This page sets out the policy of JICL: Talk! Anyone interested in submitting posts or comments should read this guidance carefully.
Submitting posts for publication
The blog accepts unsolicited submissions. Submissions will only be published if they: (a) are written in English of good quality, are clear, direct, to the point, and well structured; (b) comply with our word limit and style guidelines below; and (c) are civil and respectful in tone throughout. Posts should make genuinely original, novel contributions to scholarship, and should not replicate content that has already been published on JICL: Talk! or elsewhere; relevant prior posts should be linked to. Excellence is a necessary condition for publication, but it is not always a sufficient condition. The need for a balance of topics, the fact that something similar has already been commissioned, and other similar considerations may also influence the decision to publish a piece. We will only very exceptionally publish pieces by undergraduate or LLM students; submissions by Ph.D. students are very welcome.
To submit a post for consideration, please email the editors at hnajandimanesh@gmail.com. We normally take a few days to review submissions; a decision to publish may be made subject to revisions. The publication itself can also take a few days, depending on how busy the blog is. We try our best to prioritize posts that are time-sensitive. Because of the number of incoming submissions, the editors are normally not able to provide feedback to authors if their submissions get rejected after review.
Style guidelines for post submissions
1-Contributor bio and photograph: If this is your first time contributing to JICL: Talk!, or it has been some time since you last contributed, we will create or update your contributor profile. Please submit in the same Word document as your post a brief bio, including if applicable a hyperlink to your university or professional web page and details of any Twitter profile you may have. Please also attach a color photo of yourself to your email. You may additionally send any other photographs that are relevant to the content of your post.
2-Length and headings: The general limit for the length of a post is 1900 words. We know that some topics need longer treatment, but shorter posts are more likely to be read. Longer posts will be published only exceptionally if the topic so warrants the judgment of the editors.
3-Fonts, spacing, and paragraph format: Any font is fine. Please submit your post single-spaced with a single line return between paragraphs and no indentation. Use headings at your discretion (e.g., every four paragraphs) to break up long posts. Do not use more than one level of headings. Headings should be in bold.
4-Footnotes: Please do not include any footnotes. If you are submitting an already-written piece containing footnotes, decide whether to move the footnote text into the main body of the piece or delete it.
5-Citations: Please put any citations/references in parentheses immediately after the propositions or quotations that they support. We do not accept footnote citations. Cite only when necessary.
6- Hyperlinks: Insert embedded hyperlinks to relevant supporting materials and legal texts, including statutes, treaties, and cases, and to relevant previous JICL: Talk! posts. Always consider what would be useful to the reader. In Word, hyperlinks can be easily embedded by selecting text, right-clicking, and choosing the hyperlink option in the contextual menu.