Legal Research Center | Pennsylvania Practice Resources

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Research Guides > Pennsylvania Practice Resources

Pennsylvania Practice Resources

Pennsylvania Legal Encyclopedias
Pennsylvania General Litigation Practice Guides
Pennsylvania Specialized Litigation Practice Guides
Pennsylvania General Transaction Guides
Pennsylvania Specialized Transaction Guides
Conclusion

The Legal Research Center (LRC) has a variety of practice guide resources that provide guidance on how to perform various tasks. These guides provide summaries of the law governing specific matters, checklists of tasks that need to be performed, procedural guidance, and examples of litigation and transactional forms. Guides are available in print format, electronic format, or both.

All the resources listed in this guide are specific to Pennsylvania law. They provide guidance on how to perform various legal tasks within the parameters of Pennsylvania law.

Pennsylvania Legal Encyclopedias

Legal encyclopedias provide a general summary of the law. Their footnotes include references to relevant cases, statutes, and other resources. Legal encyclopedias typically don't include detailed procedural guidance or sample forms.

Legal encyclopedias usually aren't detailed enough to be the final destination on an attorney's research trial, but they are often a good first stop for a researcher working with an unfamiliar area of the law.

Pennsylvania Law Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition (KFP65 .P415) [print] [Lexis]
- Published by Lexis, available on Lexis.
- Format is similar to a general encyclopedia in that its subjects are arranged in alphabetical order, starting with “Actions” and ending with “Witness.”
- 128 different subjects, ranging from “Criminal Law” to “Street Railroads.”
- Print version includes index. Lexis version allows keyword searching and browsing table of contents.
Summary of Pennsylvania Jurisprudence 2d (KFP65.S86 1991) [print] [Westlaw]
- Published by West Group, available on Westlaw
- 12 subjects compared to the PLE's 128 subjects. Subjects are Business Relationships, Commercial Law, Criminal Law, Employment and Labor Relations, Environmental Law, Family Law, Insurance, Municipal and Local Law, Probate Estates and Trusts, Property, Taxation, and Trusts
- These subjects are covered in much greater depth than in the PLE.
- Doesn't include sample forms, but it does include references to other West Group products that include sample forms.
- Print version includes index. Westlaw version allows keyword searching and browsing table of contents.
Pennsylvania Keystone – Lawyer's Desk Library of Practice (KFP77.L38) [print]
- Published by Bisel Publishing Co. Not available in electronic format on Lexis or Westlaw.
- Provides comprehensive introduction of Pennsylvania law topics
- Subjects arranged in alphabetical order
- Doesn't include forms
- Includes index.

Pennsylvania General Litigation Practice Guides

There are several sets that provide guidance on the various types of litigation practiced in Pennsylvania courts, including:

Civil litigation
Criminal defense litigation
Family Court litigation
Orphans Court litigation

The sets vary in scope, content, organization, and level of treatment. Some sets with include explanations of procedures, some sets will include sample forms, and some sets will include both type of resources.
The LRC provides access to all the general litigation practice guides listed below in print and electronic formats. The print versions will include an index. The electronic versions generally don't include indexes, but they do allow keyword searching and table of contents browsing.

Standard Pennsylvania Practice (KFP530 .S72) [print] [Westlaw]
- Published by West Group, available on Westlaw.
- Provides detailed explanations of procedural issues, including references to cases, statutes, and court rules in its footnotes
- Provides sample forms.
Goodrich Amram 2d Procedural Rules Service with Forms (KFP530 .G6) [print] [Westlaw]
- Published by West Group, available on Westlaw.
- Concentrates on procedural matters under the Pennsylvania court rules
- Arranged according to state court rules, Very good resource for procedural guidance under the Pennsylvania court rules
- Reprints the text of the rule, and provides commentary and explanations about the rules
- Provides sample forms for many rules. For example, Pennsylvania court rule 2036 sets out the requirements for a valid affidavit by a minor. In Section 2036:2, Goodrich Amram includes a sample format for an affidavit by the minor that complies with the rule's requirements.
Dunlap-Hanna Pennsylvania Forms (KFP68 .M49) [print] [Lexis]
- Published by Lexis, available on Lexis.
- Includes both analysis and forms.
- Analysis not as extensive as other Pennsylvania practice guides.
- Set also includes transactional forms.
West's Pennsylvania Practice (KFP 80.W47) [print] [Westlaw]
- Published by West Group, available on Westlaw
- Set contains analysis only, no forms.
- Companion set to West's Pennsylvania Forms (see below.)
- Includes sample trial handbook
West's Pennsylvania Forms (KFP 68.W47) [print] [Westlaw]
- Published by West Group, available on Westlaw
- Set contains forms and limited analysis

Companion set to West's Pennsylvania Practice (see above.)
Includes both litigation forms and transactional forms

Pennsylvania Specialized Litigation Practice Guides

In addition to the general litigation guides listed above, the LRC has several specialized guides that deal with specific types of ligation. The specialized litigation guides often provide a more detailed discussion of their subjects than that provided by the general litigation guides.

