Question: When will my Westlaw and Lexis access end?

The MLaw Library provides MLaw students with access to the major legal databases Westlaw, Lexis, and Bloomberg Law, but each company decides exactly when graduating law students lose access to their legal databases, as well as whether access continues over the summer for continuing law students.

For Winter 2025 MLaw graduates, here is what you can expect:

• (To Be Updated for 2025. Likely very similar.) Lexis: Spring graduates will be able to continue using their law school Lexis ID through December 31, 2024. No registration is required. Graduates can sign into Lexis+ as usual. They will have the same legal and news content enjoyed in law school, excluding public records.
  • On July 10, 2024, graduates' law school ID will transition to a graduate ID.
  • See attached flyer for more information.
• ​Westlaw: Graduates have access to Thomson Reuters products, including Westlaw and Practical Law, for six (6) months after graduation. Your “Grad Elite” access gives you 60 hours of usage on these products per month to gain understanding, build research skills, and study for the bar, but they are not to be used in situations where you are billing a client.
  • To extend access, graduates must either
    • Log in to www.lawschool.tr.com. Use the drop-down menu by your name to go to Grad Elite Status, or
    • Click on this link: https://lawschool.westlaw.com/authentication/gradelite

  • The permissible use (for graduates and continuing students) is for non-commercial work, meaning you can turn to these resources to gain understanding and build confidence in your research skills, but you cannot use them in situations where you are billing a client. Examples of permissible uses for your academic password include the following: Summer coursework, Research assistant assignments, Law Review or Journal research, Moot Court research, Non-Profit work (either required for graduation or as part of a class), Clinical work, Externship sponsored by the school.

• Bloomberg Law: Graduates will have Bloomberg Law access for six (6) months following graduation. This access is automatic (no registration required) and is unlimited and unrestricted (meaning, students may use their academic accounts for “work” purposes).

​Contact your Reps with Questions About Access (or anything else)

• Westlaw Precision: Jill Burnette-Maurice Jill.Burnette-Maurice@thomsonreuters.com 
• Lexis+: Kelsey Cross kelsey.cross@lexisnexis.com 
• Bloomberg Law: Colin Caleb at ccaleb@bloombergindustry.com

Continuing Students

Students who will be returning to Michigan Law in the Fall should retain access to their legal database accounts over the summer without any interruption. If you are unable to access your account, please contact Kate E. Britt at kebritt@umich.edu.

Other E-Resources

See the following FAQ regarding access to other subscription-based databases: https://libanswers.law.umich.edu/faq/367638.