Attorney at Work promises readers one really good idea every day to help them create more fulfilling and successful law practices. Our goal is to publish a single new post containing useful and enlightening words every morning, written by industry experts, lawyers and business professionals who are passionate about sharing their ideas and experience.
Please send article submissions to joan@attorneyatwork.com.
If you’d like to write for us:
- Speak to the individual lawyer. While they practice in a big firm, small firm, law department, or freelance, our readers are looking for advice and actionable tips on how to run and grow their personal practices (and make a profit); new developments and innovations that keep them ahead of competitors; practice and case management strategies (including technology); personal productivity; improving lawyering and soft skills; finding and keeping lawyers and staff; leading their team; getting and keeping new clients, getting along with others, and prioritizing wellness.
You get the idea: You’re talking to a person, not a firm. - Make it fun, and make it easy. This isn’t the law review. Get to the point quickly and make the ride getting there somewhat entertaining. Insert your personality and point of view. If you are telling “how to” do something, break it out in steps, bullets or a numbered list. Provide a short, snappy title that will immediately give readers the gist of your piece.
- Do not “sell from the podium.*” Some of the best tips and ideas come from the businesses that serve the legal profession, and we welcome your pitches. However … if you are worried that it smells like selling, it’s selling. Our readers want information and insights, not marketing-speak. We’ll either reject it or send it back so you can take another run at it.
- Make it exclusive. The first question we will ask if we like your article is, “Has it already been published?”
- Link it. If you discuss different products, include their links so readers can check them out. If you reference an expert or another person’s work, link to them or a relevant article. Be sure to provide links to your firm or company website in your bio, too.
- But don’t over-link it. Please do not include excessive links to your own website in the text of your article. As noted above, we gladly add your personal and business links to your bio, which lives on your author page forever.
- Make it NEW. If you’ve published similar thoughts or tips elsewhere, online or in another medium, update it exclusively for our readers, add something new and different, or wait until you have a fresh idea to send.
- Excerpt it. If you’ve written a longer piece — a guide, a new book, a survey report — send us an excerpt or consider repurposing it into a shorter piece for our audience.
- Word count. Short (600 words) or long (2000 words), if you follow these guidelines, word count doesn’t matter that much. The sweet spot is 800 to 1,000 words, not including your bio.
- Editing. Rest assured, we will edit and proofread your article to fit our style guidelines. We are professional editors with experience making the best writers look even better.
*Paid Content
Sometimes great articles are all about a product or service — for example, tips for using document automation software, lists of products in a certain category, apps, or Microsoft Word tips — but most often, your product-focused article won’t fit into the editorial side of our publication. If your company or PR professional sends in an article like this, and we think it is right for our audience, we may recommend a paid content marketing option. If you want to learn more about paid placement options, contact Mark Feldman at mark@attorneyatwork.com
What to Write About?
- Anything that might immediately improve a practicing lawyer’s work or life, including: Something you know really, really well.
- Something you feel passionate about.
- Something that has helped you.
- Checklists, “how-to” instructions, the “best of” and “x ways” for anything are always helpful.
- Note: Attorney at Work is not for the general public or commercial consumers of legal services. We believe in content marketing and SEO, and respect *targeted* pitches, but please don’t pitch articles targeting your potential clients (i.e., divorce, DUI, truck accidents).
The Fine Print
- Be original. When you send us an article, you are promising it is your original work.
- If you quote someone, refer to, comment on, or endorse another’s ideas or work, credit it and give full attribution to sources.
- When you send an article, you agree to be edited to fit our style.
- Attorney at Work® is a registered trademark.
- Give us credit for republishing and reprints — see our ownership and reprint permission information below.
- Send all questions, queries and articles to joan@attorneyatwork.com.
- No footnotes.
Attorney at Work is not responsible for unsolicited email, articles, artwork, graphics, infographics or manuscripts.
Ownership and Reprint Permission
We ask to be the first to publish your article, but authors keep the original copyright and may republish or reprint their content. Reprints, included those on the author’s website, social media pages or blog pages must include the language “Previously published in Attorney at Work, reprinted with permission,” or “Reprinted with permission from Attorney at Work,” along with a live link to www.attorneyatwork.com. Content may not be reproduced, in any form, without permission from Attorney at Work.*
We also keep the right to reuse the work, for example, in compilations or guides.
*The Attorney at Work website and Daily Dispatches are the property of Attorney at Work. Dispatches, articles, and other content on the Attorney at Work website may not be reproduced, in any form, without permission from the publisher.
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