Privacy, Terms of Use, and Code of Conduct

NOSSCR values our members and works tirelessly to ensure an exceptional member experience. To deliver that exceptional experience, NOSSCR and all NOSSCR members are bound by the following policies, terms, conditions, and codes of conduct.

This page contains:

  • Privacy – Web Data
  • NOSSCR Listserv Rules
  • NOSSCR Listserv Usage Rules
  • NOSSCR Listserv Etiquette
  • Sharing Data with Partners
  • Refunds
  • Code of Conduct

Privacy – Web Data

NOSSCR uses cookies, pixel trackers, and other online tools to track your behavior on this site (https://nosscr.org) and related sites (such as https://portal.nosscr.org and https://learning.nosscr.org). This data can potentially be used to identify a user’s activity on the website and interaction with our marketing emails for this event. NOSSCR uses this information for benchmarking purposes and to provide a seamless log on experience.

Code of Conduct

NOSSCR is committed to ensuring a safe and welcoming atmosphere for NOSSCR members and participants at all NOSSCR events.
We expect all NOSSCR members and participants at NOSSCR events, including attendees, sponsors, exhibitors, contractors, volunteer leaders, vendors, and staff, to abide by this Code of Conduct in all communications with each other and NOSSCR staff and at in-person events, including ancillary events and social gatherings.
  • Be considerate and respectful in your speech and actions.
  • Refrain from demeaning, discriminatory, or harassing behavior and speech.
  • Be mindful of your surroundings and of your fellow participants.
Unacceptable behaviors include, but are not limited to:
  • Intimidating, harassing, abusive, discriminatory, derogatory or demeaning speech or actions by any NOSSCR member in written or verbal communications with NOSSCR members or staff or participants at NOSSCR events;
  • Harmful or prejudicial verbal or written comments or visual images related to gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, disability, or other personal characteristic;
  • Inappropriate use of nudity and/or sexual images in public spaces (including presentation slides);
  • Deliberate intimidation, stalking, or following;
  • Harassing photography or recording;
  • Sustained disruption of talks or other events;
  • Unwelcome and uninvited attention or contact;
  • Physical assault (including unwelcome touch or groping);
  • Real or implied threat of physical harm;
  • Real or implied threat of professional or financial damage or harm.
Anyone asked to stop unacceptable behavior is expected to comply immediately.
If you have been subjected to unacceptable behaviors or have any other concerns, please email us at nosscr@nosscr.org to report this conduct. All reports are confidential and will be shared only with the Membership Standards Committee to determine what action, if any, is appropriate.
Repeated or serious violations of this policy at NOSSCR events will result in an order to leave the event immediately without a refund. Egregious violations will result in more severe sanctions, including, but not limited to, reporting to local or state authorities, including professional licensing bodies.
Unacceptable behavior from any participant at a NOSSCR event, including anyone with decision-making authority, will not be tolerated and may result in
If you have been falsely or unfairly accused of violating this Code of Conduct, you should notify NOSSCR’s staff or the NOSSCR Membership Standards Committee with a concise description of your grievance.

NOSSCR Listserv Rules

  • NOSSCR will assist in adding and removing subscribers, monitoring posts and participants, managing content, and responding in a timely manner as applicable.
  • This includes compliance with and will require that all subscribers to the Listservs comply with all applicable U.S. law, as well as require that all subscribers agree not to use the internet connection for illegal purposes, including but not limited to, defamation, violation of intellectual property laws, violation of antitrust or unfair competition laws or violation of criminal laws.
  • Listserv participants are responsible for saving archived messages that they wish to retain. NOSSCR reserves the right to delete archived messages. When the NOSSCR adds subscribers, they MUST send each subscriber a welcome message, which contains the NOSSCR Rules. NOSSCR members are reminded annually to review these rules, which may be found at NOSSCR.org.
  • Violations of these rules may result in immediate suspension of posting privileges or other restrictions, reviewed by NOSSCR’s CEO in consultation with NOSSCR’s Listserv Committee. Posting on NOSSCR’s Listservs is not an automatic privilege for all members, and past behavior of members in this or other similar contexts may be considered in allowing or disallowing participation.

