AHLA Practice Group Publishing Guidelines

Introduction and Purpose

AHLA’s Practice Groups (PGs) are composed of AHLA members who share a similar work setting or interest in a specific area of health law. Sustained and timely content generation from PG leaders is essential to AHLA’s educational mission. These Guidelines provide PG leaders with information about AHLA’s PG Publishing Program. To support PG leaders in their content development efforts, AHLA’s Education staff provide editorial and technical support on topic selection and development, appropriate content formats, and ensuring content is consistent with AHLA standards. PG leaders are encouraged to reach out to AHLA’s Education staff for guidance.

General Guidance

AHLA has a strong reputation for producing high-quality educational content for its members. To maintain this reputation, PG leaders should adhere to the following general guidance:

• All submissions should be consistent with AHLA’s Publication Guidelines for Authors and reflect balanced and objective analysis.[1]
• All submissions are subject to AHLA editorial review and revision before being accepted for publication.
• All manuscripts are considered final submissions once received.
• AHLA will not publish content that has been previously published, including on a law firm’s website.
• Authors are responsible for the accuracy of all content and citations.
• All citations should be in the form of footnotes or endnotes and should not be embedded in the text.
• Authors are encouraged to include practice resources such as checklists and sample forms or policies as supplemental materials when submitting an article to AHLA for publication.

PG Topical Libraries and Annual Publication Standards

The Topical Library is the premier PG resource, located prominently on each PG webpage, where members can access the most relevant and recent publications and resources produced by that PG.[2] Crucially, PGs must produce a sufficient amount of content each year to ensure the Topical Libraries remain current and relevant. AHLA’s Board of Directors has recognized that the value of membership in each PG is tied directly to the exclusive content produced and available in each Topical Library. The following are the minimum annual publication standards for all PGs:

• 5 Bulletins
• 3 Briefings
• 1 Toolkit or practice resource (either a new resource or an update to an existing resource)
• 1 Health Law Connections feature article, per the editorial calendar provided by AHLA Education staff[3]

PG leaders are strongly encouraged to incorporate these publication standards into their content planning efforts so they can meet these requirements.

Publication Types

The following are descriptions of the publication types produced exclusively by PGs:

• PG Bulletin: A short article (at least 1,000 words) on a current awareness topic in health law that includes analysis and application. Bulletins provide insight on an issue’s importance and any potential implications, adding value beyond what members already receive from other news sources.
• PG Briefing: A longer article (at least 2,000 words) that provides substantial analysis of a noteworthy development, issue, or trend in health law. Briefings provide an in-depth understanding of an issue and more complete coverage of its importance and implications than typically found in a Bulletin.
• PG Toolkit: A reference tool for a targeted area of practice. Toolkits can be single documents or collections of documents, links, or other content offerings accessible from a webpage. They also must contain some original content produced by the PG. Examples of Toolkits include surveys of state laws, collections of content relating to a discrete subject area within the broader practice area of a PG, and other practice resources (sample forms, contracts, checklists, and policies). PG leaders should work with AHLA Education staff to regularly add, update, and retire content as legal or regulatory changes occur.

Process for Editorial Review and Submission to AHLA

The following is the process that a PG leader should use when working on a publication for AHLA:

• PG leader solicits the author(s) and works with the author(s) to secure timely delivery of the publication.
• PG leader reviews the publication to ensure that it meets the standards set forth in AHLA’s Publication Guidelines for Authors.
• PG leader works with the author(s) to make any revisions to the publication and ensures that it is final and ready for submission to AHLA.
• PG leader secures a signed exclusive copyright license from the author(s).
• PG leader submits the publication and signed exclusive copyright license to [email protected].
• AHLA Education staff reviews the publication, works with the author(s) and PG leader to address any issues, and publishes it.

AHLA Education Staff Contacts

Lisa Salerno
Senior Director of Education
(202) 833-0751
[email protected]

Bianca Bishop
Senior Managing Editor, Member Publications
(202) 833-0757
[email protected]

Matt Ausloos
Manager of Publishing
(202) 833-6952
[email protected]