Terms and Conditions

Individuals may engage with CLOC and its members in a number of ways: online, and in-person and these terms and conditions (“Terms”) and CLOC’s Code of Conduct (“Code”) are designed to ensure respectful, inclusive, legally compliant, and professional interactions among all individuals.  We want to be transparent with our expectations.  

When we reference online engagements, we mean through the cloc.org website (“CLOC Site”), the CLOC online forum, Community Connect, social media sites, and any other digital or electronic content, products, or services provided by CLOC where you engage remotely and not in-person.  When we reference in-person, we specifically mean events or activities where you attend live, in the same room or space, with other individuals.   

As used in these Terms, the “CLOC Resources” means any of these methods, platforms or offerings in which you engage with CLOC and its members.  These Terms apply to all users of CLOC Resources.  Please be aware, these Terms include terms that may apply in some cases, and not others, such as when you attend an in-person event, as well as when you use a CLOC online forum. If you only attend live events, only those terms apply to you.   

By attending, accessing, or using any CLOC Resources, you agree to these Terms and the Code.  Any individuals violating these Terms, including the Code, may be asked to leave the community, event, or where appropriate, have one’s CLOC membership revoked, as further detailed below. CLOC reserves the right to change these Terms from time to time. The current Terms will always be posted on the CLOC website. 

I. Expected Behaviors – Generally

1. CLOC maintains a Code to delineate expected behaviors. You agree that all your interactions will abide by the Code.   The following terms apply to all uses of CLOC Resources. 
2. CLOC has a zero-tolerance policy for any form of discrimination, harassment, or violence. CLOC is committed to fostering a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all. Please see the Code for more details.
3. You must respect the privacy rights of others. You are not permitted to disclose the personal information of any third party, such as addresses or phone numbers, without that party’s written consent. Violations of a user’s privacy rights are strictly prohibited.  
4. You understand that CLOC collects your information to facilitate your attendance at in-person events, as well as in support of your membership with CLOC, if applicable. User data collected by CLOC is subject to its Privacy Policy.   
5. You must adhere to applicable laws, rules, regulations, and CLOC policies, including compliance with antitrust and privacy laws.  
6. You must abide by all CLOC policies, including the Code, the Antitrust Compliance Policy, and the Privacy Policy. 
7. You are expected to avoid conflicts of interest and disclose any potential conflicts that may arise during CLOC events, meetings, or other activities.

II. Expected Behaviors – In-Person

1. You agree to maintain a professional demeanor while attending in-person events or activities, including refraining from behavior towards other attendees, participants, or staff, which a reasonable person would deem offensive or inappropriate.
2. You understand that suitcasing and outboarding is strictly prohibited. For more information, see CLOC’s policy.
3. You understand that attending any in-person activity or event may carry the risk of injury or illness, death, or damage or loss of property, including, the risk of being exposed to, or infected with, COVID-19, and any variants and this risk may occur as a result of your actions or inactions, or those of other attendees, participants, staff or visitors.  You agree that attending an in-person event is done voluntarily, and at your own risk. 

III. Expected Behaviors – Online

1. All users of the online CLOC Resources are subject to the following permitted uses.  You:
   1. May use the CLOC community, forums, social media, and other online properties for discussions related to legal operations and the business and practice of law. 
   2. Must respect the security of the CLOC website. Do not attempt to gain access to areas private to CLOC, its members, vendors, or designees. 
   3. Should share information responsibly, keeping in mind that all posts, regardless of the user, should not be offered or interpreted as legal or professional advice.
   4. Must use one’s registered email address when posting or communicating in CLOC’s forums or platforms.
   5. Are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your accounts and must not share access. 
2. Etiquette for Communication. Here are our expectations around communicating within CLOC Resources:
   1. You should (i) include a signature tag on all messages that includes your name, company name or affiliation; (ii) state concisely and clearly a topic of conversation in any subject line; (iii) include only the relevant portions of the original message in your reply; and  (iv) send messages such as “thanks for the information” or “me, too” to individuals–not to the entire list. Do this by using the “Reply Privately” link in the top right menu of every message. 
   2. Use the “LIKE” button at the bottom left of the post to convey interest in the information requested from the CLOC community. CLOC will use this feedback to track subjects suitable for development such as trainings, webinars, or other initiatives. 
   3. Notify users of lengthy messages by marking the subject line or body appropriately. 
   4. You should NOT use online CLOC Resources to solicit or disseminate information having to do with, or to conduct any activity relating to, illegal drugs, pornography, gambling, spreading computer viruses, software infringement or other crimes. 

IV. Prohibited Behaviors – Online

All users of online CLOC Resources must avoid the following behaviors.

