Author Guidelines

The Editorial Board for the Wyoming Lawyer strives to present material that is interesting and informative to members of the Wyoming State Bar. Authors should provide practical information that will be of interest to a broad range of Wyoming lawyers. The majority of articles published in the Wyoming Lawyer are substantive, focusing on recent changes in the law, cases and rulings about which members of the Bar need to be informed. Articles on ethical considerations and law practice management are also encouraged.

Short pieces expressing an author’s opinion on a subject of interest to lawyers may be published as a letter to the editor. The Editorial Board also seeks Point/Counterpoint articles by two or more authors on opposite sides of important law-related issues.

Any changes in editorial policy will be made at the discretion of the Editorial Board of the Wyoming Lawyer.

Articles should be typed, single-spaced, using 12-point Times and full justification, on 8 1/2” x 11” paper with 1-inch margins. An electronic copy in Microsoft Word is required. Word count should be 1,000 – 1,200 words – approximately 2 – 3 pages.

Articles should be submitted to Sharon Wilkinson, Editor, P.O. Box 109, Cheyenne, WY 82003.

Articles should be written in a straightforward and clear manner and aim to present practical information. The style should be as non-technical as possible and “legalese” should be avoided. Humor is welcome where appropriate and examples that illustrate a point are usually helpful. Articles should be written for the lawyer who is looking for usable information. Charts, graphs, tables, photos, or any other supplemental information is acceptable; however, the Editor has discretion whether or not it will be included.

The scope of an article should be narrow with a clear focus. For example, an article on real estate practice management is too broad in scope, while an article on the use of computers in preparing residential sales contracts is well focused. Introductions that advise the reader of the importance and relevance of articles are encouraged. Short paragraphs and sentences are preferred. It is suggested that short subheads be used to break the copy in longer articles.

Articles should be written in the third person, except when the author is relating a personal experience.

Wyoming Lawyer authors will receive bylines at the beginning of articles and credit lines at the end. The credit line will include the author’s name; title; firm, company or school; city; and state if outside Wyoming.

It is important that each author disclose any relationship he or she may have with the firm, company or person producing any product or providing any service referred to in the article. The author must make full disclosure even when the relevance seems remote. Full disclosure will allow the Editorial Board to judge objectivity, to determine whether a real or apparent conflict of interest exists, and to determine whether disclosure should be made in publishing an article.

It is the policy of the Wyoming Lawyer that on all submissions of original articles the author assign his/her copyright in the work to the Wyoming State Bar. The Wyoming State Bar may reprint, or authorize other entities to reprint, the material as deemed appropriate. The Wyoming State Bar has the right to authorize the reproduction, adaptation, public distribution and public display of the article in electronic media, computerized retrieval systems and similar forms; such authorization includes use of the article anywhere in the world by means of public display, conversion to machine readable form and reproduction and distribution of copies.

The Wyoming State Bar is not required to secure the consent of the author before exercising the above named rights. In addition, the Bar has no duty or responsibility to negotiate, collect or distribute any royalties in connection therewith.

By submitting an article to the Wyoming Lawyer, the author warrants and represents that he or she has included no material in the article in violation of any rights of any other person or entity and that he or she has disclosed to the Wyoming Lawyer all relationships with any person or entity producing any product or providing any service referred to in the article.

If an article is submitted or accepted for publication elsewhere before acceptance by the Wyoming Lawyer, the author agrees to notify Sharon Wilkinson immediately.

The Wyoming Lawyer reserves the right to change the title of any article accepted for publication and to edit the text of the article. Articles may be sent for review to persons who are not members of the Editorial Board but who are considered experts on the subject matter of the article.

The Wyoming Lawyer does not typically pay for articles. Each author will be sent five complimentary copies of the issue in which the author’s article appears.

No single member of the Editorial Board has the authority to commit to the publication of any article, even when the article has been specifically solicited by a member of the Board. All publication decisions will be made by the Editorial Board acting as a group. Articles will be scheduled for publication at the discretion of the Editor in consultation with the Board. If publication is particularly relevant to a certain date or time frame, the author should inform the editors of this relevance.

By permitting the publication of an article in the Wyoming Lawyer, the author agrees to all the terms, provisions and policies stated in this document.