Sample documents, also known as forms or templates, are example documents that are used as an initial guide to creating legal documents. Some examples include individual contract clauses, licensing agreements, complaints, and interrogatories.
Sample documents can be found in a number of places including law firm collections or knowledge management systems, and paid databases such as Lexis and Westlaw. A law firm librarian or associate should be able to direct you to the available resources at your place of work.
The Maloney Library maintains an extensive collection of video tutorials on many of the topics covered in this guide.
Lexis sample documents can be found on the main page under Sample Forms. You can then select a form by jurisdiction and/or practice area. Below I selected New York, then Contract Law and ran a search for: complaint breach of contract. It is best to search for forms using the type of legal documents (in my search that was a complaint) and the legal issue (in my search that was breach of contract).
Once you have downloaded the sample form in an editable format such as word, you must edit it to fit the needs of your client and the facts of your situation.
Westlaw sample documents can be found on the main page under Content types, then under Forms. In addition to offering forms by jurisdiction and topic, Westlaw also allows you to find sample documents by publication. Below, I ran a selected New York, then Real Property and ran a search for commercial retail lease. It is best to search for forms using the type of legal documents (in my search that was a lease for a retail establishment) and/or the legal issue.
Once you have downloaded the sample form in an editable format such as word, you must edit it to fit the needs of your client and the facts of your situation.
Law firms often have their own, in-house collection of sample documents. These may be stored in print (sometimes in Form Books or just a collection the firm has compiled) or in an online knowledge management system or on the firm intranet. You should establish early on if your firm has a collection of sample documents and how they can be accessed. If you have a firm librarian they should be able to answer this question, or contact the administrator of the knowledge management system.
In some cases there may not be a formal collection. If this is the case, you should ask your supervising attorney if you may review previous similar matters that the firm has handled for sample documents.