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The World of Legal Forms
Two basic types of forms to discuss
today:
• Practice forms are designed for litigation
procedures or other business before courts
and administrative agencies.
• Transactional forms …are instruments
designed for specific legal transactions
such as contracts, leases, wills and deeds
from Morris Cohen, et. al., How to Find the Law 426 (9th 3d.
1988)
Use Forms With Caution
Fill in the Blanks?
It’s Not That Easy!!!!
LEGAL
PRACTICE
FORMS
FEDERAL
PRACTICE
FORMS
Federal Procedural Forms
• Multivolume with general index
• Covers
• civil practice
• criminal practice
• administrative practice
• Index lacks good cross-
references
Fed. Proc. Forms on WESTLAW
West’s Federal Forms
• Multivolume set with general index
• Index provides ample cross
references
• Cross referenced to Wright & Miller
• Provides multiple variations of basic
form
West’s Federal Forms on WESTLAW
Bender’s Forms of Discovery
• 17-volume set
• keyed to FRCP rule numbers
• 10 volumes on interrogatories
• covers criminal discovery also
• separate indexes for
interrogatories and other
discovery methods
Bender’s Forms of Discovery on LEXIS
LN Advance
Bender’s Forms of Discovery on LEXIS
LN Advance
Federal Jury Practice and Instructions
Federal Jury Practice on WESTLAW
Federal Jury Practice on WESTLAW
PRACTICE FORMS:
ARIZONA-SPECIFIC
Arizona Legal Forms WESTLAW
Arizona Legal Forms WESTLAW
Arizona Legal Forms:
Practice Forms
PRACTICE FORMS:
GENERAL
&
NON JURISDICTION-
SPECIFIC
Am. Jur. Pleading &
Practice Forms
• Multivolume set
• Detailed general index
• General Practice
Forms
• not specific to
jurisdiction
• applicable to state or
federal
• check for
compliance with
local law
Am. Jur. Pleading & Practice on WESTLAW
Pattern Deposition Checklists
Index
Pattern Deposition Checklists on WESTLAW
TRANSACTIONAL
FORMS
Am. Jur. Legal Forms
• Multi-volume set covering wide range of topics
• Most forms include drafting guides and checklists for relevant tax implications
• Index at end provides references to specific chapters and sections
Am. Jur. Legal Forms on WESTLAW
West’s Legal Forms
Covers wide range of subject matter in
multiple volumes
Topics include:
• Business Organizations
• Domestic Relations
• Retirement Plans
• Debtor and Creditor Relations
• Commercial Transactions
• Estate Planning
• Real Estate Transactions
• Employment, Agency, and Service
Agreements
• Patents, Copyrights, and Trademarks
• Specialized Forms
West’s Legal Forms on WESTLAW
TRANSACTIONAL FORMS:
ARIZONA-SPECIFIC
Arizona Legal Forms
Westlaw
Arizona Legal Forms:
Transactional Forms
USE
INTERNAL
RESOURCES
• Pleading Banks--ask the firm librarian
• Form Banks--ask the firm librarian
• Ask supervising/assigning attorney--many have their
own set of standard forms for pleadings and
transactions
CAUTION!!!
DANGER ABOUNDS IN USE OF
FORMS!!!
• Form books are potentially helpful but also very dangerous.
• Many paralegals (and attorneys) consciously or unconsciously use ‘model’ examples as replacements for thinking
• Form books cannot be used as a short cut to avoid thinking.
Laurie Zimet, 1994: Basic Litigation: Legal Research and Writing, 501PLI/Lit 507