Academics
Academics
Iowa Legal Research
For assistance with print or electronic resources, ask a reference librarian.| Legal Citation | Starting Points | Constitution and Statutes | Case Law |
| Court Rules | Attorney General Opinions | Administrative Rules and Regulations | Local Government |
Legal Citation
Legal citation provides a standard format for referring to legal resources so that the references can easily be found by others. In brief, the part of a legal citation that indicates where something is published typically includes the following elements:
Volume or Title number
Publication (usually abbreviated). This may be followed by a series designation.
First page or section number Note: the symbol § means section.
Examples:
421 N.W.2d 877 refers to volume 421 of the North Western Reporter, Second Series page 877
44 U.S.C. § 1901 refers to Title 44 of the United States Code, section 1901
Iowa Code § 336.8 refers to section 336.8 of the Code of Iowa
I.C.A. § 336.8 refers to section 336.8 of the Iowa Code Annotated.
For assistance in deciphering abbreviations for legal publications consult the following:
Legal Abbreviations, a Drake Law Library guide to common legal abbreviations.
Bieber's Dictionary of Legal Abbreviations, 5th ed. (Hein, 2001)
Print Access: Information Desk, KF 246 .B46.
Electronic Access: LexisNexis (password required).
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation, 18th ed. (Harvard Law Review Association, c2005)
Print Access: Information Desk, Stacks, KF245 .U55 2005
ALWD Citation Manual: A Professional System of Citation, 3d ed. (Aspen Publishers, c2006)
Print Access: Information Desk, Reserve, Stacks, KF245 .A45 2006
Starting Points
Iowa Legal Research Guide, edited by John D. Edwards (William S. Hein & Co., 2003) is an excellent starting point for conducting legal research in Iowa.
Print Access: Reserve, Ready Reference, Iowa Wing, KFI4275.E339 2003
Statutes:
If you have a reference to a provision of the Iowa Code (e.g., Iowa Code Section 256.57), look up the code section in Iowa Code Annotated (Ready Reference; Iowa Reference). Each code section is accompanied by annotations and references to the history of the statute, law review commentaries, references to court cases that have interpreted or construed the statute, cross references to related statutes, library references to secondary materials, and other helpful information. If you do not have a specific code section, begin with the General Index to the Iowa Code Annotated. The General Index is a subject or topical index to the provisions of the code. For example, if you look up the subject "Long Term Care Facilities," you will find a listing of all the code sections that refer to some aspect of long term care facilities.
Cases:
If you need to find an Iowa case and you only have the names of the parties, go to the Table of Cases in the Iowa Digest (Ready Reference; Iowa Reference). In the Table of Cases, cases are listed in alphabetical order along with the appropriate citation for the case. If you want to find Iowa cases on a particular topic, refer to the Iowa Digest. In a subject arrangement, the Iowa Digest provides a list of cases (with citations) pertaining to that subject along with summaries of each case's points of law.
Iowa Constitution and Statutes
The current Iowa Constitution was adopted in 1857. It can also be found in volume 1 of the Code of Iowa, volume 1,2 of the Iowa Code Annotated, and the Iowa Official Register.
Print Access: Reserve (most current only), Iowa Wing KFI 4225 .A2
Electronic Access: Iowa General Assembly Iowa Acts beginning with the 75th General Assembly (1993), LexisNexis (password required or use public access station in library), Westlaw current or historical (password required or use public access station in library)
The Code of Iowa (Legislative Service Agency) is the official compilation of all the general and permanent laws of Iowa. It is organized into subjects arranged by chapter number. The first Iowa Code was published in 1851. Codes are currently published biennially in odd-numbered years and kept up to date by supplements issued in even-numbered years.
Print Access: Reserve and Ready Reference (both current only); Iowa Wing KFI 4230 (both current and historic)
Electronic Access: Iowa General Assembly beginning with the 1995 version, Westlaw (password required or use public access station in library).
