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Blog Guidelines

A Law & Policy Blog

BLOG SUBMISSION  ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​  CLICK HERE  (Read the below guidelines to avoid rejection of the Blog)

For Law Students & Legal Professionals

 |  Version 1.0  |  Word Count: 800 – 1,200 words

1. What Is a Blog Post?

A blog post on [Your Blog Name] is a short, readable, and engaging piece that communicates a legal or policy idea clearly to a broad audience — including law students, practitioners, and informed general readers. Unlike research articles, blog posts prioritise accessibility and clarity over exhaustive citation and technical depth.

A good blog post does one of the following:

•       Explains a legal concept, case, or statute in plain terms

•       Offers an opinion or analysis on a recent development in law or policy

•       Identifies a legal problem and proposes a practical solution

•       Connects a current event to its legal implications

•       Critically examines a legal or policy issue from a fresh angle

Key Principle

A blog post is not a mini- research paper. It should 

be readable by a second- year law student without 

requiring a legal dictionary.

2. Who Can Submit

We welcome blog submissions from:

🎓  Law Students

⚖️  Legal Professionals

📋  Policy Professional

UG, PG & PhD students

Any law school or university

India or international

Advocates & solicitors

In-house counsel

Legal researchers & fellows

Policy analysts

NGO & think-tank researchers

Governance & compliance professionals

 

Authors with no prior legal writing experience are encouraged to submit. The editorial team provides light guidance where needed.

3. Scope & Accepted Topics

Blog posts must engage with a legal, regulatory, or policy dimension. Accepted topics include:

• Recent court judgments and their practical implications

• New legislation, amendments, or government policies

• Constitutional rights and civil liberties issues

• Corporate law, startup regulation, or economic policy

• Technology, data privacy, AI regulation, and cyber law

• Environmental law and climate policy

• Human rights, gender justice, and access to justice

• International law, treaties, and cross-border issues

• Legal education, legal profession reforms, and bar issues

• Comparative law — how other countries handle similar issues

⚠ Not Accepted

Pure political opinion without legal grounding

Personal narratives unconnected to law or policy

Promotional or sponsored content

Content previously published anywhere (including personal social media)

4. Tone & Writing Style

[Your Blog Name] accepts a mix of writing styles. Authors may choose the tone most appropriate to their topic, subject to the guidelines below.

Style Type

Best For

Tone Description

Example Topics

Formal & Analytical

Doctrinal issues, case analysis

Structured, precise, citation-backed

Constitutional interpretation, statutory analysis

Semi-Formal & Accessible

Policy notes, legislative updates

Informed but readable; avoids jargon

New law explanations, policy critiques

Conversational & Engaging

Student perspectives, opinion pieces

Direct, opinionated, relatable

Legal education issues, access to justice, campus law

Regardless of style, all blog posts must:

• Use clear, short sentences and active voice wherever possible

• Avoid unexplained legal jargon — define technical terms when first used

• Be factually accurate and intellectually honest

• Clearly distinguish between fact, established law, and the author's opinion

•  Not use inflammatory, discriminatory, or defamatory language

5. Word Count

Word Limit

Minimum:  800 words

Maximum:  1,200 words

Footnotes / endnotes: Not counted toward word limit

Author bio: Not counted toward word limit

Posts below 800 words will be returned as insufficient. Posts exceeding 1,200 words will be returned for trimming before review. The editorial team will not trim submissions on the author's behalf.

6. Required Structure

All blog posts must follow this structure:

#

Section

Guidance

Approx. Length

1

Title

Engaging, specific, not clickbait. Max 12 words. Avoid colons where possible.

—

2

Author Details

Name, designation, institution/organisation, email

—

3

Opening Hook

Start with a question, fact, quote, or scenario that draws the reader in

60 – 100 words

4

Context / Background

Briefly explain the legal or policy issue for readers unfamiliar with it

100 – 200 words

5

Core Argument / Analysis

Your main point, observation, or analysis. This is the heart of the post. May have 1–2 sub-headings.