NOSSCR Listserv Usage Rules

Rule 1: Do not use the forum for illegal purposes, including but not limited to defamation, violation of intellectual property laws, violation of antitrust or unfair competition laws or violation of criminal laws.
a. Copyright – Referring to an article or news item with typical reference citations, providing a brief quote, or offering a link to legitimate online published content is permissible; community members should not post a full-text version of published material. Not infrequently a listserv member wants to tell others about an article or news item related to the issues discussed on the Listserv. However, sending the entire article to all Listserv subscribers, without the permission of the author or publisher, results in a prima facie case of copyright violation. While there can be defenses to a claim of copyright infringement where the purpose of copying is clearly not for commercial purposes (e.g. “fair use” or academic teaching exceptions), those defenses are complicated, have been construed differently in different jurisdictions and are not necessarily applicable to Listserv distribution.
b. Defamation and libel – In exchanges on the Listservs and when referring to others, avoid personal attacks and characterizations that question a person’s motives or qualifications. Sometimes a robust debate about ideas spills over into attacks on the proponents or opponents of the ideas. Listserv members need to be reminded that a false statement that harms someone’s reputation can be actionable as libel. There is a substantial difference between disagreeing with how someone did their research or treated a patient and accusing the person of fraud or incompetence. Because negative statements that impugn someone’s professional qualifications can cause substantial economic and emotional harm, this is an area for careful scrutiny. Keeping criticism on an objective basis that is factually verifiable and skipping personal commentary about character, competence or motive minimizes legal risk.
c. Antitrust concerns – NOSSCR by its nature is subject to antitrust issues. Discussions about rates charged, efforts to exert collective pressure on payors, terms of contracts, internship salaries, etc., all are prohibited. The antitrust laws are broad and complex but on a very basic level they operate to prohibit and even in some cases criminalize certain anticompetitive agreements between competitors. A professional association like NOSSCR is almost by definition a group of competitors that has come together to pursue common interests. Where those common interests involve agreements on such terms of competition as rates charged, salaries paid, standards applicable to members of the profession, and other issues of the marketplace, the antitrust laws apply. Listservs provide a written record of statements that can create an antitrust risk even when there is no anti-competitive intent.
Rule 2: Do not intentionally interfere with or disrupt other forum members, network services, or network equipment. This includes distribution of unsolicited advertisement or chain letters, propagation of computer worms and viruses, and use of the network to make unauthorized entry to any other machine accessible via the Listservs.
Rule 3: Do not use the Listservs for commercial purposes. “Commercial” as used for purposes of evaluating Communities messages means communications whose primary purpose is to advance the business or financial interests of any person or entity, or otherwise to promote a financial transaction for the benefit of the author directly or indirectly. Examples of prohibited communications include advertisements for products or services, notices regarding rental of office space, or direct solicitations of Listserv members to purchase products or services. Examples of messages that may be of financial benefit to Listserv members but are not prohibited because they do not inure to the financial benefit of the author include news of job listings or position openings, or discussion of professionally related products or services where the Listserv member conveying the information is not in the business of selling the products or services. Announcements that provide useful professional information to Listserv members but may also have some incidental commercial benefit to the sender (e.g., an author who is a community member merely advising the Listserv of publication of a professional book) typically would not be “commercial” for purposes of this restriction.
Rule 4: Do not violate privacy rules or disclose Listserv content with anyone outside the Listserv. All information shared on the Listservs is limited to verified members of NOSSCR. Only verified members are allowed to join and participate in the Listservs. New members may be required to provide relevant information to verify their identity and professional credentials. Do not share or disclose any personally identifiable information (PII) of fellow
members without their explicit consent.
a. No External Sharing of Posts: Information and discussions shared on the Listservs are intended solely for members’ benefit. Do not forward, share, or reproduce posts from the Listservs to nonsubscribers without the original author’s consent.
b. Use of PII in Responses: When responding to a post that involves a specific case or situation, avoid including any personal or sensitive information that could identify individuals or clients, even if anonymized. Further, do not share or disclose any personally identifiable information (PII) of fellow members without their explicit consent.
c. Secure Communication: We encourage members to use secure communication practices when sharing sensitive information within the community.

