Discover Legal Insights: A Guide to Law Journal Press

Introducing Law Journal Press

Law Journal Press is a respected legal publishing brand primarily focused on academic and professional publications. It is a part of the BNA group of publications. Law Journal Press was founded in 1979 by William V. Abbott Jr., as National Law Journal Press to fulfill a need for professional and academic publications that would be published in tandem with important developments in case law. Abbott had previously worked for Delaware’s largest law firm, Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell, and he aimed to fill what he viewed as a gap in the legal publishing market. Abbott’s first title was a law review focused on the intellectual property field, the Delaware Journal of Corporate Law. By 1982 the company, still National Law Journal Press, was headed by Abbott’s classmate from Harvard Law, Jeffrey Newman, who moved the company to New York City and expanded its range of publications . In 1987 Abbott left to start his own firm; the Journal Press, Inc., the same year. In 1994, the American lawyer Media acquired both journals, expanding their reach. The press saw publications compete with national publication launch into the online space through The Internet Law Journal (now called ILJ) which was acquired by the American Lawyer Media the following year. In 1998, ALI-ABA acquired National Law Journal Press (along with BNA, Loislaw, and New Jersey Lawyer Press); Law Journal Press was fully integrated into ALI-ABA’s Publication Group. In 2007 ALIABA Publishing was acquired as part of a joint venture; now ALM and US Legal Works own New Jersey Lawyer Press while ALI-ABA Publishing owns the other divitions. Now, Law Journal Press publishes numerous corporate finance legal books and journals, principally the Delaware Corporate Law Handbook.

Common Publications by Law Journal Press

The most popular and influential publications in the law today originate from the highly regarded Law Journal Press, a subscription based publisher known for their industry standard texts across various branches of the law.
Law Journal Press has its roots in the founding of commercial law as a practice area. Lawyer Pierrepont Edwards was the first person in the nation to teach a commercial law course. His well-intentioned effort to generate commerce to the fledgling United States set off a firestorm of popular interest. Many of the contracts drafted in that era are still used today.
As Edwards’ work gained traction, a series of law review articles was published delineating the need for a professional journal of commerce. This publication came into existence in 1887 under the direction of Yale University with the highly enthusiastic backing of many of the leading mercantile lawyers of that time.
Yale’s law library turned the task of editing the journal over to Professor Joseph H. Beale, who in turn invited leading practicing lawyers from around the nation to contribute articles. The initial editor’s note in the opening journal in 1887 stated: The plan now adopted is, to treat all forms of Commerce…. The chief aim is to afford an accurate record of the growth of Commercial Law….. In addition it is aimed to set forth the principles which govern [its] growth, to give reports of Courts, and to publish articles on new points of law. In short, the plan herein is to continue the present year, and afterwards, if the Journal thrives, a record… of all matters connected with our Commercial Law.
From these beginnings came an unparalleled line of publications such as:
Contracts in the City of New York a monthly, which was authored by then-New York State Attorney General John R. Bennett. Its contents focused exclusively on the local municipal law of New York City. Massachusetts Sales and Commercial Paper through 1999, written by eminent Massachusetts attorneys Edward A. Simeone, Gerald F. Anderson, and William L. Taylor. The Massachusetts Sales and Commercial Paper publication was one of the first titles published by Law Journal Press and remains one of the best-selling and widely-used publications even today. Negotiable Instruments, authored by the late Dorothy Brickman, another classic text. Of this work, one prominent attorney has said it "is the most useful and accessible work of its kind. I cannot express how much I have appreciated this book in my research on the law of negotiable instruments over the past several years." This was written by Baron J. Daniel Picard of Picard & Caye; Boston, MA. The Appellate Practice compilation, published from 2000-2004, ran for four years and included resources on Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Each state was written by a legal expert within that state, and the book was edited by Howard G. Finkelstein Esq., of Prince George’s County, Maryland, Counsel, Perkins Coie, Washington D.C./Bethesda.
These works also received recognition from the historical organization, American Association of Legal History for their academic quality. In their press release, the organization noted that: "the Law Journal Press is comprised of a number of thoughtful publications, reflecting a great deal of work on behalf of the authors." Decades later, Law Journal Press continues to produce leading titles in specialized areas of the law, with these texts frequently cited in case law among courts and legal practitioners alike.

