p/writer-instructions-4519

Free Legal Aid (FLA) is a website designed to provide legal information and resources.  It has a database containing numerous legal resources.  FLA constantly strives to keep its legal database up to date and always welcomes the addition of new legal information and resources to the FLA database.

FLA will Pay for Content Currently, FLA is expanding and updating three different types of content for its legal database: Articles, Government Resources, and Non-Government Legal Resources.  FLA will pay a writer per post submitted.  Each type of content has different requirements and as such has a different pay rate associated with it.  Please click on the “Pay Scale” tab above for your current rate for each type of content.  All posts are subject to approval and the writer will only be paid upon approval of the submitted content.  The pay scale is subject to change but the writer will be paid the current rate at the time of submission, not at the time of approval.  Below is an explanation of what each type of content is and how to submit them to FLA.

Types of Content   

An Article is a short article, around 500-1000 words in length, written and submitted by the writer.  An article tells the reader what a particular legal topic is and where to get legal help on a specific legal problem or issue.  It should not contain legal advice.  In other words, it should not contain opinions on what statutes, codes, regulations, or court cases mean.  Rather, it should only advise the reader on where to go to get legal help.  For example, if an Article is about evicting a residential tenant, it should give the reader some information on what an eviction is, where to get the forms necessary to begin the eviction process, which court to go to, and if available, where to go to get legal help to evict a tenant.  However, it should not comment on when a landlord has the right to evict a tenant under the law of the jurisdiction for which the Article is being written for.  For an example of what an Article should look like, go here:  http://www.freelegalaid.us/delaware/incorporation/how-incorporate-delaware-4518.

A Government Resource is a set of contact information for a governmental organization or public entity, submitted by the writer.  The set of contact information should include at least the governmental organization’s name and its office location and/or website address.  Additionally, the writer should submit a short description of what the governmental organization is for and when it should be contacted.  An example of a Government Resource is:  San Diego City Attorney’s Office, Civic Center Plaza, 1200 Third Avenue, #1620, San Diego, California 92101, www.sandiegocityattorney.org/(link is external); and the San Diego City Attorney’s Office is the prosecuting office for certain misdemeanors committed in San Diego and for San Diego city ordinance and code violations. See an example.

A Non-Government Legal Resource is a set of contact information for any non-government resource which provides legal aid, submitted by the submitter.  It could be a privately-run website, a non-profit organization, or a private organization offering legal assistance (not a law firm).  The set of contact information should include at least the name of the Resource, its website, office locations, and phone numbers, if available.  Examples of Non-Government Legal Resources include: San Diego Volunteer Lawyer’s Program, 625 Broadway, Ste. 925, San Diego, California 92101, http://www.sdvlp.org/(link is external); and Legal Developments In Non-Competition Agreements Blog, http://www.non-competes.com/(link is external). See an example.

For instructions on how to submit content, please view this guide.  More information on the content submission process can be found at the following links:

Instructions for Submitting Content

Instructions for Submitting an Article

Instructions for Submitting a Government Resource or Office Location

Instructions for Submitting a Non-Government Legal Resource

Instructions for Editing Submitted Content