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Expand your legal research options with online sources provided by the Gallagher Law Library. More
How do I search for laws on a particular subject? How can I compile a legislative history for a Washington (or federal) law? How can I locate court opinions about a topic? To answer these and other frequently asked questions, the reference librarians have prepared a series of legal research guides. Use these guides to get started on your research project when a reference librarian is not available to assist you or as a reminder as you conduct your research. More
Here, you will find a list of websites that provide legal information and materials (including laws, bills, court opinions, and related documents) and/or links to legal material. Most of these sites are freely available to all users with Internet access. Some sites are UW Restricted, that is, available to University of Washington faculty, students, and staff and visitors to UW Libraries.More
Updated Sept. 29, 2011.
Prepared by Cheryl Nyberg.
The Law Library contains dozens of sources that include sample contracts and forms and that offer instruction and guidance in drafting contracts. The following list identifies many, but not all, of these sources, as well as relevant databases and websites.
Include sample forms and contacts on a wide variety of subjects. All of these sources are located in the Reference Area, unless otherwise indicated.
American Jurisprudence Legal Forms, 2d ed. 54 vols. updated annually. KF170.A4 1971. Westlaw: AMJUR-LF
Hyman, Basic Legal Forms, with Commentary, 2d ed. 2 vols. updated twice a year. KF170.H9 1991.
Nichols Cyclopedia of Legal Forms Annotated. 40 vols. Updates cancelled in 2002. KF170.N5 at Classified Stacks. Westlaw: NICHOLS-LF
Rabkin & Johnson, Current Legal Forms, with Tax Analysis. 34 vols. updated quarterly. KF170.R3. LexisNexis: Rabkin & Johnson Current Legal Forms with Tax Analysis
Warren's Forms of Agreements: Business Forms. 8 vols. Updates cancelled in 2002. KF886.W36 at Classified Stacks. LexisNexis: Warren's Forms of Agreement
West's Legal Forms, 2d ed. 30 vols. updated twice a year. KF170.W47 1981. Westlaw: WEST-LF
Williston on Contracts: Forms, 4th ed. 5 vols. updated annually. KF801.W532 2001. Westlaw: WILLSTN-FM
Many books on specific subjects include forms. Search the Law Library catalog by subject keyword and “forms” to locate them. Some examples:
Commercial Agreements: A Lawyer's Guide to Drafting and Negotiating. Updated annually. KF889.S45 1997 at Classified Stacks. Westlaw: COMAGREE
The Complete Guide to Divorce Practice: Forms and Procedures for the Lawyer, 3d ed. KF533.5.R52 2005 at Classified Stacks
Computer Law: Drafting and Negotiating Forms and Agreements, 2 vols. updated twice a year. KF390.5.C6 R3 1984 at Reference Area. Westlaw: CLDNF
The Construction Contracts Book: How to Find Common Ground in Negotiating Design and Construction Contract Clauses, 2d ed. KF902 .B745 2008 at Classified Stacks
Current Leasing Law and Techniques: Forms, 6 vols. Updates cancelled in 2004. KF588.1 .R64 1982 at Reference Area. LexisNexis: Current Leasing Law and Techniques: Forms
Fletcher Corporation Forms, Annotated, 4th ed. 26 vols. updated annually. KF1411.F55 1972 at Reference Area. Westlaw: FLTR-FRM
Franchising Realities and Remedies, rev. ed. 2 vols. updated twice a year. KF2023 .B7 1981 at Reference Area. Westlaw: FRANCHRR
Internet Forms and Commentary: A Practitioner's Guide to E-commerce Contracts and the World Wide Web. KF889.3.I563 2002 at Classified Stacks
Lindey on Entertainment, Publishing, and the Arts: Agreements and the Law, 3d ed. 6 vols. updated twice a year. KF2992.L5 2004 at Reference Area. Westlaw: LINDEY3D
A Practical Guide to Software Licensing for Licensees and Licensors, 3d ed. KF3024.C6C56 2008 at Classified Stacks
Several sources contain language that comply with Washington State law on various subjects. The titles listed below are among the most used; current editions are found in the Reference Area. Many sources are also subject-specific.
