Practitioner materials are practical resources designed to assist practicing attorneys in their work, offering valuable guidance for legal research. Also known as practice materials, these provide practical guidance on a range of legal tasks. They include practice guides, form books, manuals, handbooks, continuing legal education (CLE) materials, jury instructions, and more. They often provide step-by-step advice on legal procedures, sample forms and contracts, checklists, and tips from experienced practitioners. An example is West's Legal Forms, a comprehensive set of legal forms and practice guides. You can frequently locate jurisdiction-specific practitioner materials as well.
Practitioner materials play a vital role in legal research, particularly for practicing attorneys. They offer practical guidance, helping attorneys understand procedural aspects, draft legal documents, stay updated on changes in law, and learn best practices in a particular field. For law students, practitioner materials can provide a bridge between theoretical learning and practical application, offering insights into the real-world practice of law.
Practitioner materials can be found in law libraries and are also available on legal research platforms. To use them effectively, first identify the task or issue for which you need practical guidance. Then, find the relevant material, whether it's a practice guide for a particular area of law, a form book for drafting a legal document, or a CLE material for understanding recent developments in a field. Read through the material for practical advice, and make use of any sample forms or checklists provided. As with all secondary sources, cross-verify any legal information with primary sources to ensure its accuracy.