Authoring Guidelines

The ACC Docket is the voice of the in-house bar. Written for in-house counsel, by in-house counsel, the ACC Docket delivers timely news and practical advice from legal experts to the Association of Corporate Counsel’s global membership of 45,000+ lawyers and beyond.

The Docket has been in publication for nearly 40 years, previously in print with an online companion site. As of April 2020, the Docket has ceased printing hard copies and has transitioned entirely online.  

Author Requirements  

In-house counsel and legal operations professionals can write for the Docket, and may co-author with external counsel, experts in various fields, students, etc. ACC membership is not required. Submissions must be the original work of the author(s) and not previously published or simultaneously pitched to other publications. Self-promotional articles are not accepted.  

How to Contribute 

The ACC Docket accepts proposals for features, how-to and news articles, and profiles. The Docket maintains coverage across practice areas of interest to in-house counsel but prioritizes specific themes throughout the year. See the Editorial Calendar for suggested topics.

ACC Docket Features  

A successful Docket feature article provides practical information for the day-to-day practice of in-house counsel. The content should be relevant to in-house counsel practicing around the world. It should also be applicable whether it is read immediately upon publication or six months later (i.e., evergreen advice). Feature articles should be no longer than 2,000 words and include a "Cheat Sheet" of four high-level bullet points capturing the article's main themes.  

Submit feature article proposals through the Docket's Article Submission Form.

ACC Docket Short-form Articles  

ACC Docket short-form articles are 500 to 750 words and range from suggestions for maintaining a work-life balance to reactions or legal interpretations of recent news. If it is interesting to in-house counsel, the Docket wants to hear about it.  

Submit short-form articles proposals through the Docket's Article Submission Form.

ACC Docket Profiles  

Have an interesting story to share or know someone who does? The ACC Docket publishes interviews and profiles of legal leaders. Additionally, the Day in the Life column showcases the personal and professional events of an in-house counsel’s typical day, hour by hour.  

Submit profile proposals through the Docket's Article Submission Form.  

Submissions Process  

To submit a proposal to the ACC Docket, whether a feature article, news article, or profile opportunity, please use the Article Submission Form. Submissions may include a draft article or a summary of your potential topic.  

ACC’s editorial team will evaluate the draft proposal and determine if it meets the Docket’s standards. After the article proposal is submitted, ACC’s editorial team will review it and provide feedback on placement within two to four weeks.

See our FAQs for more information.  

FAQs  

1. What is the ACC Docket’s voice/tone?  

The ACC Docket is not a scholarly journal. Content featured in the Docket should strike a serious yet casual tone, conveying the information in a digestible manner. Articles should be in-house oriented, culturally sensitive, with an experienced and confident voice.

2. What types of articles does the ACC Docket publish?  

Features  

A successful Docket feature article provides practical information for the day-to-day practice of in-house counsel. The content should be relevant to in-house counsel practicing around the world. It should also be applicable whether it is read immediately upon publication or six months later (i.e., evergreen advice). Feature articles should be no longer than 3,000 words and include a "Cheat Sheet" of four high-level bullet points capturing the article's main themes.   

Short-form Articles  

ACC Docket short-form articles are 500 to 1,500 words and range from suggestions for maintaining a work-life balance to reactions or legal interpretations of recent news. If it is interesting to in-house counsel, the Docket wants to hear about it.  

Profiles  

Have an interesting story to share or know someone who does? The ACC Docket runs interviews and profiles on legal leaders. Additionally, the Day in the Life column showcases the personal and professional events of an in-house counsel’s typical day, hour by hour. 

3. How do I submit a proposal?  

To submit a proposal to the ACC Docket, whether a feature article, news article, or profile opportunity, please use the Article Submission Form. Submissions may include a draft article or a summary of your potential topic. Feedback on short-form articles and profile proposals will be provided within one week of submission. Feedback on feature articles will be provided within two to four weeks of submission.   

4. What should a proposal for an article contain?  

A proposal should summarize the central idea behind the article, why this issue is important to in-house counsel, and briefly describe solutions or advice regarding the issue.  

Article proposals are recommended for first-time contributors. If you are familiar with the Docket and its editorial calendar and process, full-length drafts are acceptable.  

5. Once I've submitted a proposal for an article, when will I find out if it's been accepted?  

After the article proposal is submitted, the ACC editorial team will review it and provide feedback within two to four weeks.  

6. Can I rewrite and resubmit my proposal if it is rejected?  

Yes. After you receive feedback on your proposal, you can resubmit your proposal.  

7. What happens after my proposal has been accepted?  

The editorial team will work with you on a publication schedule to go through rounds of edits and finalize the article. Once you sign off on your final draft, our production schedule does not allow further review. At this point, our editors may do some minor copy-editing, but there will be no substantive edits. Finally, we publish your article. To note, we require all ACC Docket authors to assign copyright to ACC.