Staffed Hours:
David Schoen
716-286-8002
Note: If you have a disability that requires assistance, accommodation, or information in an accessible format, please contact me.
Primary Sources of Law: Cases, Statutes, and Regulations
Nexis Uni (formerly Lexis/Nexis): A vast collection of business, news, and legal resources. Especially relevant for its comprehensive content of legal materials, including court cases, statutes, and regulations from Canada, the United States, and the world. Most of the time, you will start your research with this database.
Hein Online: A diverse collection of contemporary and historical legal resources.
CanLII: Provides access to Canadian court cases, statutes, and regulations.
Secondary Reference Sources for Legal Background Information
American Jurisprudence: This encyclopedia offers one of the most comprehensive overviews of U.S. law available. It covers every major field—state and federal, civil and criminal, substantive and procedural—and distills complex legal doctrines into clear, usable explanations.
Wex: A free legal dictionary and encyclopedia sponsored and hosted by the Legal Information Institute at Cornell Law School.
Journals, Newspapers, and Magazines
Law Reviews and Journals via Nexis Uni: Provides access to hundreds of legal journals.
ProQuest: Provides access to journals, magazines, and newspapers.
Newsbank: Provides access thousands of newspapers.
Google Scholar: You can find court cases with this database, but it is most useful for finding journal articles. Tip: Tell Google Scholar what your home library is so you can access to Niagara University's journal subscriptions. Here is how: https://niagara.libanswers.com/faq/347817
Legal Forms
New York Legal Forms: A wide selection of essential New York state-specific (and multi-state) legal forms that may be customized for the most common legal procedures.
Nexis Uni Legal Forms: All available State and practice Legal Forms including Bender's Forms for the Civil Practice, Rabkin & Johnson Current Legal Forms with Tax Analysis, and other sources. This database is a deep legal dive rather than something you would use for everyday needs.
Generative AI: Tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Google Gemini can draft legal forms, but they should be used cautiously and reviewed against authoritative legal sources.