Website Privacy Policy
1. Introduction
Christian Legal Society (“CLS”) and its Affiliated Clinic (“Clinic”) operate and/or support this website (the “Site”). In this Privacy Policy, “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to CLS and the Clinic, as applicable to the information or services described below.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, retain, and safeguard information when you visit our Site, submit an inquiry or request for assistance, or otherwise interact with us online.
Relationship Between CLS and the Clinic. The Clinic operates independently from CLS and is responsible for its own clients, legal services, communications, scheduling, and case-related decisions. CLS provides administrative, technological, and other operational support to the Clinic, including access to and use of LegalServer for case management and related functions. In connection with providing these support services, CLS may have access to personal information submitted through the Site or otherwise provided to the Clinic. Any such access is limited to information reasonably necessary to provide the applicable support services and is subject to appropriate confidentiality and security requirements. The Clinic remains responsible for its own client and legal-service relationships and for determining how information relating to those relationships is handled, in accordance with applicable law and professional obligations.
This policy applies only to information collected through the Site and related online communications. Information provided in connection with actual legal representation or an established attorney-client relationship may be subject to additional confidentiality, privilege, professional-conduct, and recordkeeping requirements, as well as separate agreements or notices.
2. Information We Collect
We may collect the following types of information:
Information You Provide Voluntarily
- Your name, email address, telephone number, mailing address, or other contact information.
- Information you provide when requesting legal assistance or contacting us.
- Limited information about the nature of a legal question or matter that you choose to provide.
- Information you provide when volunteering, donating, subscribing to communications, or otherwise interacting with the Site.
- Any other information you voluntarily submit through the Site.
We may also automatically collect certain technical information when you visit the Site, such as:
- Your Internet Protocol (IP) address.
- Browser type and operating system.
- Date and time of your visit.
- Pages viewed and general Site usage information.
- The website or webpage from which you arrived at our Site, when available.
- Other information collected through cookies or similar technologies.
We do not intentionally request sensitive personal information—such as Social Security numbers, detailed financial or health information, immigration status, or similarly sensitive information—through general website forms unless that information is clearly identified as necessary for a specific purpose. Please avoid submitting highly sensitive or confidential case details through general website forms or unsecured electronic communications unless specifically requested through a secure intake process.
We do not collect personally identifying information simply because you visit our website. You may access and use portions of the website without providing such information. Any personally identifying information you provide through the website is voluntary.
3. Information Submitted During Intake or Consultation
If you submit an inquiry, intake form, consultation request, appointment request, or other communication concerning a potential legal matter, we may use the information you provide to evaluate your request, determine whether the Clinic may be able to assist you, conduct an initial conflict or eligibility review, communicate with you about your request, schedule or conduct a consultation, and determine appropriate next steps.
Information you provide during an intake or consultation may be reviewed by authorized Clinic personnel. CLS personnel or service providers who support the Clinic may also have access to this information when necessary to provide those services. Any access is subject to applicable confidentiality and security requirements. The Clinic may keep this information as part of its intake, administrative, conflict-checking, referral, or legal records.
Submitting an inquiry, intake form, consultation request, or other information through the website does not create an attorney-client relationship. An attorney-client relationship is created only when the Clinic or an attorney expressly agrees to represent you.
Until an attorney-client relationship is established, information you provide through the website or during an initial inquiry or consultation may not be protected by the attorney-client privilege. However, we will handle your information responsibly and in accordance with applicable law, professional obligations, and our confidentiality practices.
If we determine that we cannot assist you, we may provide information about other legal resources or referrals when appropriate. We do not guarantee that we will accept or undertake any particular matter.
4. How We Use Your Information
We may use the information we collect to:
- Respond to inquiries and requests for assistance.
- Conduct an initial evaluation of requests for legal assistance, including eligibility and conflict checks.
- Schedule, prepare for, and conduct consultations or appointments.
- Determine whether the Clinic may be able to provide legal assistance or whether a referral may be appropriate.
- Communicate with you concerning your inquiry, consultation, or potential or actual legal matter.
