Overview
Purpose
This Editorial Policy identifies the mandate of Law Matters and the CBA Alberta Editorial Committee and defines both the publication process and the scope for publication content.
Background
Law Matters, previously the CBA Alberta and Law Society of Alberta Newsletter, has been published since the 1970s with CBA Alberta taking over exclusive publication of the magazine in 2006. Originally a print publication with 4 – 6 issues per year, the number of print editions decreased to three in 2015 with the summer issue moving exclusively online. The final print edition was produced in August 2020, with Law Matters moving to a fully digital publication in fall 2020.
Objectives
While having regard to its place within the wider organization of the CBA Alberta Branch, the objectives of Law Matters are to:
- Uphold the CBA Mission to improve the law and administration of justice, promote access to justice, and promote equality in the legal profession and in the justice system;
- Position itself as a neutral platform for controversial legal and policy issues;
- Emphasize the relevance and significance of topics as its primary metric for choosing article content;
- Prioritize legal issues facing Alberta; and
- Recruit subject-matter experts to provide insight on the legal and policy issues surrounding each topic.
Each year, the Editorial Committee receives an annual task direction, based on the strategic plan and other Board priorities. The current task direction is appended to this policy.
Frequency
Law Matters articles are published an average of 2 – 3 times monthly, with frequency varying at the discretion of the Editorial Committee.
Distribution
Law Matters articles are published on the CBA National Magazine website at www.nationalmagazine.ca/LawMatters, and on the CBA Alberta website at www.cba-alberta.org/LawMatters. Articles are circulated to members in the CBA National Magazine monthly email, the CBA Alberta Legal Brief bi-monthly email, and on CBA Alberta and national social media channels.
Submissions and Editing
Law Matters articles must be submitted no later than two weeks prior to publication to the Editorial Committee co-chairs. If available, authors are responsible for providing a photo in landscape orientation; if not, a stock photo selected at the discretion of the CBA will be used.
The Editorial Committee reserves the right to edit articles for length, clarity and conformance with content and style guidelines, which are provided to all Law Matters contributors. Other than for stylistic or grammatical corrections, the Editorial Committee will return edited articles to the author for final approval prior to publication. The author will have the option to withdraw the article if they do not agree with the revisions made. Sole responsibility for selection of article titles belongs to the Editorial Committee and/or the CBA National Magazine Editor-In-Chief.
Content Policy and Author Understanding
Law Matter articles are solicited by members of the Editorial Committee and reviewed by the Editorial Committee co-chairs and CBA National Magazine Editor-in-Chief. The Editorial Committee reserves the right to accept or reject any article submitted for the Law Matters newsletter.
Articles shall meet the following criteria:
- Articles and interviews shall be consistent with the Objectives of Law Matters, as set out at Section B, above;
- Except as otherwise approved, Law Matters will not publish pure opinion pieces about active litigation by parties or their representatives directly involved in the litigation, or content that promotes political parties/campaigns;
- Articles that engage active policy issues, or are otherwise identified as sensitive by the Staff liaison or the Board Liaison must be submitted to CBA Alberta Executive Director for review and approval, to be forwarded, as appropriate, to the CBA Alberta Executive Committee and/or the Board of Directors.
- Appropriate attribution to sources is required, in the form of hyperlinks.
Author understanding
The author understands that:
- It is their responsibility to fact check and ensure appropriate attribution to sources;
- The Editorial Team reserves the right to edit articles for length, clarity and conformance with CBA Alberta guidelines; and
- Submission of an article does not guarantee publication.
Annual review of Editorial Policy
The Editorial Policy will be reviewed annually by the CBA Alberta Editorial Committee co-chairs, Board Liaison and Staff Liaison, with any changes submitted to the Board of Directors for approval.