Research Tip #2: Stay current on your topic

It is important to keep abreast of changes in the legal world that pertain to your paper topic; statutes are amended, new cases are decided, and novel issues arise, all which can affect the validity of your research.  Below we have provided information on three legal news sources you can utilize to stay up-to-date on your topic, as well as linked to two research guides that detail other legal current awareness resources.

BNA reports
BNA is a subscription resource for legal and business news that provides daily reports as well as topical libraries that cover the full range of legal practice areas.  BNA content includes primary and secondary resources as well as company and market information; it is an excellent resource for information on current legislative, administrative, and judicial developments.  BNA resources are available through the Law Library’s website as well as on Bloomberg Law.  You can also receive BNA updates via e-mail.

Law360
Law 360 is also a continually updated subscription source for legal news, and is now available on Lexis Advance.  Content includes daily news across 37 practice areas, in-depth topical analysis by legal practitioners, and real-time tracking and reports on over 10,000 companies. You can set up alerts in Law360 and have information on developments in the area of law you are interested in delivered to you via email – Lexis offers an informational video on how to set up alerts in Law360.

News in WestlawNext
WestlawNext offers access to legal news through its News page, which contains information from newspapers, magazine, journals, television, and radio transcripts.  To have news content delivered to your e-mail simply set up an alert – Westlaw offers information on how to set up alerts in WestlawNext.

Current Awareness Tools Research Guide – Ross-Blakley Law Library, Arizona State University

Resources for Staying Current Research Guide – Gallagher Law Library, University of Washington