Editorial Guidelines

Writing contributed to State Court Report must be original to the author and not published elsewhere, unless special agreement has been made with the editors for exceptions, such as a short adaptation of a book chapter or law review article.  

Articles must focus on current legal issues of concern to State Court Report, based on the author’s research or expertise or experience. The author is responsible for fact-checking the work prior to submission, with sources provided to the editors. Authors may write about cases in which they have a personal or financial interest only with notice given to the editors and identification of the interest in the final article. Contributors may not use State Court Report to promote their business interests. We also publish contributions from freelance journalists, and welcome pitches through our Contact Us Form. Please do not send full pieces unsolicited.

Authors must provide a one-sentence biography, including name and affiliation, to be posted with the article, including contact information if they wish to receive correspondence. Co-authorship is permitted. All authors must sign a rights agreement with State Court Report; until the rights agreement is signed there is no agreement to publish. 

Most submissions should be fewer than 1,000 words, though longer pieces may be published after consultation with the editors. Contributors will be provided with State Court Report’s style and citation guidelines. Contributors may suggest headlines and subheads, but editors will make final decisions in consultation with the contributor.