Community Rules & Guidelines

Important: All participants must agree to these Community Rules & Guidelines (using the button at the bottom of this screen) prior to participating.

Thank you for being part of the CLA Online Community! The purpose is to foster learning, build relationships, and share information and ideas related to the legal community in a friendly and professional environment.

To ensure the best possible experience for all members, some basic guidelines for participation in these discussion platforms have been established. By participating, you agree that you have read and will follow these rules and guidelines:

• The purpose of the discussion platform is to share information and build relationships—not to sell or advertise. CLA has other ways to advertise services, market jobs, and promote events.  Specifically, see our website, member benefits page and our job board.   While seeking or responding to requests for recommendations or referrals of attorneys, consultants or experts is permitted, discussion platforms should not be used for commercial activity such as marketing or promoting products or services or events of others.

• Do not engage in anti-competitive activities or encourage or solicit others to engage in anti-competitive activities, including discussing prices or attorney rates.

• Discussion platforms should not be used to engage in or promote fundraising unless it’s for the California Lawyers Foundation, CLA’s affiliated charitable foundation or part of an official CLA community service effort.

• Discussion platforms may not be used to endorse or support political candidates running for public office or to solicit endorsements or support of political candidates running for public office.

• Discussion platforms may not be used to endorse or advocate in favor of positions on pending legislation, regulations or rules or to solicit endorsement or advocacy in favor of positions on pending legislation, regulations or rules.

• Please do not use the CLA Online Community to promote the activities or events of other bar associations if they compete with CLA activities on the same or a related topic and is happening on a date within the 30 days of a similar CLA event or activity.

Discussion Etiquette

This is a great medium with which to solicit the advice of your peers, benefit from their experience, and participate in an ongoing conversation. Please take a moment to acquaint yourself with these important guidelines. In order to preserve a climate that encourages both civil and fruitful dialogue, consistent with our Code of Conduct.  CLA reserves the right to:

• Suspend or terminate access to its discussion platforms for anyone who violates the rules.
• Remove any post, page, or file that is deemed inconsistent with the purpose for which we are offering this platform or the purpose of CLA.
• Restrict or remove any member that has been found to have violated the policies of CLA.
• Reminder: Opinions expressed are not those of CLA and any advice you take is done so at your own risk.

Members are allowed and expected to:

• Initiate and participate in discussions relevant to the purpose of CLA.
• Create and respond to entries relevant to the purpose of CLA.
• Share files relevant to the purpose of CLA. (Don’t forget to get to get permission to use any materials to which you or CLA don’t have copyright.)
• Be respectful of differing opinions, backgrounds, and ideas.
• Maintain reasonable confidentiality about discussion opinions, postings, and ideas generated in discussions.
• Note, carefully, all items listed in the disclaimer and legal rules below, particularly regarding the copyright ownership of information posted.
• Post messages or documents only to the most appropriate community (do not spam several communities with the same message).
• Post messages that add to the body of knowledge. (CLA reserves the right to reject any message for any reason.)

Members should avoid:

• Posting derogatory or disrespectful comments about another member, group, or product or about CLA itself.
• Creating posts that are not relevant to the purpose of CLA or editing content without prior permission of its originator unless a discussion or file has been set-up for the purpose of collaboration.
• Downloading and circulating any uploaded files or contact information to persons outside of CLA without permission of the original poster.
• Discussing, expressly or implied, topics that could be potentially illegal or unethical including product pricing, boycotts, or restricting trade.

Confidentiality:

• Disclosing confidential client information, or any Personally Identifiable Information (PII) that may link your practice to a client’s confidentiality without express permission is prohibited.
• ABA Formal Opinion 511R concludes that ABA Model Rule of Professional Conduct Rule 1.6 prohibits a lawyer from posting comments or questions relating to a representation to a listserv, even in hypothetical or abstract form, without the client’s informed consent if there is a reasonable likelihood that the lawyer’s posts will disclose information relating to the representation that would allow a reader then or later to recognize or infer the identity of the lawyer’s client or the situation involved, and that a lawyer may, however, participate in listserv discussions such as those related to legal news, recent decisions, or changes in the law, without a client’s consent if the lawyer’s contributions will not disclose information relating to a client representation. California Rules of Professional Conduct, rule 1.0, comment , provides in part that ethics opinions and rules and standards promulgated by other jurisdictions and bar associations, although not binding, may be considered.

The Legal Stuff:

Discussion platforms are provided as a service for the members of CLA. CLA is not responsible for the opinions and information posted on this site by others. We disclaim all warranties concerning information posted on this site, whether posted by CLA or any third party; this disclaimer includes all implied warranties of merchantability and fitness. In no event shall CLA be liable for any special, indirect, or consequential damages or any damages whatsoever resulting from loss of use, data, or profits, arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of any information posted on this site.

Do not post any defamatory, abusive, profane, threatening, offensive, or illegal materials. Do not post any information or other material protected by copyright without the permission of the copyright owner. By posting material, the posting party warrants and represents that he or she owns the copyright to such material or has received permission from the copyright owner. Also, the posting party grants CLA and users of this site the nonexclusive right and license to display, copy, publish, distribute, transmit, print, and use such information or other material.

Do not post messages if they encourage or facilitate members to arrive at any agreement that either expressly or implicitly leads to price fixing, a boycott of another’s business, or other conduct intended to illegally restrict free trade. Messages that encourage or facilitate an agreement about the following subjects are inappropriate: prices, discounts, or terms or conditions of sale; salaries; profits, profit margins, or cost data; market shares, sales territories, or markets; allocation of customers or territories; or selection, rejection, or termination of customers or suppliers.

CLA monitors the discussion platforms but does not, on its own, undertake editorial control of postings. However, CLA will take all appropriate action if any inappropriate posting is brought to their attention.

CLA reserves the right to terminate access to any user who does not abide by these guidelines.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding these policies, please contact us at  web@calawyers.org