Submission Guidelines and Deadlines

ABI reserves the right to edit all articles for content and style, and to reassign articles to other columns or publish articles as features based on subject matter and column availability. All articles are reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief, Vice President-Publications, Executive Editors, Associate Editors and ABI staff prior to publication.

 

You must be a current annual ABI member to contribute articles to the Journal. All articles submitted for publication (with no more than three authors per article) must be first-run articles that have not been previously published, and you will be required to sign a publication agreement at the time the article is submitted for this reason. 

 

  Submitting Your Topic

This is the first step to being published in the ABI Journal. Please email your proposed article topic to Managing Editor Elizabeth A. Stoltz at [email protected] by the topic deadline for the issue in which you would like to be published (see below). This helps us avoid topic duplication so that your article stands out, and enables us to better plan each issue of the Journal.

  Deadlines

See the ABI Journal Deadlines page.

  Submitting Your Article

Once your topic has been approved, we will contact you with instructions and a link to submit your article. Your article must be submitted in an editable electronic format, preferably Microsoft Word. ABI does not retype articles.

It is important to submit your article by the corresponding deadline. Articles submitted late may be held for a subsequent issue. Authors are invited to submit a head shot (color is preferred, but black and white is acceptable) for use with the article. Electronic images must be 300 dpi for optimal print quality, and at least 4" x 6". Photos from websites are low-resolution and are unusable. Hard copies of photos can be scanned at ABI to the proper resolution.

  Cases

Always italicize case names and cite according to West Bankruptcy Reporter using B.R.; otherwise, use Bluebook form.

All citations must be placed in footnotes.

  All articles MUST contain:

  1. Title (no caps)
  2. Byline(s) containing name, firm name and city/state
  3. Brief professional bio (please do not put this information in a foonote; the online submission form provides space for this information)

 Suggested Article Length

2,000-2,500 words (around 6 columns). Word count includes footnotes. ABI reserves the right to edit articles due to space constraints when necessary.

 Format

Headlines: at top of page, bold. NO all-caps or small caps. Always include a headline.

Subheads: bold subheads, upper/lower case.

Bylines: center and italicize the following beneath the title. Always include a byline.
Written by:
John Doe
Firm or Company; City, State

 Graphics

Charts and graphs (up to three) may be placed within your document as you want them to appear, but always include the original images in a separate file(s) (e.g., Excel-generated charts used should be sent in their original Excel files or as PDFs). The online submission form enables you to upload images along with your article.

 Quotes

Indicate quotes with quotation marks, or indent the block of text on both sides. If you are omitting the beginning, end or any part of a text block, use the ellipsis (...).

 Emphasis

Use italics for emphasis (do not use underlines or bolds).

 Acronyms

When utilizing an acronym, refer to the item, bill or organization initially by its full title and the acronym in parentheses (do not use quotes). On subsequent references, the acronym stands alone (e.g., The American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) is headquartered in Alexandria. ABI holds many conferences throughout the year.).

 ABI Members

If you mention a current ABI member within the article, bold the full name. You can confirm member status by checking the online directory at ABI (https://www.abi.org/directory).

 Capitalization

Lowercase "state" in all references, as well as professional titles (unless they precede the person's name). Avoid capitalization except for proper nouns or quoted text. Lowercase references to the chapters of the Bankruptcy Code.

 Commas

  • In a simple series, omit the comma before the conjunction (e.g., The flag is red, white and blue.).
  • Use the serial comma if an integral element of the series requires a conjunction (e.g., I had orange juice, toast, and ham and eggs for breakfast).
  • Omit commas before Inc., Corp., Co., Ltd., L.P., P.C., etc. (e.g., Smith & Smith Inc.).
  • Omit comma following a month and preceding a year (e.g., February 2019 (not February, 1994)).
  • Include commas when listing a full date (e.g., On Feb. 18, 2020, ABI announced its meeting).