Washington Practice, 30+ vols. updated irregularly. KFW80.W3. Westlaw: WAPRAC
Washington Lawyers Practice Manual, 8 vols. updated annually. KFW80.W27 1986. Available on Legal research PCs 26, 27 & 28 in the Reference Area
Washington, Oregon, and Alaska Limited Liability Company: Forms and Practice Manual, 2 vols. updated annually. KF1380.A65 W37 1996
Washington Business Entities: Laws and Forms, 2d ed. 3 vols. updated annually. KFW213.L36 2005. LexisNexis: Washington Business Entities: Law and Forms, Second Edition
Washington Real Property Deskbook, 4th ed. 2 vols. KFW112.W37 2009
Several deskbooks published by the Washington State Bar Association are available online through Loislaw (although law students and faculty do not have access to the online deskbooks under Loislaw's Law School Program).
For additional sources, search the Law Library catalog by keyword: washington state and forms. See also Chapter 4, Practice Materials, in the Washington Legal Researcher's Deskbook 3d. KFW75.W37 2002 at Reference Area & Reference Office.
In addition to the print sources that are also available on LexisNexis or Westlaw, both services offer numerous treatises and databases containing sample forms, contracts, and clauses. The following list describes some of these sources.
LexisNexis (Available by subscription)Several books are intended for use by laypeople and novice drafters (like law students). These titles (all found in the Reference Area) include general works:
and subject-specific works:
Many of these books include CD-ROMs with forms.
Three types of guides are useful. The titles shown are examples only.
Guides on drafting contracts generally
Guides on drafting specific types of contracts and agreements
Guides on legal writing and drafting generally
The Law Library has more than 200 books on legal writing and composition. To identify these items, search the Law Library catalog by the Library of Congress subject heading "legal composition." See also the Gallagher guide on Legal & General Writing Resources.
Calamari and Perillo on Contracts, 6th ed. (Hornbook Series) KF801.C26 2009 at Reference Area
Corbin on Contracts, rev. ed. 8 vols. updated annually. KF801.C65 1993 at Reference Area. LexisNexis: Corbin on Contracts
Farnsworth on Contracts, 3d ed. 3 vols. KF801.F367 2004 at Reference Area. LexisNexis: Farnsworth on Contracts
Hunter, Modern Law of Contracts, rev. ed. updated annually. KF801.H85 1993 at Reference Area. Westlaw: MODCON
White & Summers, Uniform Commercial Code, 6th ed. (Hornbook Series) KF890.W45 2010 at Reference Area
Williston, A Treatise on the Law of Contracts, 4th ed. 37 vols. updated annually. KF801.W53 1990 at Reference Area. Westlaw: WILLSTN-CN
In addition to the various collections of forms on LexisNexis and Westlaw, other commercial websites offer forms. Some are free and some are fee-based. The following list also contains sites dealing with legal agreements, contracts, and forms.
CALI Lessons in Contracts includes lessons on Drafting a Contract: The Sale of Goods; Drafting Contracts: Using "Shall", "May" and "Must"; Drafting with "And" and "Or"; and other topics. Available to UW Law School students (contact the Reference Office for the Law School Authorization Code).
FindForms.com contains about 3,000 free forms and about 12,000 forms for a fee (most are state-specific).
Findlaw Corporate Counsel Center, Sample Business Contracts offers free forms by industry (consumer products, drugs and biotech, financial services, health care, telecommunications, etc.) and type (compensation, finance, intellectual property licensing, securities, etc.).
International Trade Centre, Juris International. Contracts: Models and Drafting provides more than 250 model contracts for international commercial transactions.
Internet Legal Resource Group, Legal Forms Archive has dozens of forms for basic agreements, buying and selling, credit and collection, employment, leases and tenancies, loans and borrowing, personal and family, transfers and assignments, and other transactions.
Invisible Hand Software, Quickform Contracts is a fee-based service.
Legal Documents Online includes free forms like living wills, credit report requests, demand for payment letters, and insurance claims.
lexisONE, Forms offers more than 6,000 free forms (but the site requires users to register).
Practical Law Company contains forms, checklists, and related material on corporations, employee benefits, executive compensation, finance, labor and employment, securities, and other subjects. The free Law School program provides access to this content (registration required).
USLegalForms is a fee-based service with more than 36,000 state-specific documents.
WashLaw, Legal Forms links to sites with forms, including courts, secretary of state offices, and other agencies.
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