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