Law Library Research Guide:
Legal Forms and Drafting Resources

Formbooks are available in print and online.

They provide:

• Drafting guides, checklists, sample clauses, and examples of entire documents.
  
  
• Aids for drafting legal documents.
  
  
• Samples of a wide variety of substantive and procedural forms.

Two types of formbooks: 

• Pleadings and practice forms -which typically include documents that will be filed with the court (complaints, answers, replies, counterclaims, etc.)
  
  
• Instruments -  that are not necessarily litigious in nature and include model documents such as leases, contracts, and will provisions. 

The most important skill in using formbooks is knowing how to modify the sample form(s) to fit your particular situation.

 

General Formbooks:

These include sample forms for a wide range of topics. All are located on the Law Library First Floor, Range 107.

• American Jurisprudence Legal Forms, 2d ed. Updated annually. Available on Westlaw: AMJUR-LF.
• Current Legal Forms with Tax Analysis, by Rabkin & Johnson. Available on LexisNexis: Rabkin & Johnson Current Legal Forms with Tax Analysis.
• West’s Legal Forms. Updated twice per year. Available on Westlaw: WEST-LF.

 

Pleading and Practice Formbooks:

Many are located on the Law Library First Floor, Range 107

• American Jurisprudence Pleading and Practice Forms Annotated. Updated annually. Available on Westlaw: AMJUR-PP.
• Federal Local Court Forms. RESERVE KF8836 .F422.
• Modern Federal Jury Instructions, by Leonard B. Sand. KF9682 .A65 M64. Law Library Third Floor Range 341.
• Moore's Manual. Federal Practice Forms, by James Wm. Moore, Louis R. Frumer. KF8836 .M66. Law Library Third Floor Range 340.

 

Subject-Specific Formbooks:

Some examples follow, for other publications search the GMU Library Catalog.

 

Subject-Specific Formbooks – Contracts

 

The Contracts section is on the Law Library Third Floor, Range 319.

• Drafting and Analyzing Contracts: A Guide to the Practical Application of the Principles of Contract Law, by Scott J. Burnham. KF807 .B87 2003.
• The Elements of Contract Drafting: With Questions and Clauses for Consideration, by George W. Kuney. KF807.2 .K86 2003.
• A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting, by Kenneth A. Adams. KF807 .A33 2004.

 

Subject-Specific Formbooks – Employment Agreements

Labor and Employment law books are shelved on the Law Library Third Floor, Ranges 326-327. Employment agreements are also covered in the Contracts collection, Range 319, Law Library Third Floor.

• Consultant & Independent Contractor Agreements, by Stephen Fishman.  REFERENCE KF898 .F567 2004.
• Employee Noncompetition Law, by Donald J. Aspelund, Robert B. Lytle. KF3463 .A97.
• The Employment Contract:  Rights and Duties of Employers  and Employees, by Warren Freedman.  KF3319 .F74.
• Hiring Household Help and Contractors : Your Obligations Under the Law, by Margaret C. Jasper. KF3580 .D64 J37 2005.
• Virginia Employment Practices and Forms, by Edward Lee Isler, Steven W. Ray. KFV2731 .I47 2002.

 

Subject-Specific Formbooks – Legislation

Law Library First Floor, Range 112.

• Drafting Legislation and Rules in Plain English, by Robert J. Martineau. REFERENCE KF4950.M375 1991.
• The Legislative Drafter’s Deskbook, by Tobias Dorsey REFERENCE KF4950.D67 2006.
• Understanding Common Law Legislation: Drafting and Interpretation, by F.A.R. Bennion. REFERENCE K284 .B46 2005.

 

Subject-Specific Formbooks – Real Estate

Law Library Third Floor

• Anatomy of a Property Settlement Agreement, Virginia CLE. KFV 2500 .F35.
• Commercial Ground Leases, by Jerome D. Whalen. KF593 .G7 W482.
• Modern Real Estate: Practice Forms and Commentary, by Alvin L. Arnold. KF568.1 .A772 plus CD available on Reserve at the Circulation Desk.  

 

Subject-Specific Formbooks – Wills

The Estate Planning collection is located on the Law Library Third Floor, Ranges 318-319.

• Drafting Wills and Trust Agreements, by Robert P. Wilkins. KF748.1 .W55.
• Estate Planning and Drafting, by Regis W. Campfield. KF750 .C25 1995.  
• Living Trusts and Wills : Planning and Drafting Seminar. KFV2937 .L57 L58 2006.

 

Popular Works:

Many titles intended for the layperson have forms that are useful to law students too. These are published by Nolo.com formerly Nolo Press. They are located in the Reference Section on the First Floor, Range 112. Older editions are on the third floor and can be checked out. They often have CDs available at the Circulation Desk. Some are available electronically through the catalog.

• 101 Law Forms for Personal Use. REFERENCE KF170 .L46 2005, plus CD at Circulation Desk
  Electronic Resource (Available through NetLibrary – Search the GMU Library Catalog for the link)
• Nolo’s Simple Will Book. REFERENCE KF755 .Z9 C54 2005
  Electronic Resource (Available through NetLibrary– Search the GMU Library Catalog for the link)
• Every Landlord’s Legal Guide. REFERENCE KF590 .Z9 S74 2004.
• Estate Planning Basics REFERENCE KF750 .Z9 C585 2005 Electronic Resource (Available through NetLibrary– Search the GMU Library Catalog for the link)  

 

Drafting Guides:

Legal drafting titles are located at KF250 on reserve at Circulation Desk and in reference. Older editions are on the third floor and can be checked out.

• Just Writing: Grammar, Punctuation, and Style for the Legal Writer, by Anne Enquist. REFERENCE KF755 .Z9 C54 2005.
• Legal Drafting in a Nutshell, by Thomas R. Haggard. RESERVE KF250 .H343 2003.
• The Redbook: A Manual on Legal Style, by Bryan A. Garner. REFERENCE KF 250 .G375 2006.

 

Virginia Formbooks and CLE (Continuing Legal Education):

These are located at the Circulation Desk, in Law Library First Floor, Range 121, or on the Second Floor, Range 228.

• Virginia Forms. KFV2468 .V57.(See LexisNexis Total Litigator below)
• Virginia Legal and Business Forms. RESERVE KFV2468 .V58.
• Michie's Forms on Disc: Virginia Edition. RESERVE KFV2930.A65 M53.
• Virginia Employment Practices and Forms, by Edward Lee Isler, Steven W. Ray. KFV2731 .I47 2002.
• Virginia CLE (white binders) has course material with forms on topics like Community Associations, Family Law, Estate Planning, Motor Vehicle Accidents, and other practical topics.
• Anatomy of a Property Settlement Agreement, Virginia CLE. KFV2500 .F35.

 

LexisNexis

On Lexis, forms are organized by jurisdiction or practice area.

Use Total Litigator. After signing on to LexisNexis select Research System and the tab for Total Litigator, or go to https://litigator.lexisnexis.com and sign in. Under Draft, File and Serve Documents, there are Drafting Resources, or using Search by Source type in Virginia Forms. Just follow the steps to the document type. Not all the other databases are available using your law school passwords.

Also in LexisNexis:

Use “Find a Source” to locate the applicable database. For example: Virginia Forms and Clause Library, Clause Library contains clauses from thousands of different legal instruments covering the topics: Environ

Westlaw

AmJur Legal Forms (AMJUR-LF)

AmJur Pleading and Practice (AMJUR-PP)

West's Legal Forms (WEST-LF)