaw in relation to this opportunity.

Further details are below, or contact Wendy.

Legislation relating to Brexit on Westlaw

There is no escaping Brexit, even within Westlaw! There is now a section of draft statutory instruments (SIs) that relate to the leaving of the EU. This can be found under the Browse section of the legislation content screen:

There are quite a lot of them:

There is also a section headed 'Retained EU Legislation' which has selected EU documents appearing in a new format, and aims to preserve a snapshot of current EU legislation. Documents display as currently in force, with amendments pending (the exclamation mark).

Key Legal Concepts Library on Westlaw UK

I've recently discovered the Key Legal Concepts Library on Westlaw, which is a kind of mini law encyclopedia. Each note looks at a legal concept, and relevant case extracts, legislation and Hansard material are referenced.
At the moment it is only possible to browse this resource, and the coverage of concepts is far from exhaustive, but you may find it useful. It can be accessed via the Legislation tab.

Regulatory & Guidance materials on Westlaw UK

Accessible via the Legislation or Current Awareness tabs, Regulatory and Guidance materials on Westlaw UK provide additional information on how the law is implemented or interpreted in practice. 
The materials include Practice Directions, Guidance Notes (from 1995), Command Papers and Consultation Papers. 
It's possible to browse by document type or source, or to search on a particular subject. Try it out next time you're in Westlaw. 

New videos from Westlaw - How can law students increase their chances of getting a training contract? / Securing a pupillage and commercial awareness

The people at Westlaw have produced two short videos, each less than 5 minutes long.
The first is entitled How can law students increase their chances of getting a training contract? In it, Sarah Henchoz, a partner at Allen & Overy offers some advice.
The second, Securing a pupillage and commercial awareness, sees Carl Troman of 4 New Square provide some tips.

UK Bills on Westlaw

The Bills service on Westlaw UK has recently been improved. If you're interested in a piece of legislation currently going through Parliament then you may find the Bills Service of interest.
It contains information on Bills from the current session as well as for 2015-16 and can be found via the Legislation tab under Browse.

• Via the Overview document it is possible to follow the progress of a Bill, and see whereabouts it is in its passage through Parliament.
• As well as providing the current text, within Overview it is possible to see the text of the Bill as it stood at various points of its passage through Parliament.
• If the Bill has received Royal Assent, a link through to the relevant Act is provided.

Additionally, for current legislation, you can access a version of a provision which allows you to see how the law will read if a Bill receives Royal Assent. See below for an example section.

Clicking on the blue link brings up the Bill amended text (in this case the amending Bill is the Higher Education and Research Bill 2016-17).

Ebooks on Westlaw UK

Did you know that we have access to a number of ebooks via Westlaw UK?

These key works, authored by practitioners and academics include:

Archbold Criminal Pleading, Evidence & Practice
Chitty on Contracts
Copinger & Skone James on Copyright
Clerk & Lindsell on Torts
Lewin on Trusts
Palmers Company Law
Woodfall: Landlord and Tenant

To access, select the Books tab within Westlaw and then either search by subject keyword across all / selected books, or click on a book's title to browse its contents. 

Lexis and Westlaw on Twitter

Lexis and Westlaw both have Twitter feeds, providing a quick way of keeping up-to-date with the latest legal developments.
LexisWeb is mainly dedicated to providing links to recently decided cases whilst Westlaw provides information on the latest cases, legislation and journal articles, as well as pointing to items of general legal interest.

To follow, sign up at:
https://twitter.com/lexisweb
https://twitter.com/WestlawUK

My Westlaw guide

Following on from my post of 29th November about the introduction of the My Westlaw feature on Westlaw UK, I've produced a brief guide on how to set up your personal account and add content to folders / set up email alerts.

A link to the guide can be found at the bottom of the Westlaw UK database page on the library web site.

My Westlaw

On Thursday 1st December, the My Westlaw feature is due to be switched on for all Birkbeck users.

My Westlaw allows you to create your own profile and set up email alerts / RSS feeds / view previous search history from the past 2 weeks.

If you don't wish to set up an account, then you can skip the registration stage (shown above) when this appears on your screen.

Westlaw have produced a short information sheet about the new service.

Information can also can be found in the Westlaw UK Student User Guide, copies of which can be found at the Library Help Desk.





New journal on Westlaw UK

The European Business Organization Law Review is now available in full text on Westlaw from 2000 onwards. To browse the content of this journal, within Westlaw select the Journals tab, then Full Text Articles and click on the journal's title.

Westlaw UK Workouts

Do you need a refresher on how to use Westlaw UK? Would you like to gain a certificate demonstrating that you are a competent user? If so then you may like to register for one of Westlaw's workouts which consist of online training followed by a test. 
Full information from Westlaw, including workout times and dates and links to the registration form follow.


GAIN VALUABLE CERTIFICATION WITH WESTLAW UK WORKOUTS Research - it's a skill. Being good at it lets you read and interpret the law quickly and accurately - not bad skills to have when it comes to getting that all important training contract after University.

Our brand new Westlaw UK Workouts show you how to find what you need with as little fuss and fretting as possible. All you need to do is get online, make a call to a free-phone number, listen, watch and learn.

WHY DO I NEED A WORKOUT?
Used by 90% of the Top 100 law firms, Westlaw UK is the essential research tool. Knowing how to get the most from the service and having a certificate to prove it will not only save you time but also gain you a competitive advantage when applying for training contracts.

