For the profession
Writing for the Journal
The Roll Journal publishes plain-language guides, FAQs and articles about the law and legal processes in Sri Lanka. Lawyers listed on The Roll can contribute, in English, Sinhala or Tamil, and our editors review every piece before it is published.
The short version
General information
Explain how the law and its processes work. No individual advice, promotion or fees.
Reviewed by editors
Editors accept, return with questions, or decline each submission, and publish accepted pieces.
Credited to you
Published pieces carry your name, link to your profile and are listed on it.
From draft to published
How a contribution moves through review.
Write from the Journal tab of your profile editor. Only you, as the profile's owner, can write in your name; delegates can't.
There are no email notifications. Your Journal tab shows each contribution's status and any note from the editors.
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Draft
Write privately
Choose a type (guide, FAQ or article), a language, a title, an optional summary and practice areas, and write in Markdown with a live preview. Editors can't see drafts.
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Submit
Send it to the editors
Confirm that it follows the editorial guidance and contains no confidential or client-identifying information. You can withdraw it until editors review it.
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Review
Editors decide
Editors accept it, request changes or decline it. Requests for changes and declines come with a note, and a returned piece comes back to you to revise and resubmit.
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Publish
Editors publish
Editors may edit an accepted piece for clarity, accuracy, length and style, then publish it. After acceptance, ask the editors for any further changes.
Editorial guidance
What makes a good contribution
You'll see this guidance while you write, and editors use it while they review.
Scope
General information about the law and legal processes in Sri Lanka: what to expect, documents to gather and when to seek advice. No individual advice, promotion, fees, claimed results or comparisons with other lawyers.
Sources
Cite the Acts, regulations, rules, gazettes, circulars and reported judgments you rely on, with section numbers and citations, and link to official sources. Note where practice varies or the law is unsettled, and write in your own words.
Confidentiality
Never include confidential information or details that could identify a client, an opposing party, a witness or a pending matter. Use hypothetical examples; altered real facts aren't enough if the matter is still recognisable.
Dates
Date any law, fee, form, deadline or procedure, and flag details that change often. Editors recheck published guides and FAQs at least once a year.
Once it's published
Where your writing appears
Where it appears
Across The Roll
- In the Journal, filterable by type and language.
- On your profile, under your guides and articles on The Roll Journal.
- On the pages of the practice areas it is tagged with.
How it reads
Built for readers
- Guides and FAQs list their sections, so readers can jump to a question.
- They end with a note that they are general information, not legal advice.
- A last-reviewed date tells readers when the content was rechecked.
Common questions
Questions people ask
Who can write for The Roll Journal?
Attorneys-at-Law with a profile on The Roll linked to their account. Contributions are written from the Journal tab of the profile editor, by the profile's owner.
Can I write in Sinhala or Tamil?
Yes. Contributions can be in English, Sinhala or Tamil. Nothing is translated automatically.
Can I promote my practice in a contribution?
No. Contributions explain the law and legal processes in general terms. They mustn't promote a practice, mention fees, claim results or compare lawyers. Your byline links to your profile.
How many drafts can I have?
Up to ten open contributions at a time, counting drafts, submissions and returned pieces. You can delete any that were never published.
See what's been published.
Browse the Journal's guides and FAQs to get a feel for the tone and length that works.