Submission and Publication
Prior publication: Articles should be original. Simultaneous submission or submission of an article based in large part on a previous version, although discouraged, may be permitted upon consultation with the Board co-chairs and/or the ABA staff editor. A reprinted article accepted for publication will be identified as such with an editor’s note.
Article length: Feature articles should run between 2,000 and 5,000 words, including endotes (10 to 20 double-spaced pages). The Judges’ Journal also accepts some shorter articles and columns.
Author Bios/Photos: Most articles in The Judges’ Journal include author bios and author photographs.
Please provide a 3-4 sentence bio indicating your full name (including middle initial); formal title; a brief summary of ABA involvement, if any; and any other notable accomplishments that lend authority to your article. Please provide your e-mail address. Most authors allow us to publish their e-mail contact information, but please feel free to decline to do so—simply inform the ABA editor.
Please provide a headshot to accompany your bio. Photos can be digital or photographic prints that we will scan. All digital photographs should be at least 300 dpi or ppi (dots-per-inch or pixels-per-inch). Please follow the guidelines below to get the best possible results from your image.
- Digital photos should sent in one of the following formats: EPS, JPG, or TIF.
- Digital photos should be 300 dpi.
- All photos should be at least 2" wide by 2" tall or larger.
- Try to send a shot where you are in the foreground of the picture. Portraits are always the best.
Do not send photos the following ways:
- Do not copy a photo from a Web page, as these tend to be low resolution and will pixilate when printed.
- Do not send a photo embedded within a file, such as in a Word or PowerPoint file.
- Do not send low resolution photos (If unsure about the resolution send it and we will let you know if it is low resolution).
- Do not send photocopies or printouts from photocopies.
Personal photographs may be appropriate for some articles or columns. In most cases, though, the designer will select images for the article or column.
Manuscript preparation/submission: Articles should be double-spaced with one-inch margins. Please submit articles by e-mail attachment.
The peer review process: Upon receipt, articles are sent to the Editorial Board for peer review. Manuscripts may either be returned to authors for some additional editing per the peer review comments or simply formatted and copyedited by the ABA staff editor and otherwise prepared for publication. In either case, authors receive one or more opportunities to review the changes made. Please note that all articles are subject to acceptance by the peer review board, and that individual Editorial Board members cannot guarantee publication.
The author review process: Authors will review edited articles in final manuscript form. Deadline pressures make it impossible to submit final typeset proofs to authors.
Publication agreement: Authors are asked to sign a publication agreement that grants the ABA, inter alia, the exclusive right of first publication, the nonexclusive right to reprint, and the right to use the work in other ABA media.