Agency websites can be chock full of information - for free! Although you have unlimited access to useful databases as law students, that is unlikely to be the case as an attorney, particularly outside of high-paying firm jobs. Some government agencies will provide some level of access, depending on their own budgets and needs. Be aware that there are free places to find statutes, regulations, and administrative decisions outside of Westlaw and Lexis.
You might find information you did not know existed - and was very helpful! This could be useful for school research, practicing, or even in preparing for interviews. For example, the Executive Office for Immigration Review has a staff newsletter called Immigration Law Advisor that summarizes cases and analyzes legal issues. It goes back to 2007, and it can be searched by topic or browsed by date/author.
You can find practice resources - that are updated faster than subscription databases! Practicing or researching an area of the law does not stop at the regulations. There are rules on practicing before a particular body, rules for citation format, guidelines for rule implementation, etc. Some of these types of resources may be available online, but even if they are, the version on the website will likely be updated first. Here are some examples:
When it comes to agency websites, not all of them are created equally - some are much easier to navigate than others. If you are going to be doing substantial amount of work with a particular agency, you should take the time to play around the website. Take advantage of any search options within the website.
SEARCH TIP: You can use Google search capabilities on only one website at a time by using Google Advanced Search.The interface is similar to advanced searching on any electronic database, so it should be easy to use. To search one website using the tool, enter the website in the "site or domain" box.