Our legally qualified trainers will guide you through all relevant content and tools, making sure you know exactly how to find what you're looking for.

OK, WHAT DO I NEED TO DO?
It's similar to Lawtel Lessons - attend a Westlaw Workout on The Basics and complete an online test. Once you pass, we'll send you a certificate which you can add to your CV as invaluable training experience.

WIN £100 OF VOUCHERS
Attending any lesson in June, July or August means you're automatically entered into a prize draw to win £100 worth of vouchers. The winner will be notified by email on Wednesday 11th August.

WHAT'S COVERED?
The Basics covers how to search and browse cases, legislation and current awareness, as well as specific hints and tips for using Westlaw UK.

REGISTRATION
You can access Westlaw Workouts from home, University, or anywhere you have internet access and a telephone line. To attend simply register online any time up to thirty minutes beforehand. Click below to register.

30th June
Basics Certification: 14.00 to 15.00

Basics Certification: 15.30 to 16.30

Basics Certification: 17.30 to 18.30
 

14th July
Basics Certification: 14.00 to 15.00

Basics Certification: 15.30 to 16.30

Basics Certification: 17.30 to 18.30


11th August
Basics Certification: 14.00 to 15.00

Basics Certification: 15.30 to 16.30

Basics Certification: 17.30 to 18.30
 

If you have any queries please phone Sheena Shepherd directly on 07725 768821 or email sheena.shepherd@thomsonreuters.com.
 

New developments to Legislation on Westlaw UK

If you're a regular user of Westlaw, you may have noticed the recent appearance of additional icons when retrieving Acts & SIs. These are designed to show you at a glance whether a provision is in force, partially in force or not yet in force.

In addition, Westlaw have launched their Prospective Law service. This allows you to read provisions as they will look in the future, regardless of whether an in-force date has been set (use Advanced Search to access this option).

More in-depth details can be found in Westlaw's latest e-newsletter.
January 2010 Edition of Westlaw UK What's New

New journals on Westlaw UK

Westlaw now provides access to the International Business Law Journal (currently 1995 to present, with plans to extend the archive back to 1986) and Res Publica: a Journal of Legal, Moral and Social Philosophy (1997 to present). 

From 30th December 2009 the following journals will also become available:

The WIPO Journal: Analysis and Debate of Intellectual Property Issues (from Issue 1, 2009)

Law and Philosophy (1997 to present)

The European Journal of Law and Economics (1997 to present)

To access individual full-text journals from within Westlaw UK, select the Journals tab, then Full Text Articles and select the title of the journal you wish to search / browse across.

New journal on Westlaw UK

A recent addition to Westlaw's full-text journal offering is The European Lawyer (available from 2000 onwards). The main purpose of the journal is to address issues relating to the expansion and integration of the European single market, as well as looking at how it relates to global markets.

Annotated Statutes on Westlaw

Earlier this week Westlaw announced the launch of Annotated Statutes. All new Acts, as well as those published since 2007 will be / have been annotated. It is likely that key earlier Acts will be annotated over time.

So, what value do these annotations give to users of Westlaw UK? The idea is that they will explain the effect, purpose and likely application of each Act. More information is available on the Westlaw web site.

To find annotations, search for Legislation in the normal way. If an Act has been annotated an 'A' will appear beneath the Short Title in the results list. Within the Act, general annotations follow on from the Preamble, with section specific commentary appearing underneath the text of each provision. When printing or saving content you can choose to save the annotations.

The best way to find out more about how this new development works is to go into Westlaw UK and have a look for yourself. If you're not sure where to start, the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009 is a topical example.

New journals on Westlaw UK

Just a quick post to let you know that three journals have recently been added to Westlaw UK:

*The African Journal of Comparative & International Law, coverage from 2005
*International Trade Law & Policy, coverage from 1995
*The Journal of Financial Regulation & Compliance, coverage from 2002

If you wish to browse any of these titles individually, click on the Journals tab, select Full Text Articles and then click on the name of the journal.

Westlaw UK - Current Awareness

Westlaw UK have just announced that their Current Awareness content will now be updated every 15 minutes between 8am - 6pm during the working week. To access this content, select the Current Awareness heading from the home page of Westlaw UK. It is possible to search across content using keywords, or browse by subject to find information of particular relevance to you.

The Westlaw release provides a re-cap of what is included:
*The most important cases selected by case specialists
*Today’s legislation (Acts, Bills, and Statutory Instruments from all UK jurisdictions)
*Official material and government publications, including consultation documents, green papers, white papers, reports and press releases
*Key developments from over 450 leading Legal Journals
*European case law, legislation, press releases and information
*Non-governmental publications of legal significance e.g. guidance published by professional bodies
*Articles of legal and regulatory significance from the leading UK broadsheet newspapers

New journals on Westlaw

As of today, two new journals have been added to Westlaw.They are The European Lawyer (2000 onwards) and The African Journal of International and Comparative Law (2005 onwards).
According to the publicity material distributed by Westlaw, The European Lawyer
"...analyses a broad range of issues affecting the expansion and integration of the European single market and its relationship with global markets".

Whilst The African Journal of International and Comparative Law
"providing invaluable refereed material in both international and comparative law on a pan-African basis ...includes articles on public and private international law as well as coverage of recent developments".

So, if either of these journals cover areas of interest to you, just go to the Journals tab within Westlaw and select Full Text Articles to browse through the available issues.