Drafting Contracts:
Formbooks & Drafting Resources
Updated Jan. 15, 2009.
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.
See also the PowerPoint slideshow for Joel Ngugi's Contracts class, Oct. 19, 2006.
General Formbooks
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. 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
Subject-Specific Treatises with Forms
Many books on specific subjects include forms. Search the Law Library catalog by subject keyword and “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
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. KF902 .B745 2004 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
Lindey on Separation Agreements and Ante-Nuptial Contracts, rev. ed. 3 vols. Ceased in 1999. KF535.L52 at Classified Stacks. LexisNexis: Lindey on Separation Agreements and Antenuptial Contracts
Washington State-Specific Sources
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
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, 3d ed. 8 vols. Updated in 2002. KFW112.W37 1997
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.
LexisNexis & Westlaw
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)- Computer Contracts
- Condemnation Procedures and Techniques - Forms
- Construction Law
- Entertainment Industry Contracts
- Forms and Procedures Under the UCC
- Home Owner Associations and Planned Unit Developments - Law and Practice: Forms
- LEXIS Clause Library - Corporate Law
- LEXIS Clause Library - Environmental Law
- LEXIS Clause Library - Labor and Employment Law
- LEXIS Clause Library - Real Property Law
- FORMS-ALL. More than 50 treatises and collections containing forms.
- BLTRANS: Basic Legal Transactions; model forms, agreements, and checklists for real estate, corporations, partnerships, wills, trusts, and family law.
- BUSFORM-ALL: All State and General Business Organization Forms, Clauses and Checklists
- CMLFORMS-ALL: All State and General Contracts/Commercial Forms, Clauses and Checklists
- COMAGREE: Commercial Agreements: A Lawyer's Guide to Drafting and Negotiating
- DOBUSNET: Doing Business on the Internet: Forms and Analysis
- RPFORM-ALL: All State and General Real Property Forms, Clauses and Checklists
- RETSA: Real Estate Transactions--Structure and Analysis with Forms
- TECHLIC: Multimedia and Technology Licensing Agreements
Popular Works
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:
- 101 Law Forms for Personal Use, 5th ed. KF170.L46 2005
- Everyday Contracts: Protecting Your Rights: A Step-by-Step Guide. KF801.Z9M55 1991
and subject-specific works:
- Every Landlord's Legal Guide, 9th ed. KF590.Z9 S74 2008
- Legal Guide for Starting & Running a Small Business, 10th ed. KF1659.Z9 S76 2008
- Legal Guide to Web & Software Development, 5th ed. KF390.5.C6 F57 2006
Many of these books include CD-ROMs with forms.
Drafting Guides
Three types of guides are useful.
Guides on drafting contracts generally
- Drafting and Analyzing Contracts: A Guide to the Practical Application of the Principles of Contract Law, 3d ed. KF807.B87 2003 at Classified Stacks
- Drafting Contracts: How and Why Lawyers Do What They Do. Table of contents. KF807.S73 2007 at Reference Area
- Drafting Effective Contracts: A Practitioner's Guide, 2d ed. updated annually. KF807.F45 1999 at Reference Area
- A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting, 2d ed. KF807.A33 2008 at Classified Stacks
- Working with Contracts: What Law School Doesn't Teach You. KF807.F69 2002 at Classified Stacks
Guides on drafting specific types of contracts and agreements
- Drafting Technology Patent License Agreements, 2d ed. KF3145.L46 2008 at Classified Stacks
- International Commercial Agreements: A Primer on Drafting, Negotiating, and Resolving Disputes, 3d ed. K1030.4.F69 1998 at Classified Stacks
- LexisNexis: Commercial and Consumer Warranties-Drafting, Performing & Litigating
- Premarital and Marital Contracts: A Lawyer's Guide to Drafting and Negotiating Enforceable Marital and Cohabitation Agreements. KF529.P74 1993 at Classified Stacks
- Shifting Environmental Risk: A Guide to Drafting Contracts and Structuring Transactions. KF3775.A65G45 1999 at Classified Stacks
Guides on legal writing and drafting generally
- Hereof, Thereof, and Everywhereof: A Contrarian Guide to Legal Drafting. A light-hearted but instructional little book. KF250.D37 2002 at Reference Area
- Legal Drafting. Chapter 5 deals specifically with drafting contracts. KF250.L392 1994 at Reference Area
- Legal Drafting in a Nutshell, 3d ed. KF250.H3 2007 at Reference Area
- Preparing Legal Documents Nonlawyers Can Read and Understand. KF250.S349 2008 at Classified Stacks
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.
Treatises & Hornbook
Calamari and Perillo on Contracts, 5th ed. (Hornbook Series) KF801.C26 2003 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
Williston, A Treatise on the Law of Contracts, 4th ed. 37 vols. updated annually. KF801.W53 1990 at Reference Area. Westlaw: WILLSTN-CN
Websites & Commercial Sources
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, 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 200 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).
USLegalForms is a fee-based service with more than 25,000 documents.
WashLaw, Legal Forms links to sites with forms, including courts, secretary of state offices, and other agencies.