Finding Legal Forms  Tags: law research courses lrw3  

Looking for patent forms? Search for "patent forms" (no quotes) or try another forms search in the box below:

Research Guide for Finding Forms is intended to help students find forms in the library or in databases and other online resources. The tabs for Encyclopedias of Legal Forms and and the pop-up list of Jurisdiction- and/or Subject-Specific Resources don't include every specialty form book in the library. The library catalog can be searched for forms on additional subjects using the directions in the Finding Forms in Library Books box on this page.

Electronic Resources for Legal Drafting lists some suggestions for finding forms in online resources, such as IICLE Smartbooks and Internet web sites. There are additional online suggestions on some of the Subject-Specific pages, and LEXIS and Westlaw explains how to find forms on LEXIS and Westlaw. 

The list under the "Jurisdictional- and/or Subject-Specific Resources" tab is just a starting point to show you examples of the form books available in the Library. It isn't intended to be a comprehensive list. You can use the Library's online catalog to find forms for additional topics that aren't listed, or for more books where only one example is listed.

The best way to locate forms in the Library Catalog is to do an "Advanced Search" using the word "forms" with a keyword or phrase relating to your topic, such as "patent." Limit the search to DTC (Downtown Campus) because the catalog includes many patent government documents in Galvin Library on IIT's Main Campus. This will generate a list of books that include patent forms. You can sort the list, which will be quite long, so the newest titles are on the list first, but keep in mind that some books with older dates may have recent supplements. A quick look at the individual record for the book is the way to find out if there are updates. 

Watch a video explaining how to run the search.

Also, consider locating the area of the Library where the books on your subject are located. There may not be a form book specifically dealing with your subject, but many treatises and other secondary materials contain forms even if they are not primarily form books. Additionally, some of the big multi-volume treatise sets may have one or more forms volumes at the end of the set. Loose-leaf services may also include forms, such as new or revised forms keyed to recent developments in an area of the law.

Treatises that are available in Lexis or Westlaw, but not in the Library as print books, are also now available via the Library's catalog. Thus, with one search of the Library's Catalog, you can now find form books that we have in print or that are available via Lexis and Westlaw. Simply search for your desired book according to the directions above, choose the catalog record labeled "electronic resource," and use the link to Lexis or Westlaw where you will be asked to log-in with your password. Links in the catalog to Lexis and Westlaw books will only work with Chicago-Kent passwords.