In addition to accessing forms from database collections, you can also search for forms in online or print publications that address your topic. Form books are an obvious place to look, but practice guides or treatises may also contain forms. Some form books, such as American Jurisprudence Legal Forms 2d and West's Legal Forms, cover a broad range of legal topics. The following list describes three types of legal publications that commonly contain forms—practice guides, treatises, and form books—but some resources may not fit squarely into one of these categories. For example, Texas Transaction Guide: Legal Forms has “forms” in the title and contains an extensive collection of forms. However, it also offers many practical resources beyond forms and thus has characteristics of both a “form book” and a “practice guide.”
To find online and print form books, practice guides, and treatises, you can explore Tarlton's catalog. Additionally, Tarlton has a research guide on Legal Treatises by Subject, which includes both print and online resources. Westlaw, Lexis, Bloomberg, and PLI Plus all have extensive collections of secondary source publications, which can be accessed directly from the database or, in many cases, from Tarlton’s catalog or a library research guide. There are a number of form books and practice guides on Texas transactional topics, many of which are listed by subject in Tarlton’s guide to Texas Legal Resources at Tarlton.
Important Note: There can be overlap between forms available in database form collections and forms from online publications, as database form collections often include forms from publications.
Westlaw, Lexis, Bloomberg, and PLI Plus all provide access to extensive libraries of secondary source publications. As highlighted under the Database Collections tab of this guide, you can access the forms from many secondary resources from the form collections on commercial databases. Additionally, you can start your search for forms by identifying specific treatises, practice guides, or form books relevant to your topic. Below are links to secondary source publications on Westlaw, Lexis, Bloomberg, and PLI Plus.
For Texas-specific form books and practice guides, the Tarlton Law Library guide on Texas Legal Resources at Tarlton lists practice guides and form books by subject.
Tarlton collects Texas Bar Books in print, and selected Texas Bar Books publications may now be accessed online. See the link below for instructions.
The following are selected Texas-specific form books addressing transactional law topics and Texas transactional law practice guides that include forms.