Like the Code of Iowa, the Iowa Code Annotated (West) includes the text of the statutes. In addition, the Iowa Code Annotated offers extended references to the history of the statute, as well as law review commentaries, notes on decisions (references to court cases that have interpreted or construed the statute), cross references to related statutes, library references to secondary materials, and other helpful information. The Iowa Code Annotated is kept up to date by pocket parts and/or supplements and the Iowa Legislative Service (West).
Print Access: Reserve, Ready Reference, I-3, KFI 4230 [year].A42
Electronic Access (password required or use public access station in library): Westlaw, LexisNexis offers a different annotated version of the Code of Iowa.
Citators indicate whether a law is still valid or has changed through passage of a new law or court decisions. Shepard's Iowa Citations, Statute Edition shows citations to the Iowa Constitution, codes, laws (acts not codified at the time they are cited), and county and city ordinances that are cited in reported decisions of the Iowa and federal courts, Iowa Attorney General Opinions, legal periodicals and texts, annotations and the laws of Iowa.
Print Access: Ready Reference
Electronic Access (password required or use public access station in library):
Westlaw's KeyCite or LexisNexis' Shepard's.
See also the Drake Law Library page on Iowa Legislation.
Iowa Case Law
The Iowa judicial branch includes a Supreme Court, a Court of Appeals, and District Courts. Most cases begin at the district, or trial, court. In the district court, a judge or a jury listens to evidence, determine the facts of the case, and apply the law to decide the case. If one of the parties believes a legal error was made in an Iowa district court, the case can be appealed to the Iowa Supreme Court. The Iowa Supreme Court typically hears appeals that involve a constitutional question, an apparent conflict with legal precedent, or legal issues of "first impression" (the issue has never been decided by the Iowa Supreme Court). The Court of Appeals is Iowa’s intermediate appellate court. It hears cases referred to it by the Supreme Court. For more information about Iowa court structure, procedures, and more, see the Public Information section of the Iowa Judicial Branch web page.
There are eight judicial districts in Iowa. Iowa district court orders and decisions are typically neither published nor released on the web. Some district court information can be found using Iowa Courts Online. With proper citation information, files can also be accessed from the district clerk of court office.
The Iowa Supreme Court decided its first case in July of 1839. The Iowa Court of Appeals was established by the General Assembly in 1976. The Iowa Judicial branch offers summaries and full text of opinions since 1998 for both Iowa Supreme Court and Iowa Court of Appeals decisions.
Complete coverage of both courts' decisions are also available electronically with a password or using a public access station in the library through Westlaw and LexisNexis.
Print sources of Iowa Supreme Court opinions include:
North Western Reporter 2d contains Iowa Supreme Court opinions from 1942 to date; kept up-to-date by weekly advance sheets. The Supreme Court has designated West Publishing Co. as the official reporter of Iowa decisions.
Location: shelf ranges 19, I-1 and I-2
North Western Reporter contains Iowa Supreme Court opinions from 1879-1942.
Location: shelf ranges 19, I-1
Iowa Reports contains Iowa Supreme Court opinions from 1855-1968; ceased publication with volume 261.
Location: shelf ranges I-5
Decisions prior to 1855 were reported in Bradford (1838-1841), Morris (1839-1846) and Greene (1847-1854). (Prior to the systematic official publication of Iowa case law, various individuals privately published court decisions compiled from their observations and notes. These early publications are referred to by the names of those who published them and are called "nominative reporters.") Sources for these early decisions can be found in the library in the Iowa Wing at call number KFI4245.1.
Print sources of Iowa Court of Appeals opinions include:
North Western Reporter 2d contains Iowa Court of Appeals opinions from 1977 to date; kept up-to-date by weekly advance sheets.
Location: shelf ranges 19, I-1 and I-2
Appellate records and briefs from cases appealed from Iowa's district courts are available at the Law Library.
Print Access: 1910-1986, 3rd Floor, North End; 1986-current, Iowa Wing (Briefs and records submitted to the Supreme Court are bound in orange. Briefs and records submitted to the Court of Appeals are bound in brown.)
