More Legal References
Web Sites on the Art of Legal Drafting
A) Orthodox Legal Drafting (Legalese)
 Council of the District of Columbia/ Office of the General Counsel
(Legalese Homepage)
www.abfa.com/ogc

Legal Writing (Wikipedia Free Encyclopedia)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legalese
 Guide to Legalese Terminology( The Mississippi Bar Association)
http://www.msbar.org/guide_to_legalese.php#
 Understanding Latin Legalese
http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/DummiesArticle/id-1435.html
 Writing Guide for Legal Writing and Research
http://smccd.net/accounts/skytlc/wrl/wradlegal.htm
 List of legal Latin terms
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_legal_Latin_terms
B) The Contemporary School for Legal Drafting
 Hornbook on legal writing
www.unimaas.nl/bestand.asp?id=4520
 Plain English Campaign's arguments for clearer legal drafting
http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/drafting.html
 All Law <www.alllaw.com> (great source for links and simple legal
forms).
Online Legal Dictionaries
 Law Dictionary (English)
http://dictionary.law.com/
 Legal Glossaries (English)
http://dictionary.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/search.pl?s=plea
 English <> Arabic Legal Dictionary
http://muqtafi.birzeit.edu/dictionary.asp
 Dictionary of Islamic Terms (English <> Arabic)
http://dictionary.al-islam.com/default.asp?t=ARBIND

Bouviers Law Dictionary (1856 ed.)
(ADAPTED TO THE CONSTITUTION AND LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND
OF THE SEVERAL STATES OF THE AMERICAN UNION-by John Bouvier-Revised Sixth Edition,
1856)
http://www.constitution.org/bouv/bouvier.htm
 An Omnibus Online Legal Site
http://www.humphreys.edu/library/?ctt=library_resource_guide_5#section
4
 Legal Definitions
http://www.legal-definitions.com/
 Glossary of Legal Terms
http://www.id.uscourts.gov/glossary.htm
 Glossary on Latin Terminology used in law
http://www.uklegal.com/articles/latin.htm
Hard Copy Legal References for Easy Drafting
Contracts—Distributorship
Bortolotti, Fabio, et al., The ICC Agency Model Contract (Kluer L. & Taxn. Found.
1993).
Intl. Chamber of Com., Guide to Drafting International Distributorship
Agreements (1988).
Contracts—Employment
Bakaly & Grossman, Modern Law of Employment Relationships (Prentice Hall
Law & Business, 2d ed. 1997).
Cundiff, Victoria, The Departing Employee Toolbox: How to Construct Contracts
that Meet Real Business Needs, Employee Rel. L.J., Dec. 1, 1994 (no pagination).
Pagan, John, Arkansas Courts and Covenants Not to Compete, 12 U. Ark. Little
Rock L.J. 57 (1989-90).
Contracts—Generally
Feldman, Robert A., & Raymond T. Nimmer, Drafting Effective Contracts: A
Practitioner’s Guide (Aspen 1999).
Contracts—Goods & Services
Cushman, Robert E., et al., The Construction Inductry Formbook (1979) (nice form
book with all American Institute of Architects forms in one place and indexed, but
check them for currency against Associated General Contractors materials).
Friedlander, Marc C., A Primer on Industrial Design/Build Construction Contracts,
14-APR Construction Law. 3 (1994) (good overview of new contract type,
“design/build”).
Frey, William F., A Construction Contract Primer, 76 Mich. B.J. 546 (1997)
(excellent article with summary of considerations for the drafter).
Hardie, Glenn M., Construction Contracts and Specifications (1981) (book goes
into great depth on how construction inductry works, with flow charts, but probably
too thorough for attorney with only occasional construction contracts needs; lacks
American Institute of Architects forms).
Sweet, Justin, Standard Construction Contracts: Some Advice to Construction
Lawyers, 40 S.C. L. Rev. 823 (1989) (discusses utility of forms with analysis of
available forms).
Sweet, Justin, Sweet on Construction Law (1997) (well indexed book covering
most American Institute of Architects documents).
Sweet, Justin, The Use of Standard Forms for Construction Management
Contracts, 18 Real Est. L.J. 74 (1989) (good review of positives and negatives of
forms; critiques American Institute of Architects and Associated General
Contractors forms).
Contracts—Sports
Greenberg, Martin J., College Coaching Contracts: A Practical Perspective, 1
Marq. Sports L. J. 985 (1991) (fairly informative: reviews Model Coaching
Contract and provides detailed discussion of various clauses).
Stoner, Edward N., & Arlie R. Nagy, The Model University Coaching Contracts: A
Better Starting Point for Your Next Negotiation, 16 J. of C. & U. L. 43 (1989) (best
source: reviews coaching contracts froim 50 universities and NCAA by-laws;
provides starting point for drafting critical clauses).
Corporate Policies
Brown, Peter, Developing Corporate Internet, Intranet and E-Mail Policies (PLI
1998).
Loscalzo, Theresa E., Control vs. Privacy: Why You May Need a Formal E-Mail
Policy, 1997 Pa. Law. 30 (Sept.-Oct. 1997).
