#StayHomeWorkSafe with Free Access to Westlaw Edge

The Stay Home Work Safe order in Harris County remains in effect until April 30. As we all do our part to stop the spread of COVID-19, access to digital legal research resources remains critical. That’s why we are pleased to report that Thomson Reuters is providing free access to Westlaw Edge for Harris County Law Library patrons!

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Free Access to Westlaw Edge

To help you keep researching while you stay home and work safe, you can sign up for a free Westlaw Edge account that extends the typical 7-day trial to give you 20 hours of research through June 30, 2020. Edge is the latest research platform from Westlaw that integrates artificial-intelligence search capabilities with Thomson Reuter’s catalog of must-have titles and tools for legal researchers. Access Keycite, headnotes, annotations, and more legal research necessities for free while you work remotely. To get started, download the instructions:

Please note: if you’ve subscribed to Westlaw in the past or signed up for a trial account, the email address you used may not be eligible for this offer.

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Keep Researching with free access to Lexis, HeinOnline, Fastcase, and more!

Westlaw joins a growing number of legal research database providers who are extending free access during the COVID-19 pandemic. Last week, we shared news about an offer from LexisNexis to make Lexis Advance database subscriptions available to all Harris County Law Library patrons. Additional options include:

• The Texas State Law Library offers access to several databases to all Texans through its website. If you are in Texas, you can sign up for a free account and learn more about accessing Lexis eBooks, Fastcase, HeinOnline, and more at https://guides.sll.texas.gov/electronic-databases/remote.

• Update! Casetext is offering free access to its AI-powered legal research platform through May 31 for attorneys who are unable to access their usual research resources. More details at https://casetext.com/covid-access/.

• Texas Bar Books is offering free access to the Texas Guardianship Manual Online through May 31. The Manual includes a wide range of power of attorney and advance directive documents that many attorneys will find useful while assisting clients during the current public health concerns.

• New Emergency Procedure Forms from the Texas Family Law Practice Manual are now available for free online. The new forms help attorneys and litigants request modification of deadlines, leave to appear remotely, and other procedures in family courts during times of public emergency.

• Visit the Harris County Law Library’s Online Legal Research Tools page to learn more about free access to digital legal materials at your fingertips!

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Document Delivery from the Law Library’s Legal Research Databases

Even with free access to standard tools from Lexis at your disposal, not every copyrighted practice guide, form book, and treatise is available to you. Under normal circumstances, everyone has access to robust subscriptions from Lexis eBooks, Westlaw, Lexis Advance, HeinOnline, State Bar of Texas Practice Manuals, and more within steps of the courthouse on the Law Library’s research computers. To help maintain access while we’re all working remotely, our law librarians can make many of these materials available to you via email through our Virtual Reference Desk. If you need a document, let us know and one of our law librarians will provide it to you via email (subject to limitations set by the vendor) as soon as possible.

Digital Resources for Advanced Planning During Difficult Times

Yesterday, Houston Volunteer Lawyers announced publication of a new resource; a Do-It-Yourself Guide for Handwritten “Holographic” Wills. This is an excellent resource for Texans who are unable to access services to help with estate planning, such as HVL’s Will-a-thon program, during this time of public health concern.

Advanced Planning Resources

HVL’s announcement reminds us that it is important to know where to find resources to plan for incapacity when you are ready to do so. To help, here are some resources that provide information about wills, powers of attorney, medical directives, and more:

• Self-help eBooks from the Texas State Law Library

• Free access to Guardianship Manual from TexasBarBooks

• Advance Directive forms, including a Durable Statutory Power of Attorney form, from the Texas Department of Health and Human Services

• Transfer on Death Deed - forms and information from TexasLawHelp.org

Free Access to Lexis (and more!) to Help You #StayHomeWorkSafe

As we all #StayHomeWorkSafe here in Harris County through April 30, access to legal research databases that are typically available at the Law Library may be hard to find. That’s why our law librarians are constantly working with our vendors to make more information available to you remotely during this difficult time. While you’re doing all you can to help stop the spread of COVID-19, we’re still here to help… virtually, of course.

Free Access to Lexis Advance

Access to professional legal resources, like LexisNexis, is essential for legal researchers. Tools like citators, headnotes, and annotations that help researchers determine if a case or statute is still “good law” are copyrighted and only available through expensive database subscriptions (learn more with our on-demand video training Blending Your Legal Research). That’s why free access to Lexis Advance is such a big deal and why we’re very pleased to announce that Harris County Law Library patrons can now sign up for a free 30-day account. Visit the registration page to sign up for your free account now.

