Series 3 contains John Doar's records from his time on the New York City Board of Education, including occasional Board materials that predate his tenure. Most of these earlier materials were interspersed with Doar's working files, though a small number of the subject files of Bernard Donovan, who served as superintendent of schools from 1965-1969, were maintained separately.

Series 5 documents Doar's legal career in private practice and his continued interest in civil rights matters from the 1960s. The majority of the series is composed of court documents pertaining to the investigation Doar led in the 1980s into the bribery charges laid against United States District Judge Alcee Hastings. A few other cases are also documented, though to a much lesser extent.