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Electronic Database Instructions

The best way to learn how to use online databases is by actually going in and using them. Contact Sue Phillips, the Academic Resource Librarian, at suephil@mountainstate.edu for the required usernames and passwords.

Westlaw

Westlaw is an extremely effective Internet-accessible database used for conducting legal research. By using it, researchers may call up actual case law, statutory law, executive law and case law on a wide array of subjects. Here is how you would access it.

NOTE: Westlaw is very a powerful searching tool, but it also is quite expensive. As a result, our licensing agreement with West Group only allows for a limited number of users to be logged into Westlaw at a single time. Please, be sure to sign off of Westlaw when you are finished – this is very important!

Step 1: Click on the WestLaw link.

Step 2: At the login window, you must enter in a password and a Client ID. Click on "Sign On."

Step 3: Scroll to the bottom of the "Agreement" page and click on "go."

Step 4: Follow the instructions for Disabling the Pop-Up blocker or click on "Continue to Westlaw."

Step 5: Click on the Directory tab at the top of the page.

Step 6: Under Westlaw Directory, click on All Databases.

Step 7: Choose which databases you wish to search and expand that list by clicking on the "+" beside the title. Expand each list until you reach the appropriate database (i.e. West Virginia…Cases…State Courts).

Step 8: Type your keywords into the search box. If you are uncomfortable using keywords, click on "Natural Language" tab. When the search box appears, type in a phrase or sentence. It will perform the same search as the keyword search. Click on the preferred database’s box. Click on "Search WestLaw."

Step 9: On the results screen, click on the title of the document of choice.

Step 10: The Print icon and Email icon in on the upper right hand corner of the document.

SIGNING OFF: When you are finished searching Westlaw, it is very important to sign out officially. To do so, simply click on the on-screen "Sign Off" button with the mouse cursor. After a few seconds, the screen will read "Thank You for using Westlaw" You are now officially logged out.