Document Delivery from the Law Library’s Legal Research Databases

Even with free access to standard tools from Lexis at your disposal, not every copyrighted practice guide, form book, and treatise is available to you. Under normal circumstances, everyone has access to robust subscriptions from Lexis eBooks, Westlaw, Lexis Advance, HeinOnline, State Bar of Texas Practice Manuals, and more within steps of the courthouse on the Law Library’s research computers. To help maintain access while we’re all working remotely, our law librarians can make many of these materials available to you via email through our Virtual Reference Desk. If you need a document, let us know and one of our law librarians will provide it to you via email (subject to limitations set by the vendor) as soon as possible.

Additional Options to Stay Connected

More free access to legal research databases to keep you working while we #FlattenTheCurve:

• The Texas State Law Library offers access to several databases to all Texans through its website. If you are in Texas, you can sign up for a free account and learn more about accessing Lexis eBooks, Fastcase, HeinOnline, and more at https://guides.sll.texas.gov/electronic-databases/remote.

• Casetext is offering free access to its AI-powered legal research platform through April 23 for attorneys who are unable to access their usual research resources. More details at https://casetext.com/covid-access/.

• Texas Bar Books is offering free access to the Texas Guardianship Manual Online through May 31. The Manual includes a wide range of power of attorney and advance directive documents that many attorneys will find useful while assisting clients during the current public health concerns.

• New Emergency Procedure Forms from the Texas Family Law Practice Manual are now available for free online. The new forms help attorneys and litigants request modification of deadlines, leave to appear remotely, and other procedures in family courts during times of public emergency.

• Visit the Harris County Law Library’s Online Legal Research Tools page to learn more about free access to digital legal materials at your fingertips!

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Blending Your Research Resources

Learn more about incorporating free online resources into your legal research routine with the Law Library’s one-hour, on-demand CLE video titled “Blending Your Legal Research” Stream it now on our Legal Tech Institute Learn On-Demand page.

The Law Library is open... virtually!

Like many public spaces, the Law Library is currently closed to the public as public health concerns continue. However, many of the valuable services and resources are still available through our Virtual Reference Desk.

As many professionals in our local legal community transition to working remotely, access to the legal databases that they typically access in the Law Library remains important. Likewise, self-represented litigants have fewer options to access the resources they need to access justice as public spaces are temporarily closed.

The Law Library is here to help. We have worked with vendors, including Lexis, Westlaw, HeinOnline, and the State Bar of Texas, to make valuable resources available through document delivery via our Virtual Reference Desk. Our law librarians are standing by to help you find the legal research materials you need to Stay Home and Work Safe!

Our law librarians are also collecting the information you need to comply with emerging tech requirements. For example, as local courts transition to video conferencing for hearings and more depositions take place remotely, our Video Conference Resource Guide helps you find the learning opportunities you need to keep working in the new normal. Download your copy here!

Learn more about remote depositions and video conferencing with a new video CLE from the Houston Bar Association!

Now is a great time to improve your tech skills with training opportunities from the Law Library’s Legal Tech Institute. Visit the Learn On-Demand page to find learning opportunities that are available at home or on the go.

Legal Tech Institute Publishes 2020 Course Catalog

The Harris County Law Library’s Legal Tech Institute published the 2020 Course Catalog for its Hands-On Legal Tech Training Program. Four new sessions, including “Microsoft PowerPoint for Legal Work” and “Basic Automation for Lawyers,” debut in the new Catalog. In total, nine sessions will be offered on rotation every Thursday at 2 p.m. in the Legal Tech Lab at the Law Library.

“Since the Law Library joined our Office, we have worked to make it a destination where all residents of Harris County can connect with their government and access legal information,” Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan said. “I encourage everyone to take advantage of the free educational programs at the Law Library and to never hesitate to ask to use ‘our’ resources – they are your resources.”

More than 250 people attended programs from the Legal Tech Institute in 2019, which was double the number who attended in 2018. Training sessions are free and open to all, and most carry free continuing legal education credit for Texas attorneys courtesy of the CLE Committee for the Office of Vince Ryan, Harris County Attorney.

“Finding adequate legal tech training opportunities can be difficult for both attorneys and self-represented litigants,” said Legal Tech Institute Director Joe Lawson. “As a public law library, our mission is to eliminate barriers to accessing legal information. Offering these free, hands-on training opportunities to all is a big step in the right direction.”

Visit the Legal Tech Institute website at www.harriscountylawlibrary.org/tech to download a copy of the Course Catalog and to register for an upcoming training session. Anyone who is unable to register on the website can find assistance Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., at the Law Library’s reference desk, located at 1019 Congress Street, 1st floor, Houston, Texas 77002, or by phone at (713)755-5183.

About the Harris County Law Library

The Harris County Law Library opened in 1915 and has continued to serve Harris County’s legal information needs for more than a century. After joining the Office of Vince Ryan, Harris County Attorney, in 2011, the Law Library greatly expanded its technology offerings and educational opportunities. Ryan’s support for the revitalization of the Law Library was recognized by the American Association of Law Libraries in 2016 when he was named the Law Library Advocate of the Year. The Law Library is open to the public Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Visit www.harriscountylawlibrary.org for more information.