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Civil Procedure Research Resources

Legal Research Guides

Updated Nov. 15, 2007.
Prepared by Cheryl Nyberg.

Note: Amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure are scheduled to be adopted on Dec. 1, 2007.


Guides and Indexes

Federal Research Coordinator, annual. KF8830.6.F43 at Reference Area
This one-volume index provides quick access to several of the major sets produced by West Group, including Federal Practice and Procedure; Federal Procedural Forms; Federal Procedure, Lawyers Edition; and West's Federal Forms. Arranged by rule number; pages 1-213 cover the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Includes West digest headings and key numbers for use in West digests.

Kelly Kunsch, Civil Procedure
A legal research guide from a reference librarian at the Seattle University Law Library.


Major Treatises

Federal Procedure, Lawyers Edition, 1981-date. 52 vols. KF8835.F43 1981 at Reference Area
"A problem-solving textual analysis of federal judicial and administrative procedure." Arranged by topic, not rule number. Includes the Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence, Sentencing Guidelines for U.S. Courts (with annotations from the U.S. Code Service), and a 9th Circuit Rules volume, with court rules for the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and the District Courts located in the 9th Circuit.
Westlaw: FedProc

Moore's Federal Practice, 3d ed., 1997-date. 33 vols. KF8820.A313 M63 1997 at Reference Area
Thorough treatment; more practical, less academic than Wright & Miller. Vols. 1-12 cover civil procedure. Tables volume includes a "Table of Statutes" that is arranged, in part, by Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Includes the Manual for Complex Litigation and the Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence.
LexisNexis: Moore's Federal Practice-Civil

Wright & Miller, Federal Practice and Procedure, 3d ed., 1998-date. 52 vols. KF8840.W68 1998 at Reference Area
Scholarly and authoritative. Provides exhaustive coverage of federal appellate, civil, and criminal procedure. Vols. 4-12 cover civil procedure matters, including commencement of action, service of process, pleadings and motions, parties, depositions and discovery, trials, judgments, remedies, and appeals.
Westlaw: FPP

Newberg on Class Actions, 4th ed., 2002-date. 11 vols. KF8896.N4 2002 at Reference Area
Westlaw: CLASSACT

LexisNexis databases

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Forms

AmJur Pleading and Practice Forms, 1967-date. 73 vols. KF8836.A45 at Reference Area
Commentary and guidelines. Covers notices, complaints, petitions, declarations, summonses, demurrers, answers, counterclaims, cross-complaints, interrogatories, replies, motions, affidavits, stipulations, bills of particulars, subpoenas, orders, writs, jury instructions, findings of fact, judgments, bonds, decrees, and more.
Westlaw: AMJUR-PP

Federal Procedural Forms, 1975-date. 35 vols. KF8836.F4 at Reference Area
Offers procedural checklists and drafting guidelines.
Westlaw: FEDPROF

Moore's Manual: Federal Practice Forms, 1964-2002. 7 looseleaf vols. KF8836.M66 at Reference Area
LexisNexis: Moore's Manual: Federal Practice and Procedure

Westlaw: FORMS-ALL
Contains forms from more than 50 treatises and forms collections (including AmJur Pleading and Practice Forms, Federal Procedural Forms, and West's Federal Forms) and state-specific forms (including Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin).

West's Federal Forms, 1952-date. 22 vols. KF8836.W3 at Reference Area
Arranged by rule numbers. Companion to Wright & Miller, Federal Practice and Procedure.
Westlaw: FEDFORMS

LexisNexis

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Other Practice Tools

AmJur Proof of Facts, 1st, 2d, and 3d series. 1959-date. 150+ vols. KF8933.A42 at Reference Area
Provides expert advice on a wide range of civil actions. Covers preparing the case and determining the facts. Includes strategies, tactics, practice tips, checklists, sample interrogatories, model discovery forms, sample proofs, and diagrams.
Westlaw: AMJUR-POF

Bender's Forms of Discovery, 1963-date. 33 looseleaf volumes. KF8900.A3B4 at Reference Area
A vast collection of interrogatories, arranged by topic, and a treatise. Index to interrogatories appears in vol. 10A.
LexisNexis: Bender's Forms of Discovery Interrogatories (Volumes 1 to 10A) & Bender's Forms of Discovery Treatise (Volumes 11-16)

Pattern Discovery: Premises Liability, 3d ed. 1994-96. 3 vols. KF8900.D327 1994 at Classified Stacks
Westlaw: PDPREML

Pattern Discovery: Products Liability, 3d ed. 1995-97. 2 vols. KF8900.D328 1995 at Classified Stacks

Search Marian for additional titles by subject headings, such as Depositions--United States.