 Terminology

BAPCPA (the bankruptcy law enacted Oct. 17, 2005)
the Bankruptcy Code
the Code
the Bankruptcy Act (prior to 1978)
chapter 7, chapter 11, etc. (NOT capitalized)
U.S. Trustee
panel trustee
bankruptcy judge
bankruptcy court
district court
Section 1031 (at the beginning of a sentence)
§ 1031 (within a sentence)
out-of-court (when preceding a noun, like "proceeding")
parties-in-interest
Supreme Court
pre-petition
post-petition
debtor in possession (use DIP on second reference)
court (uppercase only when naming a specific court and in all references to the U.S. Supreme Court)

 Cities and States

When referring to a city, list the city and state unless the city is one of the following, in which case the city stands alone:

ATLANTA
BALTIMORE
BOSTON
CHICAGO
CINCINNATI
CLEVELAND
DALLAS
DENVER
DETROIT
HONOLULU
HOUSTON
INDIANAPOLIS
LAS VEGAS
LOS ANGELES
MIAMI
MILWAUKEE
MINNEAPOLIS
NEW ORLEANS
NEW YORK
OKLAHOMA CITY
PHILADELPHIA
PHOENIX
PITTSBURGH
ST. LOUIS
SALT LAKE CITY
SAN ANTONIO
SAN DIEGO
SAN FRANCISCO
SEATTLE

In listings of cities and states, all states should be abbreviated except Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas and Utah. List the District of Columbia as Washington, D.C.

State Abbreviations:

Ala.
Ariz.
Ark.
Calif.
Colo.
Conn.
Del.
Fla.
Ga.
Ill.
Ind.
Kan.
Ky.
La.
Md.
Mass.
Mich.
Minn.
Miss.
Mo.
Mont.
Neb.
Nev.
N.H.
N.J.
N.M.
N.Y.
N.C.
N.D.
Okla.
Ore.
Pa.
R.I.
S.C.
S.D.
Tenn.
Vt.
Va.
Wash.
W.Va.
Wis.
Wyo.

Spell out the names of the states when they stand alone in textual material (e.g., The floods in Missouri were devastating.).

 Column Descriptions

Affairs of State: Covers bankruptcy issues from a governmental (federal and state) perspective.
Bankruptcy by the Numbers: Provides statistical information on bankruptcy filings and trends, often accompanied with charts.
Beyond the Quill: Reports on technology issues and developments that can affect the insolvency community.
Building Blocks: A column for ABI’s young attorneys and those just starting out in bankruptcy.
Chapter 8 Humor: A forum for insolvency humor based on bankruptcy practice or current issues.
Claims Chat: A column devoted to claims issues.
Clerk Commentary: A column by court clerks covering clerk’s office procedures, services and related court activities.
Code to Code: Compares different Bankruptcy Code statutes with other sections of federal law.
Consumer Corner: Focuses on consumer bankruptcy topics and issues.
Consumer Point/Consumer Counterpoint: Debates consumer bankruptcy topics and issues and are published side-by-side in the same issue.
Cyber-U: Addresses the wide-ranging issues of data security and privacy fundamentals, including ethical considerations, for the restructuring professional.
Dicta: An opinion column written by judges on a variety of judicial views.
European Update: Covers bankruptcy law specific to European countries.
Financial Statements: Provides a forum for those in the accounting, financing and banking industries.
Insurance Issues: A forum for insurance-related issues.
Intensive Care: Covers insolvency issues in the health care arena.
The International Scene: Focuses on international insolvency issues and cases.
Last in Line: A forum for unsecured creditor issues.
Lien on Me: Reports on developments in Revised Article 9 and UCC practice, as well as on liens that affect bankruptcy such as IRS, judicial, mechanical and professional compensation liens.
Litigator’s Perspective: Covers timely topics regarding litigation matters in the bankruptcy context. Articles discuss true litigation issues, such as discovery, evidence, testimony, etc. (This column is not intended for articles reporting on substantive bankruptcy rulings that are not about litigation issues.)
Mediation Matters: The role that mediation increasingly plays in bankruptcy.
News at 11: Covers a variety of chapter 11 case law developments.
On Our Watch: Provides information from the U.S. Trustees’ Office.
On the Edge: Reports on recent and hot-topic insolvency issues.
Practice & Procedure: Addresses FRBP issues of practice.
Problems in the Code: Highlights areas of the Bankruptcy Code and Rules that have proven to be problematical in theory and/or application and offers solutions.
Straight & Narrow: Covers ethical issues. 
Strength in Diversity: Focuses on diversity-related issues concerning the bankruptcy profession.
Student Gallery: A column written by law students on bankruptcy-related topics and issues that is coordinated by professors.
Toxins-Are-Us: Covers environmental insolvency cases and issues.
Trustee Talk: News from chapter 7 and 13 trustees.
Turnaround Topics: A column for turnaround professionals.
Value & Cents: A column for valuation experts.
What’s Your Bid?: A forum for auctioneers.

  Questions

If you have any questions about Journal guidelines or to submit your article, please contact Managing Editor Elizabeth A. Stoltz ([email protected]) at (703) 739-0800.