Digital Privacy Policy

The VSB website provides links to external websites that are not controlled, maintained, sponsored, or regulated by the VSB or any organization affiliated with the VSB. These links are included solely for their value as educational, reference, or research tools. The inclusion of a hyperlink to an external website is not intended as an endorsement of any product or service offered or referenced on the linked website, the organizations sponsoring said website, or any views that might be expressed or referenced in the website. The VSB is not responsible for the content of those websites. When you move via such links to another website, the policy described on this page will not apply.

Hyperlinks to external websites and pages may be removed or replaced at any time without notice.

If a hyperlink on the website is not working, please contact the webmaster by emailing [email protected].

The VSB does not create an attorney-client relationship by maintaining this website or by allowing you access to it. Also, the VSB website may allow you to subscribe to electronic publications such as newsletters. Subscription to these publications does not create an attorney-client relationship. While the VSB strives to keep material on this site current and accurate, it is possible that information on this site or in electronic publications may be inaccurate, incomplete, outdated, or inapplicable to your legal needs.

Please do not send any requests for legal advice via the interactivity that may be offered by the VSB website, such as the email addresses of section members. You should assume that such communications will not be attorney-client privileged.

When you visit the VSB website, your Internet Protocol (IP) address, the type of browser you use, the date and time of your visit, the pages or services you visited, and the name of the website that referred you to the VSB website are collected.

The VSB uses cookies, small data files that the VSB website places on your computer to keep track of your preferences, to collect and store information when you visit the site. The VSB uses this information to evaluate and improve the site’s content and usefulness.

Most browsers automatically accept cookies by default, but you may refuse cookies or selectively accept certain cookies by adjusting the preferences in your browser. If you turn off cookies, there may be some features of the VSB’s website that will not be available to you, and some pages may not display properly.

When you electronically submit information via the VSB website, the VSB may request that you provide certain information in order to deliver the service(s) requested by you and possibly to communicate with you regarding VSB matters. If you request to unsubscribe to such service(s), the VSB will attempt to process your unsubscribe request as soon as possible.

The VSB website may permit you to send email to listed individuals, including lawyers who hold various VSB positions. As noted above, such communications may not be attorney-client privileged. Also, because such communications are not part of an attorney-client relationship, individuals have no legal duty to respond.

The VSB website may allow you to request information be contained in a VSB printed or digital publication. If you so request, the information you provide may be used for that purpose and may be included in other publications and informational materials of the VSB.

The VSB uses third-party service providers to help it communicate with Virginia lawyers, measure the performance of the VSB website, provide web-based services, and analyze and monitor the effectiveness of email communications.

The VSB uses third-party service providers in order to efficiently send email communications to Virginia lawyers. These third-party providers allow the VSB to track individual statistics about a lawyer’s engagement with the email, such as whether a lawyer has opened or clicked the email. Aside from lawyer contact information, the VSB does not share any personal information about lawyers with third-party service providers. In compliance with the CAN-SPAM Act, Virginia lawyers can unsubscribe from mass emails sent from the VSB via the third-party provider. Third-party service providers that the VSB has contracted with are prohibited from sharing, selling, or renting lawyer information and email addresses. However, the VSB has no control over how other information may be collected or used by the owner or operator of any third-party provider, and the VSB encourages lawyers to read any privacy policy posted on a third-party site.

The VSB also maintains social media accounts that all members of the public may voluntarily view and follow. People that choose to follow and engage with the VSB on these external sites do so publicly. Many third-party social media providers allow the VSB to track engagement with its content, including who has viewed, clicked, and commented. The VSB encourages users of social media websites and apps to read any privacy policy posted on a third-party site.

The VSB protects its records in accordance with obligations as defined by applicable state and federal statutes. Under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), any records in the VSB’s possession at the time of a FOIA request might be subject to inspection by or disclosure to members of the public. However, identifiable personal information will be removed when permitted by FOIA.

The VSB does not sell or rent information collected about website users (see: “Information Collected”) to any outside organization. The VSB does not reveal specific information about website users to organizations outside the VSB, its sections, and local bar organizations for their independent use, unless required to do so by FOIA or other law.

If you submit any personally identifying information via the VSB website, you may gain access to this information by calling the VSB during its business hours. At such time, you also may request that such information be updated or otherwise corrected

If and when the VSB sends mass emails to any distribution list, it will do so in a manner such that no recipient sees the identities of other recipients.

The VSB does not request or anticipate that you will disclose any private information via the VSB website, such as health information, financial information, medical information, or Social Security numbers.

The VSB has implemented measures designed to secure your personal information from accidental loss and from unauthorized access, use, alteration, and disclosure. The safety and security of your information also depends on you. You are responsible for safeguarding the username and password associated with your portal account and notifying the VSB immediately if you suspect your account has been compromised.

The transmission of information via the internet is not completely secure. Although the VSB does its best to protect your personal information, the VSB cannot guarantee the security of your personal information transmitted to or through its website. Any transmission of personal information is at your own risk. The VSB is not responsible for circumvention of any privacy settings or security measures contained in the VSB websites.

The VSB maintains security standards and procedures to prevent unauthorized removal or alteration of data to ensure that this service remains available to all users, and to prevent unauthorized attempts to upload or change information or otherwise cause damage.

The VSB will use reasonable efforts to safeguard the confidentiality of data provided via the VSB website. Nonetheless, transmissions made by means of the internet cannot be made absolutely secure by the VSB, since the VSB does not control the internet. The VSB disclaims any liability for disclosure of data due to errors in transmission by third parties or unauthorized acts of third parties.

The copyright to the VSB website is owned by the VSB, and pages are marked with a notice at the bottom. Permission is granted to website visitors to make fair use of the contents, as per U.S. Copyright Office Fair Use principles. If you are in doubt about whether your use constitutes fair use, please send a request for explicit permission to copy the contents to the webmaster at [email protected].

If you have questions about the VSB Digital Privacy Policy or website, please contact the VSB at [email protected].

The VSB does not warrant the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of any information published by this system, nor endorse any content, viewpoints, products, services, or advertisements linked from this system, and shall not be held liable for any losses caused by reliance on the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of such information. Portions of such information may be incorrect or outdated. Any person or entity who or which relies on any information obtained from this system does so at his/her/its own risk. The information and statements contained on this site shall not be used for the purposes of advertising, nor to imply the endorsement or recommendation of the VSB.

The Virginia Lawyer Referral Service is a service of the VSB. The VLRS pages are designed to provide general information to the public and are not intended to, and do not, offer legal advice. The VSB makes no warranties or representations concerning an attorney’s ability to handle a client’s particular legal matter. The decision to employ an attorney is solely that of the client, subject to the attorney’s willingness to accept employment. There is no attorney-client relationship formed by any use of the information provided on the website, the VLRS application, or by VSB staff. If your legal problem is an emergency, you should consult an attorney immediately.