Form books are secondary authority, but they serve an especially useful service for paralegals. Many of the documents you prepare have, of course, been created countless times previously. Your firm probably has form books or even templates, both in a library and on computer. But sometimes you need more assistance. Westlaw provides some of that assistance.

Once again, make sure you have added the following Tabs to your page:

• Paralegal
• Law School
• Your State Tab

(Review: To add a Tab, simply click on the Add/Remove Tabs link toward the top of the page. Then click on the Tabs you want to enter.)

Each of these Tabs will provide access to some secondary sources, including form books. Your student subscription will not allow access to all, but will allow access to most of what you would use as a working paralegal. Let's review the tabs in detail.

Paralegal
The Paralegal Tab will include links to the following secondary databases:

The most useful will be Am Jur Pleading and Practice forms, Am Jur Legal Forms, and West's Federal Forms, which is really more of a practice guide than a standard form book.

After clicking on a link to one of these databases you will be sent to a text box to input a query. It is recommended that you click on the "Natural Language" tab and enter a simple query for the form you are seeking, such as "Interrogatories for Automobile Accident".

Westlaw will then provide a list of forms from that database that satisfy your query.

Law School Tab
The Law School Tab provides some good secondary sources, including some already provided on the Paralegal Tab, but most notably the form book Am Jur Proof of Facts:

Select a set of forms to search by clicking on one of the links (databases).  You will then enter a query that will search that database.

Your State Tab
When you click on your state tab, you will be shown a text box for entering your query. Below the box are a collection of state-specific databases. Towards the bottom you may find a limited collection of state-specific forms.

Click on the box next to the source that you want to research. Click on the Search Westlaw button and will need to enter your query. Note, however, that these forms are usually very limited and may not be much help. But it's worth a try!

One more hint about the state sources: Sometimes it is very helpful to browse the table of contents of a relevant set.