Legal writing and media is not immune to the diversity problem of the legal industry. Publications are just as likely to have their own implicit biases. And online trolls have a special place in their empty hearts for targeting women, non-binary persons, and people of color. Yet the voices that rise above and lead thinking in the legal industry have an opportunity to make a real impact.
Breaking Media is proud to say that 60 percent of its staff is female, 40 percent of its editorial leads are women, and 40 percent are people of color. Above the Law is the largest publication in the legal industry with 1,300,000 unique readers a month and 10,000,000 pageviews a month. I may be biased, but we have the best talent, and our diversity is a strength.
Above the Law would not have its success without its 100+ incredible columnists. To ensure Above the Law has a pipeline of the best writing talent, and a publication with a variety of opinions and perspectives, ATL will launch its inaugural writing contest. We are particularly looking for underrepresented voices — people of color, LGBTQ+, women — and new voices who want to publish across a broad range of topics. You do not need to be an established writer, or have published elsewhere. We don’t care if you have 10 followers on social media or 10 million.
We will be providing editorial support and a platform for distribution, and most importantly, prize money. To participate, please submit one article idea with your name and email here. Please limit the article pitch to 250 words or less.
ATL editors will review the article pitches and select a group of finalists to publish the article for publication. All finalists’ stories will publish on Above the Law and be featured in an ATL eBook.
One winner will be chosen based on editorial feedback, web engagement (time on page, social shares, pageviews), and reader feedback.
All finalists who publish will be paid the standard ATL columnist fee. The winner will receive bragging rights, a columnist position at ATL, and $1,000 bonus.
If you are new to writing or blogging, or just want some one-on-one time with editors, Staci Zaretsky and Kathryn Rubino will be hosting a live chat on Thursday, November 28 at 3:30 p.m. They will share tips for starting out, finding your voice, and answering questions.
Interested? Enter the contest here, and save these dates:
- Facebook Live video: 11/29/2018
- Story Pitches due: 12/19/2018
- Finalists selected: 1/16/2019
- Publication: 3/1/2019
- Finalist chosen: 4/4/2019
If you’re not ready to submit, but want to reminders for deadlines, submit your email here.
