ALI CLE Periodical Manuscript Preparation Guidelines

These guidelines apply to The Practical Lawyer, The Practical Real Estate Lawyer and The Practical Tax Lawyer.

Focus of Article

In line with our editorial policy, articles should provide lawyers with advice that they can apply directly to their own practices, and should follow a straightforward, how-to-do-it approach that can be understood by the nonspecialist. Authors should not concentrate merely on local law, but rather should illustrate practical aspects of representing clients that will be relevant to lawyers all over the country. We strongly encourage the inclusion of relevant checklists and forms.

Authors should explain the theory and considerations behind the advice given, so that the reader can adapt it to his or her own situation, but should not merely argue the merits of a particular theory or point of view.

Articles giving advice regarding substantive law must have an attorney as author or co-author. Please do not submit manuscripts that have already been published or have been accepted for publication in another periodical.

Format of Manuscript

The preferred length of manuscripts is between 10 and 20 double-spaced, typed pages, although those limits are fairly flexible. Citations should be kept to a minimum, and should be placed in the text, not as footnotes or endnotes. To submit a manuscript please attach it to an email

Each author who has an article published in any of our Practical magazines receives an electronic version of the article in pdf format and, if requested, a complimentary hard copy of the issue in which the article appeared. Authors will also be able to purchase, at competitive prices, high quality reprints of their own articles.

We shall be pleased to give careful consideration to all manuscripts submitted and to assist editorially in preparing the final articles.

Contact Information

Please address all manuscripts to:

Joseph L. DiPietro, Esq.
Assistant Director, Office of Electronic & Print Publications
ALI CLE
4025 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19104-3099
voice: 610-613-5846
email: jdipietro@ali-cle.org