OneLs: Resources for Writing a Complaint

This list of resources is designed to help you start your research. It does not include all the resources the library owns on this topic, nor does it cover all state and federal jurisdictions. To finish your research, you should refer to the statutes, rules of civil procedure, and local court rules for your jurisdiction. Civil procedure and practice and pleading guides provide information on what must be included in your complaint, the form of the complaint, etc.

Sample Complaints

Massachusetts Superior Court Civil Practice Forms
Law Reserve KFM 2930 Z9 M372 1997

  • Chapter 3 on drafting pleadings contains a sample complaint for a breach of employment contract action.

Pretrial Litigation: Law, Policy & Practice, 3rd Edition
Law Annex KF 8900 A4 D47 2001

  • Chapter 4 discusses the requirements of a complaint for an action in federal court. Section V, Part C, of that Chapter has a sample complaint for a tort suit.

Tools of the Trade: Practical Legal Writing for the 21st Century
Law Reserve KF 250 E45 1997

  • Chapter 6 has four sample complaints for civil actions addressing negligence, divorce, breach of contract, and money due and owing.

Guides to Drafting Complaints

Massachusetts Superior Court Civil Practice Manual
Pappas Lower (Massachusetts section) KFM 2930 Z9 M37 1997

  • Section 3.2 discusses the discrete parts of a complaint and describes elements unique to Massachusetts law.

Pretrial, 6th ed.
Law Annex KF 8900 M38 2005

  • Chapter V addresses pleadings in federal court. The elements of a complaint are described and examples are included.

Legal Method and Writing, 4th ed.
Law Reserve KF 250 C35 2002

  • Chapter 18 on pleadings has a discussion on the elements of a complaint and offers sample language.

Basics of Legal Document Preparation
Law Reserve KF 250 C86 1997

  • Chapter 9 deals with drafting pleadings, including complaints, with an emphasis on federal court pleadings.

Plain Language Pleadings
Law Annex KF 250 .W55 1996

  • Part A of Chapter 8 on "Pleadings and Other Litigation Forms" covers the basic elements of a complaint and includes samples for a variety of causes of action.

Writing to Win: The Legal Writer
Law Annex KF250 .S73 2000

  • Chapter 9 covers twelve rules for writing strong complaints.

Pretrial Litigation in a Nutshell, 3rd ed.
Law Reserve KF 8900 .D47 2001

  • Chapter 4 offers a concise explanation of the mechanics of a complaint.

Forms for Complaints

Procedural Forms Annotated, Massachusetts Practice vols. 10-10C
Pappas Upper KFM 2480 M3 vols. 10-10C

  • In volume 10, chapter 14 provides explanations and examples on captions and naming of parties. Chapters 15-18 describe the elements of a complaint. Beginning at chapter 19, complaint forms are provided for substantive allegations on a variety of causes of action.
  • Once you find a form in the book, find the electronic version on Westlaw. You may search by the title of the form or use the "Table of Contents" link above the search text box to browse Procedural Forms Annotated.

Massachusetts Pleading and Practice: Forms and Commentary
Law Reserve KFM 2938 S92 vols. 1-3

  • Part I of chapter 8 details the rules for pleadings in Massachusetts. Part II (which begins in volume 1 and continues through volume 3) has complaint forms for hundreds of different causes of action.
  • Once you find a form in the book, find the electronic version on Lexis. You may search by the title of the form or use the Table of Contents to browse the book.

Bender’s Federal Practice Forms, vols. 1-3
Louis R. Frumer
Law Reserve KF 8717 B4 vols. 1-3

  • Beginning on page 7-9 of the first volume, and continuing through the third volume, this set publishes hundreds of complaint forms for federal actions. Scores of causes of action are covered. In volume four of the set there are captions for federal cases behind the Rule 10 divider.
  • Once you find a form in the book, find the electronic version on Lexis. You may search by the title of the form or use the Table of Contents to browse the book.

American Jurisprudence Pleading and Practice Forms Annotated: State and Federal
Law Reference KF 170 A54 vols. 1-25B

  • Forms for complaints, answers, and other court documents are found organized by subject matter.
  • Once you find a form in the book, find the electronic version on Westlaw. You may search by the title of the form or use the "Table of Contents" link above the search text box to browse the book.

West's Federal Forms
Law Reference KF 8836 .W4

  • Contains hundreds of examples of federal complaints. Look in the index under the topic "complaints."
  • Once you find a form in the book, find the electronic version on Westlaw. You may search by the title of the form or use the "Table of Contents" link above the search text box to browse the book.

Manual of Federal Practice: Forms
Law Reserve KF 8840 .G562 1999

  • Chapter 3 has several sets of forms for complaints. Forms are annotated for ease of use. Two-set disks are available after the last page in volume 1.

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 specific resources listed above, both Lexis and Westlaw have a variety of databases that contain legal forms and/or guides for writing complaints.

LexisNexis: When you sign on, the "Legal" tab should be selected under "Look for a Source." Click on the folder for "Area of Law - By Topic." Under each topic, there is a subfolder called "Treatises and Analytical Materials."

Westlaw: Use the Westlaw directory to browse within the jurisdiction that applies to your question. Every jurisdiction has an subdirectory for "Forms, Treatises, CLEs and Other Practice Materials."


Page maintained by: Steve Donweber
Last updated: March 2008