Attorney Sun is an independent legal-industry publication covering legal practice, law firm management, legal services, law and regulation, legal technology, and business, compliance and legal risk.
Trust in professional publishing depends not only on factual accuracy, but also on transparency about how editorial material is produced, contributed and presented.
This Ethics & Disclosure policy explains the principles Attorney Sun seeks to follow when addressing conflicts of interest, commercial relationships, contributed material, promotional considerations, corrections and other matters that may affect editorial independence.
We examine the intersection of legal practice, compliance, and technological change. Review our legal industry research journal to access our latest commentary and expert contributions
Editorial Independence
Attorney Sun aims to maintain a clear distinction between editorial judgment and commercial activity.
The existence of a commercial relationship does not, by itself, determine whether a subject is covered or how that subject is presented.
Editorial material should be assessed according to factors such as relevance, accuracy, reader value and evidence.
Commercial considerations should not justify knowingly publishing false, materially misleading or unsupported claims.
Commercial Relationships
Attorney Sun may engage in legitimate commercial activities associated with publishing, including advertising, sponsored material, commercial partnerships, contributed content or other business arrangements.
Where a commercial relationship is relevant to a reader’s understanding of particular content, appropriate disclosure may be provided.
A commercial relationship should not be presented in a way that falsely suggests independent endorsement, certification or professional approval.
Sponsored Content
Where Attorney Sun publishes sponsored or commercially supported material, the nature of that relationship may be identified clearly enough for readers to understand the commercial context.
Sponsored material remains subject to applicable editorial standards.
Commercial support does not necessarily mean that every factual statement within the material has been independently verified by Attorney Sun.
Where appropriate, readers should distinguish between editorial analysis and material primarily supplied or commissioned by a commercial organization.
Contributor Relationships
Attorney Sun may accept articles and perspectives from external contributors.
Contributors may have professional, commercial or organizational interests connected with the subjects they discuss.
Where a relationship is relevant to the substance or credibility of a contribution, disclosure may be appropriate.
Contributors should not conceal material interests that could reasonably affect how their contribution is understood.
Guest Contributions
Guest contributions should provide genuine informational value to readers.
Attorney Sun may reject submissions that are primarily designed to obtain promotional exposure, manipulate search rankings, insert irrelevant links or advertise a product without providing meaningful editorial substance.
A contributor’s commercial objective does not automatically make a submission unsuitable. The important consideration is whether the resulting material remains relevant, useful and appropriately presented.
Links and Commercial Intent
Links can be useful to readers, particularly where they provide access to supporting evidence, official documentation, relevant tools or additional information.
However, links should have a legitimate editorial relationship to the surrounding content.
Attorney Sun may reject or remove links that are:
- Irrelevant to the subject
- Misleading
- Excessively promotional
- Unnecessarily repetitive
- Associated with inappropriate or unlawful material
- Included primarily to manipulate search visibility
The number of links in an article is not, by itself, an indicator of editorial quality.
Product and Service Coverage
Attorney Sun may write about software, legal technology, professional services, law firms, technology companies and other organizations relevant to its editorial scope.
Coverage should distinguish between a company’s own claims and independently supported conclusions.
Where a product is discussed, readers should not automatically interpret the article as a recommendation, endorsement or guarantee of performance.
Products, pricing, features and contractual arrangements can change, so readers should verify current information before making consequential decisions.
As law firms handle increasingly sensitive client data, adopting threat prevention frameworks outlined by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is vital for practice security
Conflicts of Interest
A conflict of interest may arise where a person’s professional, financial or other relationship could reasonably affect, or appear to affect, the independence of an editorial contribution.
Potential conflicts may include:
- Employment by a company discussed in an article
- Ownership of a relevant business
- Consulting relationships
- Financial interests
- Commercial partnerships
- Direct involvement in a matter being analyzed
- Other relationships that could materially influence the contributor’s perspective
Not every professional connection represents a disqualifying conflict.
The appropriate response depends upon the nature and significance of the relationship and the subject of the material.
Disclosure
Disclosure is intended to give readers relevant context.
Where disclosure is appropriate, Attorney Sun may identify the nature of a relevant relationship within the article, contributor information or another clearly associated location.
Disclosure should be factual and proportionate.
It should not be used as a substitute for appropriate editorial review.
Corrections
Attorney Sun recognizes that errors can occur even where reasonable editorial care has been applied.
When a material factual error is identified, the publication may correct the affected content.
Minor spelling, formatting or grammatical errors may be corrected without a formal notice where the change does not affect the substance of the article.
