LibGuides: Forms & Sample Documents: General/National Forms

General/National Forms

General Forms Databases are:

Nationwide in scope
Most draw from common-law concepts
May point to some state or federal-specific language
Serve as templates
Should be cross-checked against jurisdiction’s court rules, especially for litigation forms such as motions or complaints to ensure that formatting and language confirm to the court’s specifications.

Most form resources on Bloomberg Law are topic or jurisdiction specific.

Click on Transactional Intelligence Center, then on Search Precedent Database under Drafting Tools and then browse by Document Type or Transaction Type.

ALI-ABA Forms Library (broken into topic-specific databases)
Bloomberg BNA Sample Forms—takes you to list of forms organized by topic
Clause Database
Document Database—search by document type and key word
PLI Forms & Agreements—takes you to list of available forms

Search for Forms using the Resource Types tab, following the instructions given on the Overview page.

Click on Browse Sources and then select “Forms” at Content Type, then “Non-jurisdictional” as your jurisdiction. Add search terms in the “search sources” box to further narrow your search.

Some highlights

Douglas' Forms This link opens in a new window
Annotated transactional and procedural forms covering a variety of topics.
Warren's Forms of Agreements This link opens in a new window
Includes corporate forms, securities and real property along with a variety of other transactional forms and contracts, including state jurisdiction-specific materials. Fewer full page forms and more individual clauses are included in this resource.

Westlaw

Under “Forms” link on the main Browse page:

American Jurisprudence Legal Forms This link opens in a new window
Organized alphabetically like an encyclopedia, review the “summary” link at the beginning of each topic for a description of the scope of that topic and a list of subtopics that are “treated elsewhere.” The summary also provides links to secondary sources and other related form books (also in print)
American Jurisprudence Pleading & Practice Forms This link opens in a new window
Also organized alphabetically or see the index link on the right side of the database screen. Focus is on litigation more than transactional forms. Provides the same “summary” information as the legal forms database. (also in print)
Basic Legal Transactions This link opens in a new window
Organized into 4 categories: Real Estate Transactions, Business Transactions, Family Transactions and Attorney-Client Fee Agreement. Offers more of a description of what to include in a particular type of document rather than providing a sample form to copy and paste
Lane's Goldstein Litigation Forms This link opens in a new window
Not jurisdiction-specific, includes client interview checklists and other general case management forms as well as some sample motions and filings.
Nichols Cyclopedia of Legal Forms Annotated This link opens in a new window
Organized alphabetically, gives a summary similar to that found in American Jurisprudence Legal Forms including the scope and references to other related sections and secondary sources
Sample Agreements This link opens in a new window
On main Browse page, organized by topic or search across the entire database using the “All Agreements” link; documents drafted by actual law firms and in-house counsel. Can search by key term or by such fields as “clause title,” “governing law,” “jurisdiction” and party or law firm name.
Secondary Sources Index This link opens in a new window
Alphabetical list of all secondary sources on Westlaw many of which contain forms
West's Legal Forms This link opens in a new window
Organized by subtopics such as “employment,” “real estate transactions-commercial” and “specialized forms” that is a catch-all category organized by subtopic.