Res Gestae is the official publication of the Indiana State Bar Association (ISBA). It provides information and commentary on Indiana's legal field and seeks to advance the education, competence, ethical practice, and public responsibility of Indiana's legal professionals. We invite ISBA members and prominent figures of Indiana’s legal community (including
judges, law school staff, and law students) to submit articles for review and possible publication.
Res Gestae is published 10 times per year and provided as a member benefit to all ISBA members. Submissions are subject to review and revision.
Read recent issues of Res Gestae »
Submission Guidelines
We recommend emailing Res Gestae Editor Abigail Hopf (ahopf@inbar.org) before beginning an article to discuss your topic and ensure it aligns with the journal's mission.
As you begin writing your submission, please keep the following guidelines in mind.
Formatting and Style
All article submission should:
- Be formatted as a Word document
- Appeal to a broad legal audience
- Pertain to Indiana's legal field or be reasonably related to law, justice, or the judicial system
- Utilize a clear, professional, and concise style
- Be organized into headings and subheadings
- Use endnotes and follow the Bluebook citation style
Types of Articles
Scholarly Educational Features: These articles appear on the cover of Res Gestae and should be devoted to legal subjects of statewide interest. Citations (following Bluebook style) are essential. Scholarly educational features may be reviewed by the ISBA Written Publications Committee. Word count: 3,000 words. View examples »
Columns: These articles provide practical guidance to legal professionals, argue substantive positions on issues reasonably related to law or the judicial system, and/or describe important updates and conversations in Indiana's legal field. Word count: 1,000 words. View examples »
Letters to the Editor: Res Gestae invites expressions of opinion on any matter appearing in the journal. Publication and editing of such are at the editor's discretion, in consultation with the Written Publications Committee. Word count: 250–500 words. View examples »
Submission
Email all submissions to Res Gestae Editor Abigail Hopf at ahopf@inbar.org. Submissions should include:
- A Word document of the article
- A title
- A two-to-three sentence bio of the author(s)
- A high resolution headshot of the author(s) (150 or greater dpi, jpg or png file)
Topic Guidelines
Res Gestae strives to cover timely topics of general interest to Indiana legal professions and provide a forum for discussing larger professional questions. Articles may cover a range of subjects, including but not limited to:
- Substantive and procedural law
- Professional and ethical responsibilities
- Legislation
- Technology, cybersecurity, and risk management
- Business of law
- Leadership and professional development
- Well-being
- Diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice
Additional ideas are welcome. If you have an idea you'd like to explore, email ahopf@inbar.org and the editor will work with you to focus your knowledge into the best medium and format.
Review Process
Article submissions will be reviewed by the Res Gestae editorial team and may be peer reviewed by the ISBA Written Publications Committee. Peer review includes three reviewers and may take up to three months.
Articles will be reviewed on their:
- Relevance
- Connection to Indiana's legal field
- Accuracy
- Clarity
- Timeliness
- Writing style
The Res Gestae editorial team reserves the right to request revisions or editing as a condition of publication. The editor will work closely with the author(s) on revision but also reserves the right to edit all material as needed.
Opinions expressed in the journal are those of the author, not necessarily those of the ISBA or the Written Publications Committee. Your article may be disclaimed as such.
Upon publication, the ISBA will share your article via print, on the ISBA website, and across other ISBA channels (including social media, the Member Insights eNewsletter, and/or the Addendum eNewsletter) as appropriate.
Contact
If you have any questions about Res Gestae or the submission process, please contact Editor Abigail Hopf at ahopf@inbar.org.
