Find articles, books, and more. Help guide(Note: additional content available in other databases.)
SuperSearch provides access to many full-text online materials and all of the Drake libraries print holdings. For print materials, SuperSearch indicates whether Law or Cowles owns an item, its location and call number, and if it is checked out or on the shelf.
Search for journal articles from the main or advanced interface or by clicking the Journal Finder link.
See the library's SuperSearch guide for instructions and tips, including how to find an article by citation.
As a Drake law student, you have access to extensive online research sources.
Case Reporters (Primary Source)
Reporters are printed publications that contain court opinions categorized by state or federal jurisdiction. All current reporters are listed in the Locator Guide, along with their library locations.
State appellate court opinions are found in seven regional reporters:
Federal court opinions can be found in the Federal Reporter (covering Court of Appeal opinions) and Federal Supplement (covering District Court opinions)
Opinions from the Supreme Court of the United States can be found in:
Statutes (Primary Source)
State Statutes: Some statutes are annotated (include case citations and references to other materials, e.g., the Iowa Code Annotated) and others are not (e.g., Code of Iowa). Iowa materials are available in Ready Reference on the first floor and the Iowa Wing on the second floor. Other state statutes are organized alphabetically by state (call numbers KFA-KFW) on the third floor of the Law Library.
Federal Statutes: Federal statutory law is found in the United States Code (U.S.C.). The Law Library holds both annotated and non-annotated versions. The sets are located on the first floor of the law library with call numbers starting KF 62.
Regulations (Primary Source)
The legislature must give agencies the authority to enact regulations (also called rules) through legislation called an enabling act. The public is given notice when rules are proposed for adoption and are permitted to provide comment during a specified time frame. When proposed rules become final, they are published in a code containing all the regulations currently in effect. At the federal level, proposed regulations are published in the Federal Register and final rules are published in the Code of Federal Regulations.
Periodicals (Secondary Source)
Periodicals are considered “secondary sources” (meaning they explain the law but are not themselves considered "the law") used for legal research. They are comprised of law-related materials written by law faculty (articles) and law students (notes and comments). Law reviews and journals may be academic (when published by law schools) or professional (when published by bar associations or other organizations).
Periodicals are helpful for understanding a particular legal topic and can provide persuasive arguments regarding legal interpretations. Bound periodicals are available on the second floor of the law library, where they are organized alphabetically by title.
Treatises (Secondary Source)
Treatises (a fancy word for “extensively researched books that typically discuss one topic of law”) are also considered secondary sources. These are located throughout the library, depending on the topic covered.
You can find treatises by subject, title, or author using the Law Library's catalog.
American Law Reports (Secondary Source)
ALRs provide summaries for specific legal issues and include references to case law, statutes, periodical articles, and other helpful resources. They are divided into a federal set (KF 105.A54) and non-federal numbered sets (KF 132.A5), all located on the first floor of the law library.