Several of these specialized research guides are published by either the George T. Bisel Publishing Company or the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, and they aren't available on Lexis or Westlaw. Many of the Pennsylvania Bar Institute publications provide CDs that include electronic versions of the sets forms that can patrons can download and modify using word processors. Bisel Publishing sells some of its sets on CD.

The guides listed here are a sampling of the LRC's specialized litigation practice guides. There are other resources available. Please contact a reference librarian for more information about available resources.

Pennsylvania Matrimonial Practice (KFP 95.R682 2006) [print]
- Published by West Group, but not available on Westlaw
- Multi-volume treatise on Pennsylvania family law
- Arranged according to Pennsylvania family law statutes
- Provides detailed analysis, legislative history of Pennsylvania family law statutes, citations to relevant cases, and sample forms

Pennsylvania Support Practice (KFP 104.8.P46) [print]
- Published by Bisel Publishing, not available on Lexis or Westlaw
- One volume softbound treatise, published annually
- Comprehensive analysis of Pennsylvania child support and spousal support law
- Includes sample forms
Pennsylvania Bar Institute's Local Family Law Practice Series (various call numbers)
- The Pennsylvania Bar Institute publishes several practice guides that cover family law practice in specific areas of Pennsylvania
- Not available on Lexis or Westlaw
- Titles include Philadelphia County Domestic Relations Practice, Family Law Practice in the Lehigh Valley, Family Law Practice in Northeast Pennsylvania, and Family Law Practice in Western Pennsylvania
- Each titles provides information specific to its jurisdiction, including contact information, courthouse room numbers, and standard operating procedures provided by judges
- Sample forms included
Remick's Pennsylvania Orphans' Court Practice (KFP 144.F73 1975) [print] [Lexis]
- Published by Lexis and Bisel, available on Lexis
- Multi-volume treatise on practice in Pennsylvania Orphans Court, governing probate and guardianships
- Includes analysis and sample forms
- Print version supplemented by single volume annual update, Lexis version also includes update
Pennsylvania Landlord-Tenant Law and Practice (KFP 117.F7522) [print]
- Published by Bisel Publishing, not available on Lexis or Westlaw
- Multivolume loose-leaf set
- Includes analysis, checklists, practice tips, and sample forms
- Updates are filed at the beginning of each volume rather than incorporated with existing text, so be sure the review update material when using this set
Barbieri Pennsylvania Worker's Compensation and Occupational Disease (KFP 342.B372) [print]
- Published by Bisel Publishing, not available on Lexis or Westlaw
- Multivolume loose-leaf, updated annually – updates are filed at the beginning of each volume
- “Case Finder” feature indexes Pennsylvania workers compensation cases by type of injury and disease

Pennsylvania General Transactional Practice Guides

In addition to litigation practice guides, there are also transactional practice guides available. These sets provide guidance on various transactional matters, including drafting a will, creating a corporation, writing a sales contract, and selling real estate.

Pennsylvania Transaction Guide: Legal Forms (KFP68. 45) [print] [Lexis]
- Published by Lexis, available on Lexis
- Most comprehensive Pennsylvania transaction guide
- Sections include “Business Entities”, “Wills and Trusts”, “Commercial Transactions”, “Real Estate Transactions”, and “Personal Transactions”
- Print version includes index
Dunlap-Hanna Pennsylvania Forms (KFP 68.M49 2001) [print] [Lexis]
- Published by Lexis, available on Lexis
- Set includes transactional forms and litigation forms.
- Subjects include “Profit and Non-Profit Corporations”, “Business Transactions”, “Commercial Law”, “Employment Law”, “Real Property”, and “Forms of Wills and Trust Agreements”
- Print version includes index
West's Pennsylvania Forms (KFP 68.W47) [print] [Westlaw]
- Published by West Group, available on Westlaw.
- Set includes both transaction forms and litigation forms.
- Subjects include “Business Organizations”, “Estate Planning”, “Employment Law”, and “Commercial Transactions”
- Print version includes index

Pennsylvania Specialized Transaction Guides

In addition to the general transaction guides described above, there are several specialized Pennsylvania transaction guides the provide practice guidance on specific issues.

How to Write a Will (KFP 144.H69 2008) [print]
- Published by the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, not available on Lexis or Westlaw
- Provides basic instruction on drafting wills, trusts, and other estate planning documents
- Includes checklists and sample forms
Pennsylvania Estate Planning and Drafting (KFP 140.W45) [print]
- Published by Bisel Publishing, not available on Lexis or West
- Multi-volume loose set updated annually, updating information filed at front of volume
- Provides comprehensive guidance on estate planning under Pennsylvania laws
- Includes checklists and sample forms
Pennsylvania Corporate Practice and Forms (KFP 210.S36) [print]
- Published by Data Trace Publishing Co., not available on Lexis or Westlaw, includes CD form
- Provides full analysis of various aspects of Pennsylvania corporation law
- Topics include “The Incorporation Process”, “Articles of Incorporation”, “Mergers”, and “Dissolution.”
- Includes sample forms

Conclusion

This guide lists some of the available Pennsylvania practice guides. If you don't see a practice guide listed that addresses your particular needs, please contact one of our reference librarians. We will be happy to help you look for a resource that meets your needs.