Education
Student Press Law Center, Law of the Student Press (2d ed. 1994) (essential
analysis of student media law with model legislation and policy).
Family
Arkansas Legal Services Support Center, Poverty Law Practice Manual (1987)
(explains divorce settlement clauses and provides sample forms for Arkansas).
Rice, Larry, The Complete Guide to Divorce Practice (ABA Sec. of Gen. Prac.
1992).
Schlissel, Stephen, Elena Karabatos & Ronald F. Poppelein, Separation
Agreements and Marital Contracts (Michie 1997).
Legislation
Martineau, Robert J., Drafting Legislation and Rules in Plain English (1991)
(definitive source on plain language in legislative drafting).
Mikva, Abner J., Reading and Writing Statutes, 48 U. Pitt. L. Rev. 627 (1987) (not
very helpful; more about statutory interpretation than drafting).
Letters to Clients
Smith, Robert Sellers, Lawyers Model Letter Book (1978) (dated, but good general
information on letters to clients).
Real Estate Transactions
11, 11A, 11B Am. Jur. Legal Forms (1998).
Galaty, Fillmore W., et al., Modern Real Estate Practice (1991) (good source for
lay, do-it-yourself information on residential leases, with basic forms).
5B Nichols Cyclopedia of Legal Forms (1995).
22-23 West Legal Forms (2d ed. 1986).
Secured Transactions
Baker, Donald, A Lawyer’s Basic Guide to Secured Transactions (ALI-ABA
Comm. on CLE 1983).
Hillman, William C., Documenting Secured Transactions: Effective Drafting and
Litigation (PLI 1997).
Securities
Berman, Daniel S., Going Public: A Practical Handbook of Procedures and Forms
(PH 1974).
Prac. L. Inst., How to Prepare an Initial Public Offering (1999).
Sexual Harassment
Barker, A. Michael, Proactive Policies Deter Sexual Harassment in Municipalities,
45 Fed. Law. 26 (1998) (discusses benefits of having effective policies).
29 C.F.R. § 1604.11 (1980) (EEOC guidelines call for effective sexual harassment
policy as a preventive measure).
Commerce Clearing House, Sexual Harassment Manual for Managers and
Supervisors (1991) (very helpful to define sexual harassment and provide sample
policy).
Herrington, Daniel, Sexual Harassment, with Risk Management Strategies
Applicable to Other Discrimination Claims (1996 & update 1998) (extremely
helpful discussion of case law, advice to give to clients, and sample policy).
Petrocelli, William, Sexual Harassment on the Job, What It Is and How to Stop It
(3d ed. 1994) (helpful to explain Title VII and EEOC regulations and detail what
makes a good policy).
Steingold, Fred S., The Employer’s Legal Handbook (2d ed. 1994) (condensed
form, but great source with legal scenarios for employers and sample policy).
Withers, Claudia, Preventing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace, 587 PLI/Lit
109 (1998) (extremely helpful article touting benefits of effective policies).
Trusts & Estates—Advance Healthcare Directives
Alexander, George J., Writing a Living Will Using a Durable Power of Attorney
(1988) (excellent resource reference with annotated examples of living wills in
several states).
King, Nancy M.P., Making Sense of Advanced Directives (rev. ed. 1996) (surveys
advance directives with statutory forms from several states, but focuses on moral
implications for healthcare providers rather than on drafting requirements).
Randall Robb, Maggie J., Comment, Living Wills: The Right to Refuse Life
Sustaining Medical Treatment—A Right Without a Remedy?, 23 U. Dayton L. Rev.
169 (1997) (points out inherent weaknesses in advance directives, but limited use
because offers little more than open-ended questions).
Sanaro, Gregory G., Annotation, Living Wills: Validity, Construction, and Effect,
49 A.L.R.4th 813 (1986) (summarizes case law; not particularly useful because
predates Uniform Act).
Society for the Right to Die, Handbook of Living Will Laws (2d ed. 1987) (surveys
and compares statutory requirements for living wills in different states).
Unif. Health-Care Decisions Act §§ 1-19, U.L.A. 93-114 (Supp. 1994).
Trusts & Estates—Generally
traditional print sources:
20A Am. Jur. Legal Forms (1994) (huge number of clauses with explanations, but
lacks starting point for first-timer drafters).
Barnhoft, Raymond, & Michael F. Lax, Basic Drafting of Wills & Trusts in
Arkansas (1993) (wonderful source; lacks great depth but refers to cases, statutes,
and legal periodicals).
Beyer, Gerry W., Drafting in Contemplation of Will Contests, Prac. Law., Jan.
1992, at 61 (good article to draw lawyer’s attention to problems that spark
litigation, but caveat: some suggestions conflict with other sources’).
Beyer, Gerry W., Statutory Will Methodologies—Incorporated Forms vs. Fill-In
Forms: Rivalry or Peaceful Coexistence?, Prob. & Prop., Nov.-Dec. 1996, at 26
(good article on importance of wills and why many people don’t have them; helpful
to understand clients).
