Texas Bar Blog Submission Guidelines

We greatly appreciate you volunteering your time to enhance the Texas Bar Blog. We’ve included information on the guest blogging process below. If you have any questions after reading these guidelines, please contact us at tbj@texasbar.com.

  • Format: Only completed blog articles will be considered (no abstracts, outlines, or pitches). You can send us specific questions regarding the process or the direction or content of your piece. Submit articles in Word document format to tbj@texasbar.com.

  • Content/Topics: Blogs may focus on a range of areas of law and legal-related news and subjects, including—but not limited to—practice management, work-life balance, profiles, Q&As, office space, pro bono, mentoring, technology, small-firm tips, client-focused information, or general practice topics. No article criticizing sitting members of the judiciary by name will be published on the Texas Bar Blog.

  • Length: Blogs may be more narrowly focused or longer than those approved for publication in the print journal.

  • Endnotes: Do not include endnotes in your blog submission. If you’d like to reference material or provide additional information, please do so by hyperlinking text in the article’s body.

  • Review Process and Publication Time Frame: Your blog submission will be assessed for publication potential. Lighter, less technical pieces can be reviewed by staff and, if accepted, posted in a timely manner. Blogs that delve deeper into legal issues and caselaw might require more time. Staff will notify you of the publication decision. Acceptance of blogs will initially be on a case-by-case basis; depending on the quality of your writing and other factors, staff might suggest an ongoing blogging arrangement.

  • Editing Process: If your blog is accepted, our staff editors will copy edit the article before it is posted.

  • Previously Published Blogs: If you have published a blog post on another site and would like for it to be considered, please provide us with your permission and the permission of the other site/publisher. Be sure to note and link to any previous publications when you submit.

  • Compensation: No compensation is offered for any blog.

  • Biographical Information: You are welcome to supply a brief one- to two-sentence bio and photograph as well as a link to your firm’s website and your or your firm’s Twitter handle.

  • Copyright: The author of a blog post submitted to the Texas Bar Blog retains the individual copyright to the article; the State Bar owns a copyright to the collected work in which the material appears. Submission of a post grants the State Bar a non-exclusive license for the bar’s benefit to reproduce, sell, and otherwise distribute all or portions of the article under the author’s name, individually or as part of collective and derivative works, through any media now known or that might be created.

Texas Bar Blog Artificial Intelligence Guidelines

  1. Responsible Use of AI
    Authors may use artificial intelligence tools (e.g., for research, idea generation, drafting, or revision) so long as they understand how to use them responsibly and verify that the AI content is accurate, properly attributed, and ethically sourced.

  2. Verification, Citation, and Disclosure
    If AI tools are used for research, all information obtained must be verified against original sources. Any direct quotes, data, or other AI-generated material must be disclosed, clearly cited, and reviewed for accuracy, as content fitting those elements would qualify as a primary source that needs verification. Authors must be prepared to provide documentation of their verification process upon request. If AI is used, authors must include in the article submission a disclosure statement of the author’s AI usage, including any specific AI tool used, how it was used, and a summary explaining any human review and edits.

  3. Author Accountability
    Authors remain solely responsible for their submissions. The State Bar of Texas will hold authors accountable for the final published work, regardless of whether AI tools were used in any stage of writing, editing, or research.

  4. Editorial Oversight
    The State Bar of Texas reserves the right to request additional review of work containing AI-generated content if there is concern about the validity, originality, or ethical implications of the material.

Contact Us

Email: tbj@texasbar.com
Phone: (800) 204-2222, ext. 1830