Adobe Reader.  The features listed below work in Adobe Reader.  Adobe Reader is compatible with both Apple computers and PCs.  (Warning: The .pdf reader that comes installed on Apple computers does not currently allow one to highlight, underline, and annotate the digital statute book.)  I suggest you download the latest copy of Adobe Reader before using the digital statute book.  It is available for free here.  Some of my students have indicated that they prefer to use the Foxit reader, available for free here. In a 2009 survey, Lifehacker's readers preferred PDF-XChange, available for free here.

Reading, Highlighting, and Annotating the Digital Statute Book

Table of Contents

a. To access the table of contents, click on the Bookmarks tab in Adobe Reader.  (If the Bookmarks tab is not visible, click on the Adobe Reader View menu, choose Navigation Tabs, then select Bookmarks.)

b. To make navigation easier, I suggest you keep the Bookmarks frame open as you use the materials.  You can change the relative sizes of the bookmarks and text panes by clicking your mouse on the line between them and moving that line to the desired location. 

c. You can move to any location in the materials by clicking on it in the Table of Contents.

Highlighting and Comments: You can highlight, underline, or add comments to these materials.  Go to the Adobe Reader Tools menu, choose Commenting, then click on Show Commenting Toolbar.  Remember to save your changes when you exit the materials (and back up the file regularly so you don't lose your work if your computer fails).

            A.  Highlighting.  The easiest way to highlight is to select the block of text you want to highlight with your mouse, right click, and choose Highlight Text.  Alternatively, you can click on the Highlighting icon on the Commenting toolbar, then select the text your want to highlight.  If you dont like the default highlighting color and want to change it, see G below.

            B.  Underlining.  The easiest way to underline is to select the block of text you want to underline with your mouse, right click, and choose Underline Text.  If you dont like the default underlining color and want to change it, see G below.

            C.  Adding Comments.  The easiest way to add a pop-up comment is to select the block of text you want to underline with your mouse, right click, and choose Add Note to Text.  Alternatively, you can click on the Sticky Note icon on the Commenting toolbar, then click at the place in the text where you want the note to appear.

            D.  Text Boxes.  The Commenting toolbar contains a Text Box tool that some students prefer over Comments, especially when adding short annotations.  Instead of a pop-up comment, the Text Box tool adds a permanent box of text that always appears.  To create a Text Box, click on the Text Box icon on the Commenting toolbar.

            E.  Other Commenting Tools.  The Commenting toolbar contains a number of other tools that allow you to draw lines, arrows, boxes, clouds, and even write or draw free-hand.  Experiment with some of these tools to see what you find useful.

            F.  Deleting Your Mark-Up.  You can delete any of your highlighting, underling, comments, etc., by right-clicking on the particular annotation, and choosing Delete from the pop-up menu.  Dont worry: this will only delete your comment or annotation, not the underlying text of the book.

            G.  Changing Colors.  You can change the color of any existing highlighting or underlining, by right-clicking on it, and choosing Properties from the pop-up menu.  You can also change your underlining from a straight line to a wavy line using Properties.  This allows you to use a multi-color system to code your annotations.  You can even change the default highlighting and underling colors.  First, highlight or underline something.  Then, right-click on it and choose Properties.  Change the color and check the Make Properties Default box.

Searching:  You can search within the Digital Statute Book using the Adobe Reader Find function.  To add the Find function to the toolbar in Adobe Reader, go to the Adobe Reader View menu, click on Toolbars, and click on Find.  This adds a box to your toolbar in which you can type the particular text you want to find.

Copying, Cutting, and Pasting.  You can copy material from the digital statute book and paste it into other applications.  Simply select the text you want to copy, right-click, and choose Copy from the pop-up menu.

Adding Your Own Bookmarks.  Adobe Reader does not allow you to add your own bookmarks to the digital statute book.  A JavaScript plug-in is available that allows users to create their own bookmarks to particular pages.  You can find it using Google; use it at your own risk.

Other Resources

Article: Digital Statutory Supplements for Legal Education: A Cheaper, Better Way (a draft of the article I wrote describing the experiment)

Instructions for Formatting the Statutes

Instructions for Formatting the Regulations

Spring 2009 Student Survey

Spring 2009 Post-Exam Student Survey