The Utilities of Law Journal Press

The primary resource Law Journal Press offers to attorneys, paralegals and law students conducting thorough research is its library of over 60 law journals across key practice areas. These journals include treatises and compiled current awareness newsletters, which provide annual pocket parts that include comprehensive analysis of updated legislation and emerging trends. Further, these journals can be searched or browsed on the site by topic area, including:
• Business Organizations (33 motions and forms)
• Civil Procedure (arranged alphabetically by topic)
• Commercial Paper (arranged alphabetically by topic and state)
• Corporate Finance (arranged alphabetically by topic and state)
• International Trade (arranged by topic)
• Internet Transactions and Electronic Commerce (arranged alphabetically by topic)
• Mergers, Acquisitions and Divestitures (arranged alphabetically by section/subsections)
• Securities Regulation (arranged by topic)
• Securities Compliance (arranged alphabetically by topic and industry)
• Suretyship and Credit Support Transactions (arranged by topic)
• Wealth Planning (arranged alphabetically by topic)
• White Collar Crime (arranged alphabetically by topic)
In addition to its extensive library of journals and newsletters, Law Journal Press offers 17 treatises available on various topics and practice areas and a series of electronic books co published with Bloomberg BNA. These books cover a wide range of topics, including: California Employment Litigation Law & Practice; Holographic Wills; and California Lease Litigation.

Law Journal Press’ Digital Revolution

Law Journal Press has embraced the flexibility and power of digital access and has worked to ensure its content is accessible to attorneys wherever they practice. LJP launched its first website in 1996 while also continuing to sell reference texts in print format. Today it derives all of its sales from digital sources and has not published a print manual in three years. This transition demonstrates the vast flexibility that digital publishing provides for law firms and other users seeking an easy-to-use, easily searchable reference tool.
Indeed, digital transformation was a major theme at the Law Journal Press Annual Dinner hosted by Law Journal Newsletters on October 3. During the event, Chris Dale, founder and publisher of the e-Disclosure Information Project, spoke about the state of electronic discovery and Michael L. Fitzhugh, a partner at Vinson & Elkins LLP, discussed preparing for an electronic discovery proceeding before a special master during a luncheon panel.
LJP’s shifting focus from print to digital parallels the greater electronic discovery trend Dale emphasized in his presentation: digital discovery is here to stay and the work product bei professionals and law firm staff is being driven by a "need to demonstrate to the other side, the judge, the jury and your clients, that you have done your work properly." Whether you’re searching for a digital copy of the required ExamSoft test or electronic discovery documents related to a lawsuit, digital access enables litigation and legal research to be more efficient.
LJP’s entire catalog of treatises is available online through the Thomson Reuters Westlaw platform as well as on the LJP website. This ubiquitous accessibility allows a user to access a legal treatise via their smartphone or tablet, no matter where they are, and regardless of whether they have a strong internet or cell phone signal. In addition, legal research through LJP is transparent and allows the user to see the different products available via both Westlaw and the LJP site for comparison purposes. The digital capability also means that LJP can provide automatic and instant updates: The authors of its annotated forms and treatises update the digital version of their products immediately, so users always have the latest information available for their reference.
Prolific authors and academics contribute to the Law Journal Press catalog of manuals that cover every imaginable aspect of practice, as well as a comprehensive variety of legal topics. The extensive catalog provides coverage of 45 states, the federal government, and dozens of practice areas. Recent titles released include "Preparing for and Winning Cases Before the American Arbitration Association," "Accounting and Business Forms for Lawyers," "Intellectual Property Deskbook for Entrepreneurs," and expanded editions of treatsies on the essentials of oil and gas law.
Law Journal Press receives frequent positive feedback from its customers, with testimonials stating that the range of treatises fills a void of accessible resources. A recent customer even thanked the publisher in anticipation of an upcoming trial for its manual on "Practice Under the California Family Code." "I have searched Westlaw for days to locate and identify California Forms, Statutes, and case law for the issue I am to address on behalf of my client," the customer wrote in an email to the publisher. "Yesterday, I stubbled upon your treatise [Practice Under the California Family Code] … Thank you for writing this book. It is GREAT."

Writing for Law Journal Press

A contributor to Law Journal Press is typically a legal academic or practitioner, who has the background to write in a substantive area of law for a Law Journal Press book. Often, they are distinguished scholars, or former law review editors.
We are in a knowledge-intensive business. Law publishers recognize that contributors are our key assets. By taking care of contributors, we build long-term relationships with a network of leading lights in the profession. And knowing that these luminaries are the best in the field allows us to sell more books.
What’s in it for our contributors? First, we seek to make the relationship beneficial by doing the bulk of the work. The author will receive a royalty payment, but we get involved in handling all editorial functions and production. (In cases of multiple authors writing a chapter, we execute a splitter agreement.)
Second, we seek to price the book in a range that will make the book affordable to students, faculty, practitioners, and the public at large. Often, we can end up with a book that will either sell at about cost, or that might generate some profit because of its popularity.
Third, we go to great lengths to market back-list books , as well as new titles as they come out. And we schedule appearances for the contributor at regional, national, and local CLE events. And there’s more…
Fourth, the Law Journal Press website gives contributors an opportunity to list their publications in a professional profile area. For academics, this is a means of identifying a disciplinary specialty to add to their resumes, and perhaps even hirelings and tenure files. For practitioners, this is a promotional tool to also give them a competitive advantage.
Finally, both writing and promotion result in residual benefits: potentially enhanced speaking fees, invitations to seminar faculty, request to serve on panels of experts, and other unpaid opportunities to be listed as expert witnesses. The academic receives the potential to be influential and the practitioner receives a benefit to his or her practice.
Law is about words. Writing is the lifeblood of law. Contributing to a Law Journal Press book is a way of assuring that your words get wider circulation by a publisher who is going to support the work over time.
We are always on the lookout for textbooks that do not have a publisher. If you have a book that you think would be of interest, contact us. We are always interested in gifted scholars of the law.

