Criteria Applicable to All Submissions, Solicited and Unsolicited (Submission Criteria)
1. In General. The Michigan Bar Journal welcomes submissions that:

• address specific issues in areas of law that are widely practiced,
• cover new fields of law or subspecialties, or
• are otherwise of interest to our members

2. Unacceptable Submissions. The Michigan Bar Journal will decline submissions that:

• denigrate the legal profession,
• do not meet professional writing standards,
• promote a specific business or type of business,
• do not present a balanced analysis or critique, supported by sufficient legal authority (such submissions may be appropriate for the Bar Journal’s Point–Counterpoint feature), or
• do not otherwise conform to these guidelines.

3. Reprints. The Michigan Bar Journal does not typically publish content that has been
published elsewhere.

4. Specific Requirements.

A. Length: Articles should be no longer than 2,500 words including endnotes. Columns should be no longer than 1,500 words including endnotes. Book reviews should be no longer than 2,000 words including endnotes.
B . Format: All content must be submitted in electronic format, preferably as a Word document. At the top of the file include author names (how they should appear in the author credit), author email addresses, and author phone numbers where they can be reached. Contact information will not be published. It is for internal use only.
C. Endnotes: All citations must be included in endnote form — not in the body of the submission. Although the Michigan Bar Journal is not a law review, it is peer reviewed; thus, statements of fact and law must be supported by endnotes. Use endnotes to cite authority only and do not include extended side discussion.
D. Citation Form: The Michigan Bar Journal uses the Michigan Appellate Opinion Manual as a citation-style guide. The manual is available in a searchable online format at http://www.courts.mi.gov. Please consult and follow the manual when preparing a submission. Accurate quotations and citations are important. Please include complete citations (for example, include parallel citations) and, when citing material other than cases, statutes, or rules, give the reader enough information to locate that material.
E. Title/Subtitle: Compose a suggested title — and subtitle, if appropriate — that conveys the essence of the submission.
F. At a Glance: Include a suggested “At a Glance” sidebar consisting of two to three brief sentences that summarize the submission’s key points, if possible. The sentences can be taken verbatim from the submission or paraphrased.
G. Author Bio and Photo: For each author, provide a brief biography — no longer than 70 words — emphasizing credentials related to the subject of the submission. Submit a photo of each author. Photos should be 300 DPI (dots per inch) and no smaller than 2 by 3 inches. We accept color or grayscale TIFF, JPEG, EPS, or PDF files.
H. Copyright License: The author(s) must sign the State Bar of Michigan copyright license before publication.

Review, Editing, and Appeal Process Applicable to All Submissions

1. Initial Review. The Michigan Bar Journal reserves the right to refuse to publish any submission (including one solicited for a theme issue) and to determine when approved articles will be published. Editors may request that a submission be shortened or edited before completing the review process.

2. Right to Edit. The Michigan Bar Journal reserves the right to edit all submissions for length, clarity, organization, and style; substantive changes are subject to author approval.

3. Theme Articles. The Michigan Bar Journal Standing Committee appoints theme editors to solicit, coordinate, review, and edit feature articles in conjunction with a schedule of themes scheduled by the Committee for upcoming issues of the Bar Journal.

4. Unsolicited Articles. Unsolicited articles providing legal analysis or education also may be submitted for consideration by a three-member article-review committee appointed by the Michigan Bar Journal Standing Committee. An unsolicited article will be considered for publication based on how well it meets the submission criteria, as well as its timeliness, clarity, and organization. If the review committee determines that an article is appropriate for publication, it will be edited by a general-articles editor, unless determined to be appropriate for a theme issue; in that case, the article will be sent to the appropriate theme editor for editing unless the author objects.

5. Appeals. The Michigan Bar Journal seeks to resolve all issues with authors through consensus. But if the author and editors cannot come to an agreement on any submission, it will not be published. Authors may appeal for future publication of their submission. All appeals must first be made to the Executive Director of the State Bar of Michigan. If the author wishes to appeal the Executive Director’s determination, the author may appeal to the Board of Commissioners’ Communications and Member Services Committee. To appeal, email Marge Bossenbery at mbossenbery@michbar.org.

6. Final Edits. The managing editor of the Michigan Bar Journal also reviews and edits all articles accepted for publication, and a cite-checker reviews the endnotes.

7. Inquiries. To determine the status of a submission, email barjournal@michbar.org .