Finding Legal Forms

When writing a legal agreement, attorneys often rely on form books to get a basic understanding of the elements of a particular agreement and language used in such agreements.

Massachusetts
General Form Books
Topical Form Books
World Wide Web
LexisNexis and Westlaw

Massachusetts

Massachusetts Practice Series (Law Pappas Upper)

This set covers many different legal topics, many with practice tips and forms. Start your research with the index, since many topics are covered in multiple books. Forms are available on floppy disks held at the Pappas circulation desk. You will need to know the volume and chapter number in order to get the correct disk.
TIP: Forms are also available on Westlaw, but first consult the books to determine which section contains the form you need. Use the section number and title words from the form to search: ci(section number) & ti(title)

Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) books

MCLE is a legal publisher specializing in Massachusetts legal resources. Many of the books have forms in them as well as practice tips. To locate books published by MCLE, conduct a word search in the BU libraries o nline catalog. Use a topic word and the term Massachusetts, then limit the result to publisher "MCLE".
TIP: Selected MCLE books are available on Westlaw. It is best to find the form you need in a book first, then use the title of the book and words from the pertinent section to search: pr("Massachusetts Business Lawyering") & "Consent of Sole Incorporator"

Other books

Books containing forms for Massachusetts legal topics may be found in the BU libraries o nline catalog by conducting a word search.

Example: massachusetts and criminal and forms

Massachusetts Forms on the Internet

Many Massachusetts agencies provide forms on the web. The Trial Courts Libraries' Massachusetts and Federal Legal Forms page provides a categorized list of forms with links to their providers.

General Form Books

Although these formbooks are also available online, it is best to consult the print indices to locate the desired form then use the title of the form to locate the electronic version.

AmJur Legal Forms
Print: Law Reference KF 170 .A41
Westlaw Database: AMJUR-LF

Current Legal Forms (Rabkin & Johnson)
Print: Law Reference KF 6286 .R3
LexisNexis Source: MATBEN;CLFTA

Nichols Cyclopedia of Legal Forms
Print: Law Reference KF 170 .N5
Westlaw Database: NICHOLS-LF

West's Legal Forms
Print: Law Reference KF 170 .L53
Westlaw Database: WEST-LF

Topical Form Books

To locate form books on specific types of agreements, use the BU libraries online catalog. Conduct a word search using a topic keyword and any of the following terms: forms, contracts.

Examples: corporations and forms, entertainment and contracts

World Wide Web

Many legal forms are available on the World Wide Web. Try these sites which contain mostly free forms:

LexisNexis and Westlaw

In addition to the form books listed above, both services provide forms for individual jurisdictions and many areas of law.

LexisNexis: Use the LexisNexis "Legal" sources hierarchy to find the page for the jurisdiction or topic that applies to your question. Within each jurisdiction or topic, sources for forms may be found under "Treatises and Other Analytical Materials".
Westlaw: Use the Westlaw directory to browse within the jurisdiction or topic that applies to your question. Within each jurisdiction or topic, check in the subdirectory for "Forms, Treatises, CLEs and Other Practice Materials".