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Selecting & Developing Your Seminar Paper Topic: Locating Legal Articles & Papers through Full Text Databases

This guide is designed to help law students select and research a topic for their upper level writing requirement.

HeinOnline, Law Journal Library

HeinOnline's Law Journal Library contains 1,700+ law and law-related periodicals.  Two advantages of using HeinOnline to find law review/journal articles are: 

1. The scope of coverage is generally more extensive than in Westlaw Edge and Lexis+.  Coverage is from the first issue published and runs through the most-currently published issues allowed based on contracts with publishers.  Depending on the journal, there may be a 1-3 year lag between the most current issue and the issue available in HeinOnline.

2.  Original issues are scanned into the database and available in PDF.

To search the database, use the Advanced Search Screen

Tip: If you know an article's citation, type the citation into the Citation Navigator

Tip: Obtain article > click: Cite > note availability of: Bluebook 21st ed. cite format.

Westlaw Edge's Law Reviews & Journals

Westlaw Edge's Law Reviews and Journals

Westlaw Edge's Law Reviews and Journals database contains articles and CLE materials from U.S. and Canadian based legal journals.  Coverage varies by publication, but generally begins in the 1980s and run through the most current issue.  

Lexis+ Law Reviews and Journals

Lexis+ Law Reviews and Journals database contains articles from law journals and CLE programs.  Coverage varies by publication, but generally begins in the 1980s and runs to the most current issue.  

SSRN (Social Science Research Network)

Focus: Articles and scholarly working papers regarding accounting, economics, finance, law, management, marketing, and negotiation 

Tip:  You do not need to register to access the full text of articles

Tip:  Search database by keyword, title, abstract or authors

Tip: Browse by network and subject area

Digital Commons Network, Law Commons

Click: a sub-discipline (e.g., Criminal Law, Entertainment, Arts, and Sports LawHuman Rights Law, Intellectual Property Law) > enter keywords in search box on top right of resulting page.

bepress Legal Repository

bepress is a network of law-related research materials. High quality working papers are contributed from law schools, research units, think tanks, conferences and other subject-appropriate groups.

Tip: Browse by subject or institution