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Author Guidelines for Substantive Law Articles

Editorial Staff Contacts

  • Leona Martínez, Managing Editor—(303) 824-5324, leonamartinez@cobar.org
  • Tracy Rackauskas, Legal Editor—(303) 824-5326, tracyr@cobar.org
  • Susie Vancura, Legal Editor—(303) 907-1828, svancura@cobar.org

Editorial Process

The Colorado Lawyer (TCL) assumes that every article submitted for publication will be edited with the full permission of the author. After an article has been accepted, the editorial process generally follows these steps:

1. The coordinating article editor will review and edit the article for legal accuracy and to comply with TCL editorial standards. The article may go through more than one revision.

2. The coordinating article editor will provide the author with a deadline schedule. Manuscripts are due to TCL two months prior to publication. If the author anticipates any problem meeting the established schedule, this must be promptly communicated to the coordinating article editor.

3. After the manuscript is submitted to TCL, it will be edited to conform to TCL’s editorial standards by one of three TCL legal editors. Editing may be extensive and rigorous. TCL editors will address such areas as the article’s style and tone, organization, scope, readability, grammar, punctuation, citation format, and consistency. At this stage, the article again may go through more than one revision.

4. The author will be provided an edited manuscript for review and approval before publication. TCL expects the author to turn around the article quickly (usually within 48 hours), due to a short production schedule. If the end product is not acceptable, the author should inform the TCL editor immediately. The article will not be published unless a mutual agreement is reached. The decision as to which articles will be published and when is at the discretion of TCL.

Publication Standards

  • Content/Tone: Articles should be oriented toward specialists in the area of law that the article emphasizes (for example, tax, real estate, labor), although attorneys practicing in related areas also should find the information of interest. Articles should be written in a practical, how-to-do-it manner rather than in a scholarly (law review), case note, or conversational (news magazine) style. The articles are intended to inform and educate. Articles should be neutral and avoid opinions; cannot be editorializing in nature; cannot advocate the position of an author or organization; should not speak to an author’s personal experiences; and should not include suggestions for changing current law. Writing about proposed legislation is discouraged, as forthcoming laws are subject to change. Likewise, cases pending before the court ordinarily should not be the subject of articles until the cases have been decided through appeals. Articles that attempt to promote a product, service, or profit-making venture will not be published.
  • Author Expertise: Authors are expected to keep abreast of the legal field and of changes in the subject area. The author should immediately contact the TCL legal editor with whom he or she is working during the editorial process if new laws or cases impact an article. There may be time to make changes before publication; alternatively, an update may be published online and in a future issue of TCL.
  • Citations: Authors are responsible for the accuracy of all citations. It is important to cite-check through a computer database or to Shepardize. Excessive citations are discouraged, but should be adequate to annotate the material so the articles serve as practical tools for attorneys. All citations should be formatted as endnotes and appear in numerical order at the end of the manuscript, not in the text of the article or as footnotes. TCL generally follows The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation; authors may peruse endnotes in published TCL articles to better follow TCL citation format.
  • Quotations: Lengthy quotations should be used only if the language is essential; paraphrasing is preferred.
  • Introduction and Conclusion: Every article should have: (1) an introduction, which includes a short paragraph providing an overview of what the article covers (e.g., "This article discusses . . ."); and (2) a conclusion, which summarizes the article and brings together major points without addressing new material.
  • Titles and Subheads: The article title may not be longer than 11 words and should clearly state the subject matter of the article. TCL encourages the use of appropriate subheads, which should not exceed six words. Subheads indicating a shift in topic or emphasis should be plainly marked. Subheads ordinarily should be no more than two-level headings (e.g., MS Word style formats Heading 2 and Heading 3).
  • Format and Length: Manuscripts should be double-spaced throughout, including citations. Manuscript length ordinarily should not exceed 6,000 words, including citations (approximately 20 double-spaced pages). Articles shorter than 6,000 words/20 pages will be considered. Paragraphs should be limited to 100 words. Special requests to submit longer articles should be brought to the attention of the coordinating editor.
  • Use of Sidebars, Charts, and Tables: If pertinent to the article, the use of sidebars, charts, or tables is encouraged. Authors should direct questions about sidebars and charts to Tracy Rackauskas or the TCL editor with whom he/she is working. MS Word files are preferred.
  • Editorial Style: Authors should avoid the following: overuse of passive voice; use of first or second person (I, we, you); one-sentence paragraphs or long paragraphs; and use of clichés, questions, jargon, or legalese.

Submission Procedures

The following must be submitted to the coordinating article editor:

  • Manuscript: An electronic version of the accepted article, preferably as an MS Word attachment. Please do not submit documents that have been converted from PDF format.
  • Abstract: Author should provide a short summary of the article of approximately 25–40 words, which will appear at the beginning of the article. The abstract should not duplicate text in the article.
  • Author Information: Author’s name; contact information—address, phone number, and e-mail address; and affiliation with firm, company, or entity, including the author’s title (associate, partner, etc.)
  • Signed License Agreement: A standard License Agreement must be executed by the author and returned to the coordinating article editor when manuscript is submitted. This License Agreement allows TCL to publish and distribute the author’s work in both print and electronic media. The author retains copyright. Signing this agreement does not preclude the author from using the material elsewhere; educational and professional uses of the author’s work are encouraged. If the author wishes to reprint or republish, the author agrees to provide TCL with a signed Permission to Reprint form and include a notice on the article that the work originally was published in TCL.
  • Disclosure Information (if applicable): If an author, or anyone in the author’s firm, has served as counsel for a case or has been involved in legislation or any other matters discussed in the submitted article, the author must disclose this information, and this will be noted in the published article.
  • Author Photograph: A black and white or color print showing the author’s head and shoulders at a minimum, with good contrast and a solid background, should be sent to the TCL editor with whom the author is working (see contact information at top of this document). A digital photo may be submitted: 300 dpi TIF files are preferred. JPG files directly from digital camera also are acceptable; cameras should be set at highest quality setting.

Author Review of Published/Posted Article

After initial publication, each author is asked to review his or her article posted online on the CBA website, www.cobar.org. Authors should notify the TCL legal editor of any existing errors and of corrections that need to be made online.

CLE Credits

For information on obtaining CLE credits for writing an article for TCL, authors should contact the Board of Continuing Legal and Judicial Education at the Colorado Supreme Court, (303) 893-8094 or (303) 866-6500. The requisite form, "CLE Request for Accreditation for Research," along with contact information, is available at www.coloradosupremecourt.com/pdfs/CLE/Form6.pdf.