The law is always changing and keeping abreast of the changes in your research area can be challenging. This is true for all students studying law, but especially for those students involved with the Sunderland Student Law Clinic.
Keeping up to date with changes in the law is also a key skill that all legal professionals need in order to advise clients accurately. It’s therefore vital for legal professionals to stay on top of new developments. Fortunately there are many tools available to assist you in your quest to stay up-to-date:
Alerting services. Some legal databases and Library Search offer alerting services. Alerting services allow you to set up a profile detailing the subjects that interest you. The database will then alert you by e-mail each time new material is added which matches your interests. You could for example, ask to be alerted each time a record is added to the database which includes a particular keyword or the name of a particular case, act or author. You can also ask to be alerted each time new materials appear in your broad subject area (e.g. human rights).
Also, this 2018 article from the Guardian Law section covers Latest in law: how to stay on top of legal news.
This blog post, from The Lawyer Portal looks at how to Stay Up-to-Date With Legal News – Top 10 Tips
The first time you login to Westlaw, you will be prompted to create a 'Thomson Reuters One Pass' account. You need to register with your name and university email address. One Pass allows you to personalise your Westlaw experience (favourites, highlights, notes, email alerts). You should not require a 'Registration Key' - please contactLibrary Talkif you are unable to log in without entering a key.
Use Social Media! It’s a great idea to get on social media, for example: X (formerly Twitter), Instagram or Facebook Social media can be an effective means of keeping up-to-date with legal news and events as well as increasing your academic network. Also, start following the companies or legal professionals you aspire to to work with. They will regularly post about industry information and the latest job postings.