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Jury Instructions

Federal Jury Practice and Instructions, 5th ed.  2000-date. 10 vols. KF8984.D4 2000 at Reference Area
Westlaw: FED-JI

Manual of Model Civil Jury Instructions for the Ninth Circuit, 2001. KF8984.A65M37 at Reference Area
Westlaw: FED-JICIV

Model Jury Instructions for Fidelity Cases, 2003. KF1223 .M63 2003 at Classified Stacks

Model Jury Instructions for Surety Cases, 2000. KF1045.A65 M63 2000 at Classified Stacks

Model Jury Instructions: Securities Litigation, 1996. KF8984 .M64 1996 at Classified Stacks

Sample Civil RICO Jury Instructions, 1994. KF9375.Z9S26 1994 at Reference Stacks

Sample Jury Instructions in Civil Antitrust Cases, 1999. KF1657.J8S26 1999 at Classified Stacks

Search Marian for additional titles by subject heading: Instructions to Juries--United States--Forms.

LexisNexis

See also LLRX, Revisiting Jury Instructions. Lists publications of statewide jury instructions.

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Washington State Materials

Civil Procedure Forms and Commentary, 3d. ed. 2000-date. 4 vols. (Washington Practice vols. 9, 9A, 10 & 10A) KFW80.W3 v.9-10A 2000 at Reference Area
Covers procedures followed in the Superior Courts. Includes rules, commentary, forms, and citations to cases.
Westlaw: WAPRAC

Methods of Practice, 4th ed. 1997-date. 4 vols. (Washington Practice vols. 1, 1A, 1B & 1C). KFW80 .W3 v.1-1C 1997 at Reference Area
Vol. 1, chapters 1-14 cover civil practice and chapter 15 covers appellate practice.
Westlaw: WAPRAC

Rules Practice, 4th & 5th eds. 1992-date. 6 vols. (Washington Practice vols. 2-4B) KFW80.W3 v. 2-4B 1996 at Reference Area
Includes commentary and citations to cases.
Westlaw: WAPRAC

Civil Procedure, 2003--date. 3 vols. (Washington Practice vols. 14, 14A & 15) KFW80.W3 v.14-15 2003 at Reference Area
Replaces Trial Practice: Civil.
Westlaw: WAPRAC

Washington Civil Practice Deskbook, 1993. KFW530.W34 1993 at Reference Area
Covers basic substantive law with an emphasis on procedure.

Washington Civil Procedure Deskbook, 2d ed. 2002. 3 looseleaf volumes. KFW535.W37 1992 at Reference Area
Organized by rule number. Includes the rules, history, comparison to the comparable federal rule, analysis, significant cases, forms, and checklists. Available on Loislaw.

Washington Civil Trial and Evidence Manual: Voir Dire to Verdict, 4th ed., 1994. KFW530.B38 1994 at Reference Area

Washington Handbook on Civil Procedure, annual. (Washington Practice vol. 15A) KFW80.W3 v.15A at Reference Area
Westlaw: WAPRAC

Washington Lawyers Practice Manual, 1986-date. 8 looseleaf volumes. KFW80.W27 1986 at Reference Area
Vol. I, chapter 1 covers civil trial practice and chapter 2 covers civil appellate practice.

Washington Pattern Jury Instructions: Civil, (WPI) 4th ed. 2002. 2 vols. (Washington Practice vols. 6 & 6A) KFW80 .W3 v.6-6A 1989 at Reference Area
Westlaw: WA-WPI

Washington Superior Court Judges' Civil Procedure Benchbook, 2d ed., 1995. KFW530.W37 1995 at Reference Area

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Directories

BNA's Directory of State and Federal Courts, Judges, and Clerks, biennial. KF8700.A19K56 at Reference Office (latest edition).

Judicial Staff Directory, semiannual. JK1597.A3 at Reference Office (latest edition). Covers federal courts only.

Villanova University School of Law, The Federal Court Locator
Links to court websites and other websites that provide court opinions. Most court websites include a mailing address.

Want's Federal-State Court Directory, annual. KF8700.A19W35 at Reference Office (latest edition).


Websites

ABA Section of Litigation
Trial tips and techniques, electronic newsletters, and information about public service programs.

Federal Judicial Center
The U.S. Courts education and research agency. Website includes many full-text publications, arranged by subject.
Selected publications available on Westlaw: FJC.

LexisNexis for Law Schools, Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
Includes research tips and links to LexisNexis contents.

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Other Books in the Gallagher Law Library

Use the Law Library's online catalog, to search for other books in our collection. Search by keyword ('civil procedure") or by Library of Congress subject heading, including:

Searches will lead you to items such as hornbooks, nutshells, study aids, and other works. Here are some of the most recent titles:

  • Civil Procedure, 4th ed. (Hornbook Series). KF8840.F72 2005 at Reference Area
  • Civil Procedure for Federal and State Courts. KF8841.P377 2001 at Classified Stacks
  • Civil Procedure in a Nutshell, 5th ed. KF8841 .K36 2003 at Reference Area
  • Class Actions and Other Multi-Party Litigation in a Nutshell, 3d ed. KF8896.Z9K58 2007 at Reference Area
  • Consumer Class Actions: With CD-ROM, 6th ed. KF8896.S84 2006 at Reference Area
  • Federal and State Civil Procedure Handbook, 2d ed. KF8841.P376 2001 at Classified Stacks
  • Federal Trial Handbook: Civil, 4th ed. 2003. KF8915.H852 at Classified Stacks
  • A Student's Guide to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, 9th ed. KF8816.B35 2006 at Reference Area

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