1. Legal Compliance & Sensitive Topics. You must refrain from posting messages or soliciting information that could be interpreted as an attempt to fix prices, set salaries, establish profit margins, or affect trade conditions, in any way. Also, avoid sharing information regarding anticipated, threatened, or actual litigation, or any other information that may violate your employer’s confidentiality or insider trading requirements. 
2. Intellectual Property: Only share materials that you own or have permission to distribute. By posting, you grant CLOC and other users the right to display, publish, reproduce, distribute and use such materials, in any medium now known or hereafter developed.
3. Commercial Activity & Solicitation: Do not use any CLOC Resources to post job openings, circulate unsolicited messages, advertise products or services, or conduct surveys without prior approval from CLOC.
4. Confidentiality & Privacy: Do not share others’ personal information without consent. Posts are not confidential and could be disseminated beyond the CLOC community.
5. Defamatory, Discriminatory, or Offensive Content: Avoid posting content that is defamatory, abusive, profane, offensive, or discriminatory. Refrain from challenging, bullying, or attacking others. 
6. Sales: Do not advertise or post links to products, projects or causes you own or represent, or ask another user to do so on your behalf. If you wish to share information about useful products, companies, or services with which you are affiliated, contact sponsorship@cloc.org.
7. Politics and Propaganda: Avoid using online CLOC Resources to support or oppose political candidates or activity, or to otherwise promote any activity contrary to the purposes of CLOC. Please see CLOC’s Bylaws for additional information.
8. Illegal Actions: Do not use online CLOC Resources in a manner that violates applicable federal, state or local laws, the CLOC Bylaws, the Code, or any of CLOC’s other policies, procedures, rules or regulations. 

V. Content & Liability

1. Linked Sites. In general, any website that has an address (or URL) that does not contain “cloc.org” is a linked site. The content of any linked site does not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards, or policies of CLOC. Linked sites are provided for convenience only, are not under the control of CLOC and CLOC is not responsible for the content of any linked site, any links contained within a linked site, any changes or updates to such sites, or the compliance with applicable laws of such linked sites. 
2. Content Ownership: Users retain ownership of their online posts and responses. However, by sharing content, you confirm that you have the right to do so and grant CLOC, and all its members, a worldwide, perpetual right and royalty- and attribution- free license to use, reproduce, display, and distribute the content through any medium now known or hereafter developed.
3. Content Monitoring & Removal. CLOC may, but is not responsible for moderating, curating, or otherwise reviewing any content posted, uploaded or otherwise made available by third parties in connection with any of the online CLOC Resources.  While CLOC does not actively monitor all posts, it reserves the right to remove any content or user violating these Terms or CLOC policies.
4. No Endorsements. Unless specifically stated otherwise, CLOC does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in CLOC Resources, or  by users. All content is provided as-is, by the user, and without a warranty of any kind. CLOC Resources should not be referenced in any way to imply such endorsement or approval.  Links connecting the website with other Internet sites are provided as a courtesy only and do not imply, directly or indirectly, the endorsement, sponsorship, or approval by CLOC of the linked site, the organization or individual operating the linked site, or any product, service, individual, or organization referenced in the linked site. 
5. Intellectual Property. The entire contents and design of the website, including all trademarks, logos, trade names, documents, databases, graphic representations, and other information, are the property of CLOC, or are used by CLOC with permission, and are protected under U.S. and international copyright and trademark laws, whether or not a notice of copyright, trademark, or other proprietary rights appears on the screen displaying the information. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of the website may save and use information contained on the website only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including, without limitation, reproduction, retransmission, or editing, of Website information may be made without the prior written permission of CLOC, which may be requested by contacting CLOC at info@cloc.org. 
6. Limitation of Liability. Neither CLOC, nor its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers, directors, members, staff, or agents are liable to any third party for damages of any kind, whether or not advised of the possibility of such damages and on any theory of liability, arising out of the use of any CLOC Resources.
7. Disclaimer. CLOC makes no warranty, guaranty, or representation regarding the accuracy, content, completeness, reliability, operability, or legality of any CLOC Resource, including, without limitation, the warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular use, and non-infringement of proprietary rights. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented within CLOC Resources are for general information only.  CLOC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or other damages arising out of any individual’s use of, reference to, reliance on, or inability to use the CLOC Resources. In any jurisdiction that does not permit such a disclaimer of liability, CLOC’s liability shall be limited to the greatest extent allowed by applicable law.

