LibGuides: Case Law: Iowa and Other State Cases

Iowa

Iowa Supreme Court opinions (1942 to date) and Iowa Court of Appeals opinions (1977 to date) are reported in the North Western Reporter 2d (N.W.2d). Iowa Supreme Court opinions (1879-1942) are reported in the Northwestern Reporter (N.W.) (The Supreme Court has designated Thomson Reuters as the official reporter of Iowa decisions.) Iowa Reports contains Territorial Supreme Court and Iowa Supreme Court opinions from 1839 to 1968 (ceased publication with volume 261).

Iowa case law can be found via the sites listed below.

Iowa Judicial Branch
Includes published and unpublished opinions from the Iowa Supreme Court (since 2007) and Iowa Court of Appeals (since 2006). Also includes court rules, court schedules, and more. Once at the site, select the Iowa Courts heading, then choose the desired court from the menu.
Iowa Appellate Court Briefs Index (State Library of Iowa)
This database allows you to search for a particular case element and see the complete descriptive record, including docket number, case name, reporter citation, date, and court. For many unpublished decisions, a link in the record connects you to the printable PDF text of the opinion.
Iowa Cases (Westlaw)
This database contains opinions from the Supreme Court of the Territory of Iowa (1839 - 1846); Supreme Court (1847 - present); Court of Appeals (1977 - present).
Court opinions (Bloomberg Law)
This database contains opinions from the Supreme Court of the Territory of Iowa (1839 - 1846); Supreme Court (1847 - present); Court of Appeals (1977 - present).
Iowa Cases (Lexis)
This database contains opinions from the Supreme Court of the Territory of Iowa (1839 - 1846); Supreme Court (1847 - present); Court of Appeals (1977 - present).

Nexis Uni This link opens in a new window
Comprehensive coverage of Iowa Cases. From the "all content types" drop down menu to the right of the search box, choose Legal > Cases - US > Iowa, then enter search terms into the search box.

Court Listener
Includes opinions from federal and state courts. To limit jurisdiction, click Select Jurisdictions button. The collection is large but not comprehensive. Read more about coverage. From the Free Law Project.

• Print Sources
Iowa Reports: Law Library Iowa Wing KFI4245 .A2
North Western Reporter: Law Library Stacks KF 135 .N7
Unpublished Iowa Court of Appeals decisions from March, 1978-December, 2011: Law Library Iowa Wing at KFI 4248 .I52.

Other States

See our Reports and Digests tabs for more detailed information about the reporter system and to determine which states are in which reporter.

Cases from states other than Iowa can also be accessed through subscription services, such as

Bloomberg Law for Law Schools This link opens in a new window
Lexis for Law Schools This link opens in a new window
Nexis Uni This link opens in a new window
Westlaw for Law Schools This link opens in a new window

In addition, the following freely accessible websites provide access to state court cases, although the dates of coverage included vary by source.

State Law (Cornell's Legal Information Institute)
Links to state legal materials by state.
Case Law (Google Scholar)
Case coverage varies by state.
State Court Web Sites (National Center for State Courts)
Provides links to state judicial systems and individual courts.
Court Listener
Includes opinions from federal and state courts. To limit jurisdiction, click Select Jurisdictions button. The collection is large but not comprehensive. Read more about coverage. From the Free Law Project.

Case Law: Iowa and Other State Cases

Iowa

Other States

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