The other day an attorney patron came in looking for sample language for a very specific type of employment agreement. Using the form sets in our collection we were able to quickly find sample clauses for that particular situation. It got me thinking about how robust the legal form collections are, the granular level of detail they get into, and how easy it is to zero in on otherwise obscure terms or topic with the help of an index. I know that AI enhanced research is all the rage right now, but I’d be shocked if we would have gotten high quality, relevant results faster using AI.
With that in mind here’s my ode to all the wonderful legal form sets still alive and kicking at the King County Law Library.
Washington Specific
WSBA Deskbooks [Remote Use Available]
The WSBA deskbooks include forms for both litigation and topical areas. For litigation, the Civil Procedure Deskbook will have samples of all the basic forms for Superior court litigation along with forms on more esoteric topics. While the Appellate Practice Deskbook doesn’t have sample forms per se, it does include detailed discussions of the form and content of various filings such as motions and appellate briefs.
For some topical areas, the WSBA deskbooks can help with sample forms and clauses. The Real Property Deskbook has sample checklists, forms and clauses scattered throughout the chapters as does the Family Law Deskbook.
Washington Lawyers Practice Manual [Remote Use Available]
The KCBA’s Washington Lawyers Practice Manual is an often-overlooked treasure trove of forms covering both litigation and topical areas. For litigation the following chapters include an abundance of forms in their appendices: Civil Trial Practice and Techniques, Appellate Practice, Criminal Trial Practice.
Topical areas include a wealth of forms as well. The chapter on Collecting Claims and Enforcing Judgments covers these issues better than any other Washington resource and includes a wide range of forms. Real property, personal injury, family law, and employment discrimination have good form coverage as well.
Lexis Washington Practice Guide Series [Remote Use Available]
Mathew Bender has a few well-known Washington-specific, form-rich treatises such as Washington Business Entities: Law and Forms that have been around for a while. However, you may not be aware of their new-ish Practice Guide Series which has a plethora of forms, checklists and timelines incorporated into the topical analysis. Each chapter generally has a section on practical guidance and a section on forms and checklists. The titles in this series include: New Appleman Washington Insurance Law, Washington Family Law, Washington Criminal Law, Washington Probate and Estate Administration, Washington Real Estate Litigation, Washington Torts and Personal Injury, Washington Pre-Trial Civil Procedure, Washington Civil Discovery, and Washington Trial and Post-Trial Civil Procedure. When looking for forms in any of these areas the Practice Guide Series would be a great place to start.
Washington Practice
Washington Practice is probably the first stop for most people who are looking for Washington-specific forms so no need to go into a lot of detail here about all the forms on offer. I did want to mention a relatively new volume of Washington Practice called Elements of an Action. Twenty-five different causes of action are covered and each one includes sample forms and pleadings such as a complaint, an answer, a counter claim, and jury instructions with additional discussions of remedies, damages and litigation strategies. If you find a chapter on point, it’s an excellent starting point for form drafting.
General Transactional Forms
Rabkin and Johnson’s Current Legal Forms [Remote Use Available]
Current Legal Forms is a 34-volume set covering most civil law transactional subject areas including: Corporate, Commercial, Intellectual Property, Domestic Relations, Employment, Computer Agreements, E-Commerce and Internet Agreements, Estate Planning, Employment, and Real Estate. There are forms and clauses relating to a wide array of fact-patterns. This set also includes tax analysis, practice background, checklists, and drafting guidelines.
Nichols Cyclopedia of Forms
Nichols is another large multi-volume set covering civil law transactional subject areas including: Contracts, Deeds, Wills, Trusts, Articles of Incorporation, Employment and Merger Agreements. Nichols includes sample clauses as well as whole forms. There is also tax analysis, checklist and questionnaires.
General Litigation Forms
Am Jur Pleading and Practice
Pleading and Practice is a comprehensive collection of state and federal forms and checklists covering practically every stage of litigation. “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 much more.”
Benders Forms of Discovery
[Remote Use Available]
Bender’s Forms of Discovery is the go-to resource for interrogatories. Covers just about any possible scenario under the sun. Each topical section will include interrogatories from both the plaintiff and defendant perspective.
Federal Practice Forms
Moore’s Federal Practice
[Remote Use Available]
Wright and Miller Federal Practice and Procedure
Moore’s and Wright and Miller are the quintessential federal practice handbooks. They are organized by rule and include any official forms adopted with the rule.
Gold Standard Treatise Collection
[Remote Use Available]
KCLL has the gold standard multi-volume treatise sets for every major area of law. Within these sets you will almost always find forms, checklists and other practitioner aids discussing the issue at a granular level. Here’s a small sampling of the gold standard treatises available to you remotely via Lexis Digital: Corbin on Contracts, Powell on Real Property, Collier on Bankruptcy, New Appleman on Insurance, Page on Wills, Bender’s Immigration & Nationality, Nichols on Eminent Domain, and Benedict on Admiralty.
Remote Access Available 24/7
King County Law Library subscribers have round-the-clock access to not just the Gold Standard treatise collection, but the entire Lexis Digital database. Any resources in this article with the [Remote Use Available] indicator are accessible by visiting our databases page https://kcll.org/databases/ and choosing LexisNexis. Your log-on is the email address you used when subscribing.
Not a subscriber? Not to worry. Come visit the King County law library in person in either location to access any of the eBooks or print volumes in our collection. Better yet, become a subscriber and get access to our great books and services in the convenience of your home or office. To find out more about subscribing go to https://kcll.org/subscribe/.
Visit Us @ KCLL
If you have questions about accessing forms, becoming a subscriber, or any other law related topics, feel free to contact the law library at services@kcll.org.
