Subject Matter
The Champion is published in the interest of the members of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers to inform and educate the membership and to improve communication within the criminal defense community. Our editorial emphasis is on the practical. It is our goal to present information that enables our criminal defense lawyer readers to do a better job representing their clients. While we will give fair consideration to publishing articles of a topical or theoretical nature, such articles are not of prime interest to our members.
Articles that are drawn from experience and adequately substantiated with concise case references are our preferred content. We depend on the good will of our writers and do not pay for articles.
Style
An informal prose style is preferable to a dense, law review style. While the vast majority of our readers are lawyers, we much prefer articles in plain English without jargon or legalese. Refrain from using the first or second person. (Bad: You should always poll the jury. Good: The defense attorney should always poll the jury.) Citation form must conform to the rules of A UNIFORM SYSTEM OF CITATION published by the Harvard Law Review Association (The Harvard Blue Book). Citation to relevant cases and authorities is a valuable research aid to our readers.
Accuracy in citations is an extremely important responsibility of the author. Please be sure to "Shepardize" all citations to ensure their continuing validity. Inappropriate style or incorrect citations will delay publication of manuscripts.
Original Content
The Champion will accept and publish manuscripts only with the understanding that the manuscripts are original works of the authors and that the manuscripts are in no way an infringement on the rights of others. Please be especially careful with crediting sources of information whether in direct quotes or in paraphrasing. Articles that have been submitted and published in whole or in part elsewhere should be so noted. [Please sign and return the Memorandum of Understanding. Articles will not be published without it.]
Length
Manuscripts submitted for possible publication should be 16 to 24 double-spaced pages, excluding endnotes and illustrations. Longer and shorter manuscripts will be considered.
Form
Manuscripts should be typed double-spaced with one inch margins on all sides. Authors should use endnotes, not footnotes. Unsolicited materials will not be returned. The magazine assumes no responsibility for loss of or damage to submitted materials. Please do not send sole copies of manuscripts or lone copies of photographs or other illustrative materials. Illustrative materials submitted must be "camera ready."
Biography and Photo
Articles published in The Champion include a photograph and a biography of the author. Please submit a recent professional color photo and a 50-word (maximum) biography. The biography may be included at the end of the article or sent as a separate document. The biography should not be included as one of the endnotes. Photos will not be returned. High resolution photos (minimum 300 dpi) can be sent via e-mail.
Review, Acceptance, or Rejection
Manuscripts submitted may be reviewed by members of The Champion Advisory Board or experts in the field. Authors may be asked to revise copy based upon the recommendations of the Advisory Board or experts in the field. All material is subject to the approval of the Publisher who reserves the right to reject material. Any material accepted is subject to such revision as is necessary in the sole discretion of the Publisher to meet the requirements of The Champion.
Ownership
Absent prior written agreement, material published in The Champion remains the property of the magazine. No material, or parts thereof, may be reproduced or used out of context without prior approval of and proper credit to the magazine.
Submission
Email all manuscripts to qchatman@nacdl.org in MS Word format.
Memorandum of Understanding
All submissions must be accompanied by the Memorandum of Understanding.