400 – 600 words

6

Conclusion / Takeaway

What should the reader think, do, or watch out for? End with a clear point.

80 – 150 words

7

References (optional)

Key sources the reader can explore further. Not a full bibliography — 3 to 5 sources max.

—

 

Tip

Your opening hook is the most important part of a blog post.

If the first two sentences do not compel the reader to continue, the post will be edited or returned.

7. Formatting Requirements

Element

Specification

Font (Body)

Times New Roman, 12pt  OR  Arial, 11pt

Line Spacing

1.5

Margins

1 inch (2.54 cm) on all sides

Alignment

Justified or Left-aligned

Headings

Bold; Title Case; Max 2 levels (no sub-sub-headings)

Paragraphs

Short — max 4 – 5 lines per paragraph. No walls of text.

Bold / Italics

Use sparingly for emphasis only; not for decoration

Hyperlinks

Permitted for online sources; must open to publicly accessible pages

Images / Infographics

Optional; must be copyright-free (Creative Commons or original). Include caption and source.

File Format

.docx or .doc only

File Naming

Blog_[AuthorSurname]_[Year].docx  (e.g., Blog_Sharma_2025.docx)

8. Citations & References

Blog posts are not research articles — exhaustive footnoting is not required. However, all factual claims, case references, and statutory provisions must be attributed.

8.1 In-Text Attribution (Preferred for Blogs)

For blog posts, brief in-text attribution is acceptable:

• Cases: In Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (1973), the Supreme Court held that...

• Statutes: Under Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, 2000...

• Reports: According to the Law Commission's 279th Report (2023)...

• Online sources: As reported by The Hindu (hyperlink), the Ministry stated...

8.2 Footnotes (Optional but Encouraged)

Authors who prefer footnotes may use them. If footnotes are used:

• Apply OSCOLA or Bluebook style consistently throughout

• Keep footnote content limited to citations only (no explanatory footnotes in blog posts)

• Footnotes are not counted toward the word limit

8.3 Reference List (Optional)

Authors may include a short reference list at the end of the post (max 5 sources) for readers who wish to explore further. This is not a formal bibliography — a simple list with titles and hyperlinks is sufficient.

⚠ Critical

Even in a blog post, fabricating or misrepresenting legal authority is a serious violation.

All case citations, statute references, and factual claims must be verifiable.

9. Originality & Publication Policy

• The blog post must be entirely the author's own original work.

• It must not have been published previously — including on personal blogs, LinkedIn, Instagram, Medium, SSRN, or any other platform.

• It must not be under simultaneous review at another publication.

• AI-generated content presented as the author's own work is not accepted. AI tools may be used for grammar checking or light editing only — this must be disclosed in the submission form.

• Co-authored blog posts are accepted (maximum 2 authors). Both authors must be identified.

PART B — EDITORIAL STANDARDS & QUALITY GUIDE

10. What Makes a Good Blog Post

The editorial team evaluates blog posts against the following criteria:

Criterion

What We Look For

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Clarity

The main argument is clear from the first paragraph

Burying the point; vague introductions

Relevance

The topic is current, law-adjacent, and meaningful to readers

Overly abstract or outdated topics

Accuracy

All legal claims, citations, and facts are correct

Misquoting cases; wrong statutory sections

Originality

A fresh angle, not a restatement of textbook law

Paraphrasing Wikipedia or standard commentary

Readability

Short sentences, active voice, clear structure

Long paragraphs; unexplained jargon

Engagement

Opens with a hook; ends with a clear takeaway

Flat introductions; conclusions that trail off

Proportionality

Argument matches the scope claimed in the title

Over-promising in title; under-delivering in content

11. Do's & Don'ts for Blog Authors


✅  DO

❌  DON'T

Write for a general legal audience not just specialists

Use unexplained Latin maxims or technical acronyms without definition

State your argument clearly in the first paragraph

Start with 'Since time immemorial' or generic historical preambles

Use real cases and statutes to support your points

Cite cases you have not read or cannot verify

Keep paragraphs to 4 – 5 lines maximum

Write dense, unbroken blocks of text

Use headings to guide the reader through the post

Use more than 2 levels of headings in a blog post

End with a clear takeaway, recommendation, or question

End with 'Thus, it can be concluded that...'

