Many legal resources that exist in electronic (computerized) form can be found on the internet.  (See the ICAA web site, www.iowa-icaa.com.)  They can usually be viewed while online using Netscape or Internet Explorer, or your Internet Service Provider's (ISP) browser such as AOL or MSN.

Some documents can only be viewed by using "Adobe Reader" or Microsoft's "Word" viewer.  Some sites give you a choice: for example, the Iowa Supreme Court (http://www.judicial.state.ia.us/) gives you the choice of viewing opinions in your browser (Netscape or Explorer) or in Word format.   The United States Supreme Court (http://supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/) gives you the choice of using your browser "html" version or using Adobe Reader.

Even if you are given a choice and can view the document using your internet browser, you will normally want to choose a different format (if offered by the site) to print the document or save it on your own computer. If the site you are looking at allows you to view an opinion in an Adobe or Word format, it gives a cleaner look because all that is visible is the opinion itself, not the margin material or banner.   This is particularly helpful if you are copying a case for use in court.

OBTAINING ADOBE READER: Most of you have the Adobe Reader because it is necessary to view the Criminal Law Handbook CD.  If not, you can obtain if for free by downloading it from the internet at the following location: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

OBTAINING WORD VIEWER:   If you do not use Microsoft's "Word" as your word processing program, you need to obtain the Word viewer to get the clean copy of the Iowa Supreme Court opinions.  This is also free for downloading from the internet at the following location:
http://office.microsoft.com/downloads/2000/wd97vwr32.aspx

NOTE:   If you type either of these addresses incorrectly, you will not reach the correct location.  If you have difficulty, please consult the Iowa County Attorneys Association web site: www.iowa-icaa.com for direct links to these sites. 

- Ann E. Brenden