Electronic Access (password required): Selected access to Iowa Supreme Court briefs through Westlaw (1994+).
Citators verify the current status of a case, find later cases that have cited a case, and find parallel citations. Shepard's Iowa Citations, Case Edition shows citations to Iowa cases reported in the various series of Iowa Reports or in the Northwestern Reporter, as cited in the reported decisions of the Iowa and federal courts, in the Opinions of the Attorney General of Iowa, in articles in legal periodicals and texts, and in annotations.
Print Access: Ready Reference
Electronic Access (password required or use public access station in library):
Westlaw's KeyCite or LexisNexis' Shepard's.
Shepard's Northwestern Reporter Citations includes Iowa cases and provides not only citations to the case by Iowa courts (as Shepard's Iowa Citations does) but also cites cases from throughout the country that have cited the case.
Print Access: Index Tables
Electronic Access (password required or use public access station in library):
Westlaw's KeyCite or LexisNexis' Shepard's.
Iowa Court Rules
The official version of the Iowa Court Rules is published by the Iowa Supreme Court. The rules cover rules of practice and procedure, judicial administration, bar admission and conduct, and judicial qualification and conduct.
Print Access: Reserve (most recent edition), Iowa Wing (historical) KFI 4729.A2
Electronic Access: PDF from Iowa Legislative Services Agency
Court rules are also available in Iowa Rules of Court, State, published by Thomson West.
Print Access: Information Desk, Ready Reference, Iowa Wing, KFI 4729 .A194
Electronic Access (password required or use public access station in library): Westlaw LexisNexis
The conduct of Iowa lawyers and judges is governed by Iowa Court Rules. The Iowa Rules of Professional Conduct are set forth in Chapter 32 and are also available on the web. The Iowa Code of Judicial Conduct is set forth in Chapter 51.
In addition to the Iowa Court Rules, some judicial districts have local rules that govern certain aspects of court operations. (Click district and then local rules link).
Iowa Attorney General Opinions
The Iowa Attorney General's Office has many duties including: protecting consumers, fighting crime, helping victims of crime, working for farmers, protecting the environment, raising child support awareness, representing state government, and issuing Attorney General opinions. A Guide to Attorney General Opinions is available on the Attorney General's Web site.
There are several sources for opinions or summaries of opinions:
Report of the Attorney General of Iowa
1886-1968: Lower Level, Microform Room, Microfilm 29, Reels 1-6
1960-1996: Iowa Wing, KFI 4640.5 I6
Iowa Attorney General Opinions
1982-2002: Iowa Wing, KFI 4640.56 I6
Iowa Attorney General Opinion database
1977 - current: West's free-access database, Westlaw (password required or use public access station in library), LexisNexis (password required or use public access station in library)
Summary of Iowa Attorney General Opinions
1988-2005: from the Iowa Legislature Heritage Digital Collection
Iowa Administrative Rules and Regulations
The Iowa Administrative Code (IAC) contains the current administrative rules of executive agencies of Iowa government.
Electronic Access: Iowa Legislature
Print Access (Historic materials only): Ready Reference, KFI 4235.A22
The Iowa Administrative Bulletin (IAB) contains bi-weekly updates to the Iowa Administrative Code.
Electronic Access: Iowa Legislature
Print Access (Historic materials only): Ready Reference, Iowa Wing, KFI 4236.I68
In addition, the current Iowa Administrative Code, updated by the Iowa Administrative Bulletin, is available with a password or via a public access station in library on Westlaw and LexisNexis.
Iowa Local Government
The state of Iowa has 99 counties and 947 cities. Each of these entities adopts its own laws, frequently in the form of a Code of Ordinances. Current ordinances of selected Iowa municipalities and selected Iowa counties are available online.
Revised by Karen Wallace, Circulation/Reference Librarian
Last Revised: May 2009, KW
Please feel free to e-mail the author with suggestions for improving this guide.