Disclose your perspective if writing an opinion piece

Present your opinion as established law

Proofread carefully before submitting

Submit a first draft expecting the editors to fix errors


PART C — SUBMISSION PROCEDURE

12. How to Submit a Blog Post

All blog posts must be submitted through the Online Submission Form on [Your Blog Name]'s website. Email submissions are not accepted.

12.1 Online Submission Form — Required Fields

Field

Details Required

Submission Type

Select: Blog Post

Blog Post Title

As it appears in the document

Author Name(s)

Full name; co-author (if any) listed second

Designation

Year of study / professional designation

Institution / Organisation

Name of law school, firm, or organisation

Email Address

All editorial correspondence will go here

Thematic Area

Select from dropdown

Word Count

Exact count excluding footnotes and author bio

Writing Style

Select: Formal / Semi-Formal / Conversational

Prior Publication Declaration

Yes / No — published elsewhere before?

AI Use Declaration

Yes / No — AI tools used in preparation?

Co-author Declaration

Yes / No — co-authored submission?

File Upload

.docx file named Blog_[Surname]_[Year].docx

Author Bio

50 – 80 word bio (paste in form field or upload as separate .docx)

12.2 Author Bio Requirements

Each author must provide a short bio (50 – 80 words) containing:

•       Full name

•       Designation (e.g., 4th Year B.A. LL.B. Student / Associate, [Firm Name])

•       Institution or organisation

•       Area(s) of interest

•       Contact email

13. Editorial Review Process

Stage

Description

Timeline

Submission Acknowledgement

Automated confirmation sent upon form submission

Immediate

Format & Compliance Check

Word count, file format, structure, topic scope verified

1 – 2 business days

Editorial Review

Quality, accuracy, originality, readability assessed

5 – 7 business days

Decision Communicated

Accept / Revise & Resubmit / Reject sent via email

Within 7 business days

Revision Window

Author revises and resubmits (if required)

5 business days

Final Edit

Light editorial polish by the editorial team

2 – 3 business days

Publication

Post goes live on the Blog

Within 7 days of final acceptance

 

Note

The editorial team may suggest a title change, structural edits, or tonal adjustments.

Substantive changes to the author's argument will not be made without prior consent.

14. Post-Publication

•       The author will be notified of the publication date and given a link to the live post.

•       Authors are encouraged to share their published posts on LinkedIn, Twitter/X, and academic platforms.

•       When sharing, authors must not remove or alter the publication credit to [Your Blog Name].

•       Authors may republish their post on personal platforms after 30 days of publication on this Blog, with a note stating: "First published on [Your Blog Name] on [Date]."

•       The Blog reserves the right to feature selected posts in its newsletter, social media, or partner platforms, with full attribution.


APPENDIX — BLOG POST SUBMISSION CHECKLIST


Use this checklist before submitting. Incomplete submissions will be returned without review.

#

Checklist Item

✓

1

Word count is between 800 and 1,200 words (excluding footnotes and bio)


2

File named: Blog_[Surname]_[Year].docx


3

Font: Times New Roman 12pt or Arial 11pt; line spacing 1.5


4

Post follows the required structure: Hook → Context → Analysis → Conclusion


5

Opening hook is engaging and draws the reader in immediately


6

All legal claims, case citations, and statutory references are accurate and verifiable


7

Jargon and technical terms are explained when first introduced


8

Paragraphs are short (4 – 5 lines maximum)


9

Writing style is appropriate for the topic and identified in the form


10

Post is original and has not been published anywhere before


11

AI use (if any) has been disclosed in the submission form


12

Co-author details included (if applicable)


13

Author bio (50 – 80 words) is ready to submit


14

Online submission form fully completed


15

Post has been proofread at least once before submission