Editorial Guidelines
The editorial staff of Legal Publishing Network will examine and approve all news releases. If you want your press release to be accepted, you need to make sure it follows these rules:
Content
There needs to be an announcement in the title of your press release that is worthy of news coverage. You must mention your company’s or law firm’s name in the release’s title. Some instances are as follows:
- The Law Firm of Smith & Jones Will Construct A New Office Close to Interstate 80
- Legal Counsel from Smith & Jones Says California Assembly Bill Could Benefit Businesses
- Smith & Jones Attorney John Smith to Join Local Association Board
Smith & Jones’s - Associate Attorney Jane Doe, Selected for the Super Lawyers list
Analysis of Recent Events
Your expert opinion should serve as the news angle when sending a press release regarding a current occurrence in which your legal firm has no direct involvement. A good and bad way to approach a news story is illustrated here:
Incorrect: Twenty and Counting Acme Warehouse Employees Hurt in Explosion
Correct: Smith & Jones’s assertions that injured workers from the Acme Warehouse explosion may be entitled to compensation are correct.
Promotional Tone
An objective third-person point of view is appropriate for press releases. Put yourself in the shoes of the editor of a local newspaper while you craft your press release. The ideal tone reads as though a journalist had written it. It is too promotional if it sounds like a commercial.
Dispute resolution
These rules apply to all news announcements concerning ongoing lawsuits:
- Only law firms with a stake in the case may issue press releases about the litigation. Press releases might be withheld until further confirmation.
- Include the case number, jurisdiction, and litigation name in the fields supplied with the release.
- A lawsuit must be filed with the appropriate court, and a case number must be obtained before submission.
- Legal Firm Newswire may withhold a press release pending the provision of a record of the case and filing.
Claims regarding the allegations must be linked to the litigation. Just to illustrate:
Incorrect: Acme required workers to put in 60-hour weeks without extra pay.
Correct: Indeed, the plaintiffs assert that Acme coerced them into working 60 hours per week without compensating them for overtime.
Grammar and Spelling
Make sure to check for spelling and grammar mistakes before submitting. To ensure the reliability of our distribution system, Legal Publishing Network retains the authority to rectify typographical and grammatical errors.
Total Number of Words
Press releases submitted to Legal Publishing Network must be between 200 and 1500 words in length. Staying under 1000 words is our guideline for best practices in press release writing, even if we offer a generous word count allowance. Produce extensive news releases only when your announcement warrants it.
Advertisements
Promotional and sales press releases lacking in noteworthy material will not be accepted.
Advertising Guidelines for Attorneys
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