Georgia Legal Research

Practice materials typically describes sources attorneys use either at the end of the legal research process, or on an ongoing basis. For this guide, practice materials refers to

• Pattern jury instructions
• Forms
• Continuing legal education (CLE) materials

Pattern jury instructions provide researchers with an example of the jury instructions the judge will use at trial. Researchers can use them as a guide how they should present their argument in court, or can refer to them at the beginning of research process to ensure they research all of the essential elements of a legal issue.

The quintessential collection of pattern jury instructions in Georgia is a two-volume set prepared by the Council of Superior Court Judges of Georgia, titled Suggested Pattern Jury Instructions, which covers both civil and criminal jury instructions.

There are currently no free online sources of Georgia pattern jury instructions.

Most of an attorneys time is spent preparing either legal or court documents. Instead of preparing these documents from scratch each time, many attorneys relay upon sample forms published by commercial publishers. Sample forms are divided into two types of forms: legal forms and court forms. Examples of legal forms include contracts, wills, and lease agreements. Examples of court forms include complaints, motions, and briefs. 

While these premade forms can save an attorney time, and provide new attorneys with much needed guidance, attorneys should always make sure to read the form carefully and take time to fully understand what each part of the form means. Attorneys must make sure to alter the forms in order to fit their specific legal issue.

Many of the popular Georgia treatises include forms within them. There are also several popular form books that only include Georgia forms.Those books are:

• Brown Georgia Pleading, Practice and Legal Forms Annotated
• Georgia Civil Procedure Forms
• Georgia Forms Legal & Business
• Georgia Litigation Forms & Analysis

There are currently no free reliable sources of Georgia legal forms online. Researchers should consult one of the commercial databases listed below, or visit your closest law library.

Continuing legal education courses cover recent legal developments in an area of law. The Institute of Continuing Legal Education in Georgia (ICLE) publishes the program materials from Georgia CLE courses. Currently, there is no online source that provides access to ICLE materials, but you ca purcahse these materials on the ICLE website in print or CD format, or access print copies in the law library.