VI. MCA Notice, Takedown Procedures, Reporting Violations. 

1. CLOC abides by the federal Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) by responding to notices of alleged infringement that comply with the DMCA and other applicable laws. As part of its response, CLOC may remove or disable access to material on the website that is claimed to be infringing, in which case, CLOC will make a good faith attempt to contact the person who submitted the affected material so that person may make a counter notification, also in accordance with the DMCA. By posting material to the website, the posting party represents and warrants that he or she owns the copyright with respect to such material or has received permission from the copyright owner. In addition, the posting party grants CLOC and users of the Website the nonexclusive, unrestricted, royalty-free right and license to display, copy, publish, distribute, transmit, print, and use such information or other material. Anyone who believes that material posted on the Website infringes on his or her copyrighted work should refer to the Procedures for Requesting Removal of Infringing Material. 
2. If you witness or become aware of any actual or suspected violation of these Terms, the Code, or any of CLOC’s policies, please promptly report the issue to conduct@cloc.org.  
3. CLOC is committed to investigating all reported violations confidentially and responsibly. 

VII. Enforcement & Modifications  

1. Where CLOC reasonably suspects or believes a user has violated these Terms, the Code, or any of CLOC’s policies, CLOC reserves the right to take any and all appropriate action, including:
   1. Removing any non-compliant content; 
   2. Suspending or terminating a user’s access to CLOC Resources; 
   3. Terminating a user’s membership to CLOC; or 
   4. Modifying or revising these Terms as necessary. Users will be notified of any changes and are expected to comply with the most recent version of these Terms.  

VIII. Amendments. CLOC reserves the right to modify or change the terms and rules for use of the CLOC Resources as they determine from time to time in the best interests of CLOC. Use of any CLOC Resource constitutes the user’s continuing agreement to be bound by these Terms, as they are amended from time to time. 

IX. Choice of Law and Forum. These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Illinois, United States of America, and is exclusive of its choice of law or conflict of laws provisions. In any claim or action directly or indirectly arising under these Terms or related to the CLOC Resources, each party irrevocably submits to the exclusive personal jurisdiction of the state courts located in Cook County, Illinois, and each party waives any jurisdictional, venue, or inconvenient forum objections to such court.

Procedures for Requesting the Removal of Infringing Material 

The owner of a copyrighted work (or the agent for the owner) who believes that material posted on this website, or any CLOC Resource, infringes on the copyrighted work may request that the allegedly infringing material be removed from the website by notifying CLOC’s designated agent for such purposes. The notice of alleged copyright infringement must: 

• identify in sufficient detail the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed; 

• provide the electronic or physical signature of the copyright owner or a person authorized to act on the owner’s behalf; 

• include a statement by the copyright owner or authorized agent that he or she has a good faith belief that the disputed use is unauthorized;  

• include a statement that the information contained in the request is accurate and an attestation, under penalty of perjury, that the requesting party is the copyright owner or authorized agent; and  

• include the copyright owner or authorized agent’s name, mailing address, telephone number and email address.  

A notice of alleged copyright infringement may be submitted to CLOC’s designated copyright agent by mail or email as set forth below: 

Corporate Legal Operations Consortium, Inc. 
6081 Meridian Ave Ste 70 #318 
San Jose, CA 95120 
877-206-4699 
info@cloc.org 

Please note that anyone who submits a false notice and materially misrepresents that content on the website or a CLOC Resource is infringing may be liable for damages, including court costs and attorneys’ fees.  Upon receiving a proper notice, CLOC will remove or disable access to the allegedly infringing material and promptly notify the alleged infringer of the owner’s claim. CLOC also will advise the alleged infringer of the statutory counter-notification procedure described below by which the alleged infringer may respond to the claim and request that his or her material be restored. 

Anyone who believes his or her own copyrighted material has been removed by CLOC from the website as a result of mistake or misidentification may submit a written counter-notice to CLOC’s designated copyright agent. To be effective, a counter-notice must: 

• identify the material that has been removed or disabled and the location at which the material appeared before it was removed or disabled; 

• include a statement consenting to the jurisdiction of the Federal District Court in which the submitting party’s address is located, or if the address is outside the United States, for any judicial district in which the service provider may be found; 

• include a statement that the submitting party will accept service of process from the party that filed the notice of alleged copyright infringement or the party’s agent; 

• provide the submitting party’s name, address and telephone number; 

• include a statement under penalty of perjury that the submitting party has a good faith belief that the material in question was removed or disabled as a result of mistake or misidentification of the material to be removed or disabled; and 

• include the submitting party’s physical or electronic signature. 

A counter-notice may be submitted to CLOC’s designated copyright agent by mail or email as set forth below: 

Corporate Legal Operations Consortium, Inc. 
6081 Meridian Ave Ste 70 #318 
San Jose, CA 95120 
877-206-4699 
info@cloc.org 

Please note that the above is not a substitute for legal advice. Contact your attorney for legal advice to better understand your rights and obligations under the DMCA and applicable laws. 

 For questions or more information about these Terms, please contact info@cloc.org.