Bowe, William J., & Douglas H. Parker, Page on the Law of Wills (W.H. Anderson
1991).
Childress, B. Kyle, Minding the Future: How to Advise on Durable Powers of
Attorney, 6 Bus. L. Today 52 (1997).
Clifford, Denis, Make Your Own Living Trust (Nolo Press 1993) (a layman’s guide
that is overly simplistic but gives an overview of trust drafting in simple language).
Clifford, Denis, Nolo’s Will Book (3d ed. 1997) (simple reference with basic
provisions and forms on computer disk).
Cusack, Lawrence X., The Plain English Will Revisited, Trs. & Ests., July 1980, at
119 (short overview of plain English in wills with sample; not very useful).
Dacey, Norman F., How to Avoid Probate (HarperPerennial 1993) (the classic selfhelp book).
Evans, Daniel B., Technology Probate, Prob. & Prop., July-Aug. 1998, at 39
(discusses computer programs that aid attorneys in drafting wills).
Ferguson, Michael C., Wills & Trusts: Meeting the Drafting Challenges, Prac.
Law., Sept. 1997, at 31 (good article discussing drafting standards, sources,
preferences, styles, and provisions for all kinds of clients, with sample provisions).
Fullmer, John David, Basic Will Drafting, Prac. Law., Jan. 1980, at 31 (covers
basic provisions; good starting point).
Harris, Robert M., Drafting Tips for Simple Wills, 41 Prac. Law. 25 (1995) (useful
quick guide to put your contents in order).
Henderson, Nancy G., Drafting Dispositive Provisions in Wills (Part I), 43 Prac.
Law. 33 (1997).
Jones, Clifford P., & David W. Johnson, Document Assembly for Estate Planners,
11 Prob. & Prop. 18 (1997) (discussing the software program “Document
Assembly”).
Laffey, Myles J., Common Drafting Errors, 13 Quinnipiac Prob. L.J. 57 (1998)
(good overview of problems arising from imprecise language, amendments and
codicils, assumptions, lack of flexibility, tax clauses, tangible property, marital
trusts, and more).
Mosley, Daniel L., Drafting to Avoid 25+ Problems, 85 ALI-ABA 1 (1998) (gives
sample clauses that avoid 25 problems; good if you have one of those problems).
1 Murphy, Joseph Hawley, et al., Murphy’s Will Clauses (1997) (long, five-volume
form book with useful background information and provisions, but lacking
explanation of essential will clauses).
Sitarz, Daniel, Prepare Your Own Will: The National Will Kit (1991) (simply lays
out basic requirements to write your own will).
Stocker, Julie E., & Jonathan J. Rikoon, Stocker on Drawing Wills (11th ed. 1993)
(very good book, focusing on New York law, but simple explanation of many will
provisions).
Susman, Gerald, Estate Planning: Forms, Practice and Tax Analysis (L.J. SemPress 1999).
Teahan, Vincent L., Why Don’t Our Clients Like Their Wills?, N.Y. St. B.J., Nov.
1997, at 26 (gives tips for presenting the client with an understandable will).
16 West Legal Forms (1996) (huge number of clauses with explanations, but lacks
starting point for first-timer drafters).
Wilkins, Robert P., Drafting Wills and Trust Agreements (Shepard’s/McGrawHill
1999) (great form book with checklists, brief explanations of clauses, with
alternatives).
Word, Thomas S., A Brief for Plain English Wills & Trusts, 14 U. Rich. L. Rev.
471 (1980) (great periodical with advice on eliminating redundancies, lawyerisms,
and passive voice; must-read).
Writing Process
Fajans, Elizabeth, & Mary R. Faulk, Scholarly Writing for Law Students (1995)
(really good advice on reading critically, revision, and footnotes).
Hacker, Diana, The Bedford Handbook for Writers (3d ed. 1991) (good general
reference book for active/passive voice and business letter format).
Ray, Mary Barnard, & Barbara J. Cox, Beyond the Basics: A Text for Advanced
Legal Writing (1991) (good all-around advice on drafting and revising text).
Strunk, Jr., William, & E.B. White, The Elements of Style (3d ed. 1979) (good
refresher on elementary rules).
Zoning
20 Am. Jur. 2d Legal Forms § 268:79 (1994) (excellent layout and format for
drafting a zoning ordinance regulating adult entertainment; formats and layouts
derived from case law).
Crocca, Carol A., Annotation, Validity of Ordinances Restricting Location of
“Adult Entertainment” or Sex-Oriented Businesses, 10 A.L.R.5th 538 (1993).
9C Nichols Cyclopedia Legal Forms (1995) (excellent starting point for rough draft
of ordinance; language appears in court decisions).
Trenkner, Thomas R., Annotation, Validity of “War Zone” Ordinances Restricting
Location of Sex-Oriented Businesses, 1 A.L.R.4th 1297 (1981).
(Compiled By Mohamed Nasr Eldin- Teacher of ESL and English Lit. at CAC)
E-Mail: mnasreldin1971@yahoo.com