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My small summer firm is having me use my school Westlaw to gain access to and print forms/cases outside of the firm's own Westlaw package. After a few weeks of feeling a little weird about this I looked it up, and it seems to be unethical and possibly borderline illegal. However, I'm nervous about refusing to do it since its a large chunk of my work and I would like to receive positive recommendations from some of the lawyers at the end of summer/next year. I guess what I'm asking is, can I personally get in trouble for this?

Maybe switch to Lexis. Lexis sent an email saying I could use Lexis Advance unlimited all summer, including for professional uses.

Anonymous User wrote:My small summer firm is having me use my school Westlaw to gain access to and print forms/cases outside of the firm's own Westlaw package. After a few weeks of feeling a little weird about this I looked it up, and it seems to be unethical and possibly borderline illegal. However, I'm nervous about refusing to do it since its a large chunk of my work and I would like to receive positive recommendations from some of the lawyers at the end of summer/next year. I guess what I'm asking is, can I personally get in trouble for this?

obviously you should out the firm

Westlaw explicitly says you cannot do this. Lexis explicitly says you can do this.

This is perhaps the only time where using lexis the credited response.

I thought all decent firms had moved to the unlimited package by now?

It's against your terms of use with Westlaw. In addition, it's a big red flag for the firm. Having a student use his account is the ultimate bush league move and brings into question whether that's the only reason the firm hired an SA.

OP here. Thanks everyone. I always kind of felt weird about it, but today it got way weirder when I noticed things with my Westlaw heading that I had not printed out on the office printer. Awhile back I had given one of the partners my password when he needed "emergency access" to research I had been doing earlier that day. I never thought he would keep it and keep using my Westlaw account (esp since the firm has their own, albeit more limited subscription). I plan on changing my password this week as a way to subtly let him know I would prefer if he didn't use it.

Don't change your password "this week." Change it this second.

Given that “emergency access” was the premise of supplying access, you should be able to change your password without too much blowback…. “emergency access” and “daily access” are much different given Westlaw’s strict usage policy. BTW: I am not that familiar with Lexis but I understand that Lexis is much cheaper, although I’ve heard WL is better.

(how small is this law firm?)

As devil/small-law's advocate, I think the terms of WL actually allow for summer intern use if unpaid or nonprofit.

Law firms aren't supposed to have unpaid interns at all, though, and since this was described as a firm it's probably not a non-profit.

The firm is 6 lawyers and a secretary. Its a decent office in a nice area, I'm having trouble reconciling why the partner would rather "steal" student westlaw that he can't even use without my name and "educational use only" blasted across the top than pay extra for what the firm needs. And I'm getting paid, so there's that.

Anonymous User wrote:The firm is 6 lawyers and a secretary. Its a decent office in a nice area, I'm having trouble reconciling why the partner would rather "steal" student westlaw that he can't even use without my name and "educational use only" blasted across the top than pay extra for what the firm needs. And I'm getting paid, so there's that.

Because it's free.

You need to let the firm know that your WestLaw access was cut off for the summer, either mysteriously, or after West noticed your use. But, on the bright side, you will be using Lexis Advance for the rest of the summer since Lexis allows you to.

Change your password ASAP & be upfront in a diplomatic fashion with the firm about your concerns.

I understand (and have heard of other small firms) using a student's WL, even if it's against terms of service. But asking for a PW for "emergency use" and then printing out tons of cases using it is so slimy.

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