Transactional Drafting: Tools and Forms

Transactional attorneys have many unique research needs, but also often must rely on their traditional research skills. This is especially true when working as a new attorney or on a deal covering an area of law or business which is new to you. 

First, it is important to make sure you research what law governs your transaction. This includes not only identifying the relevant jurisdiction or jurisdictions, but also locating any topic-specific statutes and regulations which may touch upon your deal. This can be especially true where your transactional work may rely on statutory definitions. 

You may also have to do background research on the area of law or industry your transactional work covers. For example if you are drafting a contract to license intellectual property you would want to make sure you not only understand the general rules of contract law, but any essential background information pertaining to IP law which would inform your deal.

The resources on this page can help you get started on the research and gain the practical guidance. 

There are many books in our collection which can help with transactional law research. Be sure to consider subject-specific drafting titles as well, such as the Intellectual Property Deskbook for Business Lawyers. Below is a listing of a few sample titles available at the law library.