NOSSCR Listserv Etiquette

  1. Professional Conduct: All members must adhere to the highest standards of professional conduct and ethics. Avoid engaging in any behavior that could reflect poorly on the legal profession.
  2. Respectful Communication: Treat all members with respect and courtesy. Avoid personal attacks, offensive language, and discriminatory remarks.
  3. Confidentiality: Do not share confidential client information or any privileged communications on the Communities.
  4. Relevance: Keep discussions relevant to the legal profession, legal issues, and matters of professional interest. Avoid off-topic discussions.
  5. No Solicitation: Do not use the Listservs for commercial purposes or to promote products, services, or events without prior approval.
  6. No Spam: Refrain from posting repetitive or irrelevant messages that could be considered spam.
  7. Civility: Engage in constructive debates and discussions. Disagreements are allowed, but always maintain a respectful tone.
  8. No Unauthorized Legal Advice: Do not provide legal advice unless you are sure of the recipient’s jurisdiction and have permission to do so. Encourage seeking professional legal counsel instead.
  9. No Unauthorized Advertising: Do not advertise services or events without prior permission.
  10. Respect Copyright and Intellectual Property: Do not share copyrighted material without permission from the owner.
  11. Report Inappropriate Content: If you come across any content that violates the rules or guidelines, report it to the administrators promptly.
  12. Personal Liability: Each member is personally responsible for their own posts and comments.
  13. Keep Discussions Legal and Ethical: Do not engage in discussions that promote or encourage illegal or unethical behavior.
  14. Practical Limits: Do not use posts to schedule personal meetings, to thank someone for sending you something, or to say hello to a friend. Ask yourself, “will my post add to the knowledge base for the other members in the community?” If not, respond directly to the other member instead.
  15. Politics: Do not use the Listservs for political discussion or promotion of candidates.
  16. Other associations: Do not use the Listservs to promote or to negatively describe other associations or nonprofits.

Refunds

Membership refunds are handled on a case-by-case basis. Please contact (202) 849-6466 or nosscr@nosscr.org for questions concerning cancelations and refunds.

Event refunds are available up to 30 days before an event’s start date. After that, refunds for events are handled on a case-by-case basis. Please reach out to nosscr@nosscr.org for questions concerning event cancelations and refunds.

Sharing Data with Partners

NOSSCR will never share or sell your membership data without your permission.

Members are given the option to allow NOSSCR to share their data with trusted business and marketing partners who may have products or services that are relevant to NOSSCR members. We will only share your data, including sharing it with third parties, where (1) you have provided your consent which can be withdrawn at any time, (2) the sharing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which you are a party, (3) we are required by law, (4) sharing is required to protect your vital interests or those of another person, or (5) sharing is necessary for the purposes of our legitimate nonprofit mission or interests, except where such interests are overridden by your rights and interests.

For members who do opt in, NOSSCR may share the membership-record information you provide, such as name, address, telephone number, email address, or other descriptions of your practice. NOSSCR may share whether you have registered or attended an event or conference. NOSSCR will not share payment/financial information, content posted in Communities or listservs, litigation strategy, work product or attorney-client privileged information, or information about individual claimants or clients of NOSSCR members.

These partners may contact NOSSCR members using this information to offer services or products they believe will be helpful to NOSSCR members. If you have questions or concerns about this notice, please contact us at nosscr@nosscr.org or by mail at 1300 I St NW Suite 825 Washington DC 20005.