Subscribing to Law Journal Press

Subscribing to Law Journal Press is not difficult. In fact, my favorite way to access Law Journal Press content is through its subscriptions. This guide will introduce you to the subscription options available with Law Journal Press. For occasional readers of the content, this may very well be your optimal way to access the content. But for readers who are interested in more than just the occasional article or publication, a subscription to Law Journal Press content becomes advantageous.
There are many ways to subscribe to Law Journal Press. It is as easy as viewing your profile on Thomson Reuters’ Law Store, the platform for acquiring content from Thomson Reuters West.
If you are a subscriber to Westlaw Edge, there are a number of ways to access Law Journal Press content. Westlaw Edge provides access to Law Journal Press treatises as part of a standard subscription. Of interest, each treatise can have its own subscription date.
If you do not have a subscription to Westlaw Edge, but would like to access the content, either for a print or electronic publication, it is available with a subscription. The annual or periodic subscription is "per user" and is not limited by firm size.
Examples of a few of the commonly subscribed-to publications include: Drafting Corporate Agreements in China, Litigation of Complex Insurance Coverage Claims, Appellate Advocacy in Illinois, Handling Credit Derivatives Desk Book, and Insurance Coverage Litigation.
The largest subscription is Corporate and Commercial Practice in the High Court of Justiciary (Scotland) which is a 20 work, 12 volume set in print, and also available in electronic format.
Law Journal Press subscriptions are not limited to the larger books or publications. For instance, it also publishes single title, single-author eBooks that are focused on niche areas. Some examples of these include Public Benefits, Employment Contracts, Probate in Ohio, Discovery of Digital Evidence, Putting Out Fires – Malpractice Liability Management, and The Bioethics of Engineering Design. You can find other examples by searching for "Law Journal Press Publications" in Westlaw Edge, or by visiting Thomson Reuters’ Law Store.
The choice to subscribe to Law Journal Press content is a smart one for those that are interested in accessing timely updates, and exclusive online content. Subscribers receive a notification any time updates are made to a book in their Library. But perhaps better still, when it makes sense, subscribers have the option to request an update.
And, if you are considering purchasing Law Journal Press content, you may have a number of options for obtaining the work. For example, if a subscriber has received a notification that the work has been updated, then they can review any potential revisions and choose a version that is most valuable.
Subscribers to Law Journal Press content are often law school library administrators, law firms, or professional services organizations. Typically, if you are a corporate librarian, you are looking for a well-respected catalog of titles to enhance the experience of non-lawyer professionals.

Future Developments in Legal Publishing

The future trends in legal publishing portend to be incredible – or otherwise will have no affect whatsoever on your business which is why your legal information needs are best served by trusted legacy providers like Law Journal Press. Artificial Intelligence is on its way to pervade the entire information experience, with a particular emphasis on the theory of vine and branch: artificial intelligence improving as more legal content is added to the "data vine" and as more and more legal consumers become "branches" of the data vine, carving their own passage through the myriad of digital information. In other words, AI will help you carve a better path through the forest of legal information. Accessibility is going to change dramatically as legal information becomes more mobile (on our phones, on our tablets) and ubiquitous (Google providing real time trusted answer on the spot . ) Providing a trusted source of legal information that is accessible everywhere and at all times will be the hallmark of Law Journal Press. One major trend making waves in the present and right into the deep future is globalization. No longer would people be surprised to pick up a newspaper from Indonesia and find a Cleary Gottlieb attorney quoted. More and more top U.S. law firms are advising multinational and foreign clients concerning legal matters around the world. WIth this expansive area of practice comes the need for legal information – in real time – to be available in multiple jurisdictions – online – and 24/7. Most likely AI will help the global lawyer find their answers, but finding a trusted provider will still be paramount in delivering any piece of zealous legal advice. In short, the future beckons for you, the legal professional and us, your most trusted legal information source.