Research Guides: Law Library 101: Digital Research Help

Databases

We have many legal databases that will help you with legal research. You can access the most commonly used legal databases from the law library homepage.

You can find a complete list of all the online legal databases in the A-Z Database List. Some of the databases have restricted access. Please be aware of the symbol key which indicates the restriction of access to each database.

Library Research Guides

All research guides are created by librarians. It can be very helpful to use a research guide as a starting point for your research to find the proper databases and sources for your research topic.

Vanderbilt Library Research Guides
You can find a complete list of Vanderbilt Library Research Guides here.

Other law schools have useful research guides as well. Feel free to browse research guides at the following law school library websites:

Mobile Apps

Did you know that there are many Apps that you can use on your mobile devices to facilitate your studies at the law school? Here is a list of the most commonly used mobile apps:

Brightspace Pulse
A mobile app that helps students keep track of important updates. It brings news, deadlines, and grades together in one place so they can spend less time organizing and more time learning. Get it on Google Play for Android devices or download it in the Apple App Store for iOS devices.
Westlaw
You can use this app to access familiar Westlaw features including WestSearch™, KeyCite™, Folders, History, and Document Notes and Highlighting. You can also browse databases, content and more.
Lexis Advance
The Lexis+® Mobile app is designed to provide quick access to Cases, Statutes, Administrative Codes, and Shepard's® Citation Service reports from the Lexis+® service content on your Android or Apple phone or tablet device.
Bloomberg Law
You can use this app to access legal documents and news articles in your Queue, even when you are offline. It is available in the Apple App Store for iOS devices and on Google Play for Android devices.
HeinOnline App
You can use this app to view image-based PDFs, access content by citation, browse by volume, navigate a volume with an electronic table of contents, and use full advanced searching techniques. It is available for both Android and iOS devices.
CALI Mobile
No download required. Almost all CALI Lessons work on most tablets and smartphones. Use your device's internet browser to go to the CALI website (cali.org), login, and access the lessons. After opening the lesson, click the "mobile link" along the top row of links.

Other helpful apps include the following:

Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is a unified communication and collaboration platform that combines persistent workplace chat, video meetings, file storage (including collaboration on files), and application integration. The service integrates with other Microsoft Office 365 services (such as OneNote) and includes extensions that can integrate with non-Microsoft products (such as Trello).

Note Taking and Task Management Apps:

OneNote
Digital note taking (can be integrated with Teams)
Evernote
Meeting notes, web pages, projects, to-do lists.
Notion
One workspace for all your notes, work, and projects.
Things
Personal task manager that helps you achieve your goals. (Note: this app is not free)
PowerNotes
To get started with PowerNotes, visit powernotes.com and download/install the PowerNotes extension into your Chrome browser. Create a free account using your vanderbilt.edu email address.

Cloud File Organization & Storage:

Box
Box is a cloud storage solution that allows you to store up to 100 GB of files and access them from anywhere. Invite others to collaborate with you or share files and folders through a simple Web link. Use Box on your smartphone or tablet. Sync files from Box to your desktop and vice versa.
Dropbox

Legal news:

Stay up to date with the latest in legal news and follow Supreme Court cases with the ABA Journal and the SCOTUSblog apps. Both apps are free.

ABA Journal for Android
ABA members and ABA Journal subscribers can read full issues of the magazine, complete with added multimedia features, as the ABA’s flagship magazine is published each month. The app is available as a free download. ABA members are automatically subscribed to the digital versions, and can log in to read new issues and special supplements.
ABA Journal for iPhone/iPad
ABA members and ABA Journal subscribers can read full issues of the magazine, complete with added multimedia features, as the ABA’s flagship magazine is published each month. The app is available as a free download. ABA members are automatically subscribed to the digital versions, and can log in to read new issues and special supplements.
SCOTUSblog Android
Since fall of 2017, court watchers with Apple devices have been able to access SCOTUSblog content – posts, case pages, stat packs, special features, videos, the court’s calendar and more – on the go via our free iOS app. We are excited to announce the launch of a companion app for Android users, available now for free in the Google Play Store. In addition to viewing content, users can easily access the blog’s social media and participate in polls about issues at the court. Please do not hesitate to contact us at feedback@scotusblog.com with any ideas for improvement.
SCOTUSblog iOS app
The new SCOTUSblog iOS app is now available in the App Store for free download. Users will have mobile access to the regular content on the blog – posts, case pages, stat packs, special features and videos, as well as “This week at the court,” the court’s calendar and the blog’s social media. In addition, users will be able to receive push notifications pertaining to breaking news at the Supreme Court and to participate in polls about issues before the court. We plan on introducing an Android version as well. Please do not hesitate to contact us (feedback@scotusblog.com) with any ideas for improvement.

Photo-to-PDF converters:

Instead of scanning and copying from large case law books, students can use these camera apps to take pictures of journals and case reviews and download the images in PDF form straight to their phone or tablet.

CamScanner
CamScanner users can pay $0.99 to upgrade and remove watermarks from scanned docs.
Scanner Pro for iOs
Scanner Pro is one of the greatest scanning apps for iPhone and iPad. It has powerful scanning features, and apart from scanning the PDFs, it quickly scans any document on your iPhone and iPad. It scans the document with the camera of your iPad or iPhone, and you can send them to Google Drive, Dropbox, Evernote, iCloud, and One Drive, or you can save them on your IOS device.
Camera to PDF for Android
JotNot Scanner App
Available on iOS or Android.

Collaborative To-Dos:

Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is a unified communication and collaboration platform that combines persistent workplace chat, video meetings, file storage (including collaboration on files), and application integration. The service integrates with other Microsoft Office 365 services (such as OneNote) and includes extensions that can integrate with non-Microsoft products (such as Trello).
Microsoft To Do
(free for iOS and Android Users). The collaboration features are perfect for managing law school study groups, team assignments, or club events as it allows users delegate tasks, monitor progress, and set reminders to avoid missing deadlines. To Do also lets you attach pics, PDFs, and documents onto “to-dos,” making it an easy way to organize both your personal and academic life.

Law Library 101: Digital Research Help

Quick Reference

Databases

Library Research Guides

Mobile Apps