Welcome to the American Bar Foundation (“ABF”) website. The following Privacy Policy and Terms of Use (“Policy”) describes the online information practices of the ABF. If you visit this website, you accept these conditions. Please read them carefully. The ABF reserves the right to modify this Policy at any time, for any reason, without prior notification.

Data Collection and Use

The ABF welcomes visitors to our website, which can be browsed without the need to submit any personal information online.

The ABF may collect the Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, the name of your internet service provider, tags, web beacons, the browser and type of machine you are using, the website that referred you to the ABF, and the pages of ABF’s website that you visit. We may also use “cookies” to better serve our visitors. A “cookie” is a small data file that certain websites write to your computer’s hard drive when you access the site. We may use this data in combination with various technologies to help manage operations, track user traffic, and gather broad demographic information, and in conjunction with directories, fellowship lists, and other types of registration lists for ABF programs and events.

Additionally, if you choose to submit your personal data to the ABF voluntarily, the ABF may collect information such as your name, address, phone number, birth date, billing and delivery information, email address, information about your practice or business, credit card, or other financial account information.  We may collect information (whether online, by phone, or by paper) that identifies you when you: provide such information on ABF’s website, apply or register for ABF events, or otherwise interact with the ABF.

The ABF occasionally hires other companies to provide limited services on our behalf including, but not limited to, packaging, mailing and delivering promotional offers, answering questions about products or services, consulting services, data modeling, printing, sending postal mail and processing event registrations.  In such cases, the ABF may share your data.  The ABA may disclose your data if required to do so by law or in the good-faith belief that such action is necessary to: (a) conform to legal requirements or comply with legal process served on the ABA; (b) protect and defend the rights or property of ABA; or (c) protect the personal safety of ABA personnel or members of the public in appropriate circumstances.

Electronic Communications

When you visit ABF’s website and send emails to us, you are communicating with us electronically and thus consent to receive communications from us electronically. We will communicate with you by email or by posting notices on this site. You agree that all agreements, notices, disclosures, and other communications that we provide to you electronically satisfy any legal requirement that such communications be in writing.

The ABF may provide you with electronic communications that it or third-party service providers engaged by the ABF publish from time to time. These communications describe the work of ABF, the benefits that the work brings to the community at large, and other information of interest to the ABF community.  The data described in this Policy may be provided on a confidential basis to one or more third-party service providers that we engage to maintain contact databases and/or send messages.  The data may also be aggregated with or linked to information already existing in the ABF database.

Online Orders and Donations

If you choose to make a donation through the website, or if you purchase a product, we request certain personal information from you, including your name, contact information, and payment information. We use this information to complete the transactions you request, including for billing purposes and to contact you if we have trouble processing an order. For donations, we may contact you to discuss the terms of your donation, and/or to invite you to donate again to ABF. We will not trade, share or sell a donor’s personal information to anyone else, nor send donor mailings on behalf of other organizations, unless we have the donor’s specific permission to do so.

Financial and other information about The American Bar Foundation’s purpose, programs and activities can be obtained by contacting the Director of Finance at 750 N. Lake Shore Dr., 4th Floor, Chicago, IL 60611, (312) 988-6500, and www.americanbarfoundation.org. Contributions are deductible for federal income tax purposes in accordance with applicable law.  Registration in a state does not imply endorsement, approval, or recommendation of the American Bar Foundation by the state.

Confidentiality

The ABF is the sole owner of the data collected on its website.  The ABF will not sell, rent, share, exchange, or otherwise disclose the data to others outside of the ABF, except as described in this Policy. The ABF will attempt to collect and store the data in a manner to protect its confidentiality, recognizing that no transmission of data is entirely secure.  We may disclose or provide data pursuant to subpoenas, warrants, or other judicial or government orders, in the event an individual’s safety or security is at risk, or as otherwise required by law.

Children Under the Age of 13

ABF’s website is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe that we may have collected or received personal information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately to request deletion of that information.

Opt Out Policy

The ABF’s electronic communications provide users the opportunity to opt out of receiving future automated communications. If you wish to unsubscribe to an ABF-related newsletter you receive from a third-party provider, please follow the third party provider’s instructions located in the publication to unsubscribe.

External Links and Information

The ABF’s website contains links to other sites and documents that can be downloaded from our website. The ABF provides such links to help visitors explore the wide range of information available on topics of interest. The ABF is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of websites to which it links. By providing a link, the ABF is not endorsing the content of the linked site or the entity that maintains it. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave the ABF’s website and to read the privacy statements of each and every website that collects personally identifiable information.

Governing Law/Jurisdiction

All claims or issues regarding this website shall be governed according to the laws of the state of Illinois without giving effect to any principles of conflicts of law.  Any legal action concerning these terms or this website must be brought within one (1) year after the claim or cause of action arises. You agree that any action at law or in equity arising out of or relating to these terms shall be filed only in the state or federal courts located in Chicago, Illinois, and you hereby consent and submit to the personal jurisdiction of such courts for the purposes of litigating any such action.  If any provision of these terms shall be unlawful, void, or for any reason unenforceable, then that provision shall be deemed severable from these terms and shall not affect the validity and enforceability of any remaining provisions.

Intellectual Property

Copyright in the text materials and information contained in the American Bar Foundation’s website is owned by the American Bar Foundation and protected by United States and international copyright laws. With respect to material, reports or other work posted on the ABF’s website that are not owned by the ABF, we include proper attribution, indicating the owner of the copyright and, where appropriate, that it is reproduced with the permission of the copyright owner. If you would like to use work that is not owned by the ABF, please contact the copyright owner for permission.

The information contained on this web site, or any other web site owned, operated, licensed, or controlled by ABF, as well as the design and layout of such web sites, contains elements protected by trademark, copyright, or other laws, and may not be copied or imitated in whole or in part. No text, logo, graphic, sound, or image from this web site may be copied or retransmitted without the express written permission of ABF.

Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in ABF publications are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Bar Foundation or the American Bar Association. The AMERICAN BAR FOUNDATION, ABF and related seal trademarks as used by the American Bar Foundation are owned by the American Bar Association and used under license.

Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability

The materials on the ABF’s website are provided “as is” to visitors. The ABF does not represent that the information is complete, current, or error-free, or applicable to your situation. We are not responsible for third-party websites even if they are accessed through this site. You should review the privacy policy and terms of use agreements that apply to such sites.

The ABF does not guarantee or warrant that our website, or materials that may be downloaded from our website, are free from destructive features or errors. Any materials obtained from this website or downloaded from the website are obtained or downloaded at your own risk. The ABF assumes no liability or responsibility for any damages arising from a visitor’s use of, or inability to use, this site. The ABF shall not be liable for any damages or harm to computer systems, or loss of data resulting from the download of any materials, and we disclaim warranties for any information received through any links provided by the website.  The ABF is not liable for any claim, loss or injury based on errors, omissions, interruptions or other inaccuracies in the site, nor for any claim, loss or injury that results from your use of the site.  In no event shall ABF, its employees, or anyone else who has been involved in the creation, production, or delivery of this website be liable for any direct, incidental, or consequential damages resulting from use of this website or any linked website.  Certain state laws do not allow limitations on implied warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain damages. If these laws apply to you, some or all of the above disclaimers, exclusions, or limitations may not apply to you, and you might have additional rights.

By using the ABF’s website, you accept and agree to the conditions described in this Policy in their entirety without modification unless otherwise agreed to in writing by the ABF and you.