Material factual corrections may warrant an editorial note or other appropriate indication.
The purpose of correction is to improve the accuracy of the published record.
Complaints About Editorial Content
Readers who believe that published material contains a significant factual error, misleading representation, undisclosed conflict or other substantive editorial concern may contact Attorney Sun.
A useful complaint should identify the relevant article, explain the concern clearly and, where possible, provide supporting evidence.
The publication may review the matter and determine whether a correction, clarification, disclosure, revision or other response is appropriate.
Not every disagreement with an article constitutes an editorial error.
Accuracy Versus Opinion
Attorney Sun may publish analysis, commentary and professional perspectives.
An opinion does not become a factual claim merely because it is expressed confidently.
Articles should distinguish between established information, interpretation and opinion where the distinction matters to the reader.
Contributors should not present personal speculation as established fact.
Where reasonable disagreement exists over an issue, the article should avoid creating a false impression of certainty.
Use of Sources
Sources should be selected according to their relevance, reliability and authority.
For significant legal and regulatory claims, primary sources may be particularly important.
Sources should not be selectively presented in a way that deliberately creates a misleading impression of the underlying evidence.
Where important evidence materially contradicts a proposed conclusion, the editorial process should consider whether that evidence needs to be addressed.
Artificial Intelligence and Automated Tools
Attorney Sun may use artificial intelligence and other automated tools as part of certain editorial workflows.
Such tools may assist with research organization, drafting, editing or other administrative tasks.
However, automated output is not treated as inherently accurate.
AI systems can produce fabricated citations, incorrect legal information, invented quotations, inaccurate statistics and other errors.
Material produced with AI assistance remains subject to appropriate human review and editorial standards.
Confidentiality and Sensitive Information
Attorney Sun does not encourage contributors or readers to provide unnecessary confidential information.
Particular care should be taken with:
- Confidential client information
- Privileged legal communications
- Unpublished legal documents
- Personal information
- Information relating to ongoing disputes
- Non-public commercial information
- Security-sensitive information
Contributors are responsible for ensuring that material submitted for publication can appropriately be disclosed.
Copyright and Attribution
Contributors should submit only material they have the right to provide.
Attorney Sun does not knowingly seek to publish material that infringes third-party intellectual property rights.
Third-party material should be used responsibly and attributed where appropriate.
Plagiarism, unattributed copying and misrepresentation of authorship are inconsistent with the publication’s editorial standards.
Anonymous Sources and Unverified Claims
Attorney Sun may exercise caution when dealing with information that cannot be independently verified.
Anonymous claims, allegations or statements about individuals and organizations can create significant risks of error and unfairness.
The publication may decline to publish such material where the evidence is insufficient or the public-interest justification does not adequately support publication.
The absence of publication does not necessarily mean that a claim has been determined to be false. It may simply mean that the available evidence does not meet the publication’s editorial standard.
Respectful Professional Publishing
Attorney Sun aims to maintain a professional tone across its editorial work.
Articles may critically examine legal practices, business decisions, technologies, regulatory approaches and professional issues.
Such criticism should be grounded in relevant evidence and expressed in a manner that does not deliberately distort the underlying facts.
Sensationalism is not a substitute for substantive analysis.
Editorial Responsibility
Editors and contributors share responsibility for maintaining the publication’s standards within their respective roles.
Contributors are responsible for the accuracy and originality of the material they submit.
Editors are responsible for applying appropriate editorial judgment, reviewing material and addressing identified problems where reasonably possible.
The publication may revise, reject or remove material that does not meet its standards.
Transparency With Readers
Readers should be able to understand the general nature of the material they are reading.
Attorney Sun therefore aims to distinguish appropriately between:
- Independent editorial content
- Contributor material
- Sponsored or commercially supported content
- Company or product information
- Analysis and commentary
- General informational material
The precise disclosure used may depend upon the nature of the content and the circumstances in which it was produced.
Ongoing Review
Ethical publishing standards should develop alongside the publication itself.
Attorney Sun may revise this policy as its editorial operations, contributor relationships, technology use, commercial activities and legal obligations develop.
The purpose of these standards is not to claim that every editorial decision will be beyond disagreement. It is to establish a consistent framework for making those decisions responsibly and transparently.
Ethics & Disclosure – Contact
Questions concerning editorial ethics, disclosures, conflicts of interest or potential corrections can be directed to:
Attorney Sun
Editorial Contact
Substantive concerns should identify the relevant article or material and explain the issue clearly so that it can be properly reviewed.