Although you are already familiar with Westlaw and Lexis, the law library offers dozens of other legal databases that offer both primary source and secondary source material that is not available in Westlaw or Lexis. A full list of databases offering legal content is available at the Law Databases A-Z web page, where you can browse databases by title, or search their descriptions to identify relevant resources. We have highlighted a few valuable databases below; consult your librarian to determine which databases are more suitable for your assignment.
NOTE: To access most law databases while off campus, begin with Law Databases A-Z. Select your database, and you will be prompted to enter to your VUNet ID and password to authenticate.
Non-Law Databases
As a Vanderbilt student, you can access not just resources offering significant legal coverage, but most of the nearly 800 databases available to the broader Vanderbilt community. To locate databases containing content in other disciplines that may be relevant to your research, consult the full list of university databases and browse by subject, or search the database descriptions using the search bar to the upper-right side of the page. A librarian can also assist you in locating potentially relevant resources.
Some databases we suggest include:
Covers most business areas: management, marketing, economics, finance, accounting, & international business. Includes company reports, SWOT analyses, working papers, country reports, industry reports, case studies, etc.
Available for members of the Owen and Law community. Financial data for public & private companies worldwide; private capital firms; M&A transactions. Financial analysis tools to generate reports: comparable analysis, market analysis, financial modeling, etc. First-time users must register for a personal account using their vanderbilt.edu email address.
Capital IQ Shortcuts: http://researchguides.library.vanderbilt.edu/loader.php?type=d&id=889145
Private equity and venture capital database with in-depth information and statistics on a wide range of companies including startups. Establish benchmarks, find real time data on deals, identify and analyze comparables, and search investor details. Users are limited to 10 downloads per day and 25 downloads per month. Licensed for academic & curricular uses only. All accounts are reset in May of each year to ensure compliance. Having trouble registering with Pitchbook? Please see our FAQ at https://libanswers.library.vanderbilt.edu/management/faq/430223.
Quantitative data, statistics, infographics, and related information compiled from market research institutes, trade publications, scientific journals, and government databases. Please note: To access the eCommerce Insights module within Statista, click Insights > Explore eCommerce Insights and then click Login from at the top right of the screen.
Digitized collections of some of the nation’s great research libraries, established in this repository to archive and share their digital content.
Access Note: VU is a partner institution. Login is required for downloading. Tutorial: https://researchguides.library.vanderbilt.edu/HathiTrustAccess
Comprehensive legal research database. Extensive coverage of law reviews and historical access to resources such as the Federal Register, the Code of Federal Regulations, and US Supreme Court decisions. Legislative history and select foreign and international materials. Contains specialized libraries: intellectual property, taxation and economic reform, etc.
U.S. Congressional materials (hearings, bills, Congressional Record and compiled legislative histories) and Executive Branch documents.
Publications created by the United States Congress during the process leading up to the enactment of U.S. Public Laws.
United States federal administrative law histories organized by federal statute and executive order.
Formerly known as Cheetah, this database contains tax and accounting information in all areas. Also contains tools and smart charts.
International legal research refers to any research involving non-US law, as well as comparative analysis. We suggest you take a look at our specialty research guides to help you with research like this.