- Operate, maintain, and improve the Site.
- Send administrative or informational communications, such as appointment confirmations or newsletters if you have opted in.
- Analyze Site usage and trends.
- Maintain appropriate administrative, intake, conflict, referral, and legal records.
- Comply with applicable legal, regulatory, professional, and ethical obligations.
- Protect the rights, safety, property, and security of CLS, the Clinic, our clients, Site users, personnel, and the public.
- Prevent fraud, abuse, unauthorized access, or misuse of the Site.
- Carry out other purposes disclosed to you at the time information is collected or with your consent.
5. How We Share Your Information
We do not sell your personal information.
We may share information in the following limited circumstances:
- Between CLS and the Clinic: As necessary to administer the Site, support Clinic operations, respond to inquiries, coordinate legal-aid services, conduct administrative functions, or otherwise fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, consistent with the legal relationship between CLS and the Clinic and applicable confidentiality obligations.
- Service providers: With third-party service providers that assist us with website hosting, information technology, email delivery, scheduling, analytics, form processing, data storage, or other operational functions. We seek to use providers that maintain appropriate safeguards and to limit their use of information to the services they provide to us.
- Legal and regulatory requirements: When required by law, court order, subpoena, legal process, or applicable professional or regulatory requirements.
- Protection of rights and safety: When reasonably necessary to protect the safety, rights, or property of CLS, the Clinic, our clients, Site users, personnel, or the public.
- Organizational changes: In connection with a merger, restructuring, transfer of operations, affiliation, acquisition, dissolution, or other organizational change, subject to applicable law and any required notice.
- With your consent or at your direction: When you authorize or direct us to disclose information.
Information associated with an established attorney-client relationship is handled in accordance with applicable attorney-client privilege, professional confidentiality obligations, and professional-conduct rules. Such information will not be disclosed except as permitted or required by applicable law, professional rules, or your authorization.
6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We may use cookies, web beacons, pixels, and similar technologies to improve Site functionality, remember preferences, understand how visitors use the Site, and analyze traffic.
You may be able to control cookies and similar technologies through your browser settings or other available controls. Disabling certain cookies may affect Site functionality.
We may use third-party analytics services, such as Google Analytics. These providers may collect information about your use of the Site in accordance with their own privacy policies and terms.
7. Data Security
We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect information collected through the Site against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.
However, no method of transmitting information over the Internet or storing information electronically is completely secure. Accordingly, we cannot guarantee the absolute security of information transmitted to or stored by us.
For your own protection, please do not submit unnecessary sensitive personal information through general website forms or ordinary email.
8. Data Retention
We keep personal information only as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy. This may include responding to inquiries, handling legal matters, maintaining records, complying with legal and professional obligations, resolving disputes, and enforcing our agreements.
The length of time we keep information depends on the type of information and why we collected it. Information related to an intake, consultation, referral, conflict check, or legal matter may be kept longer than routine website or technical information due to legal, professional, or recordkeeping requirements.
When information is no longer needed, we may securely delete, destroy, anonymize, or otherwise dispose of it in accordance with generally accepted industry record-retention practices and applicable law.
9. Your Rights and Choices
Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have rights regarding your personal information, which may include:
- Accessing certain personal information, we maintain about you.
- Requesting correction of inaccurate information.
- Requesting deletion of certain information.
- Restricting or objecting to certain processing.
- Opting out of certain communications.
- Exercising other rights provided by applicable law.
These rights may be subject to legal, professional, confidentiality, recordkeeping, or other applicable limitations.
To exercise an applicable privacy right or make a privacy-related request, contact us at cla@clsnet.org. We will review and respond to requests in accordance with applicable law.
You may unsubscribe from marketing or other optional communications by following the instructions included in those communications.
10. Third-Party Links
The Site may contain links to third-party websites that may contain information or services of interest to our visitors. We do not control those websites and are not responsible for their privacy practices, content, security, or accuracy.
We encourage you to review the privacy policies and terms of any third-party website before providing personal information.
11. Children’s Privacy
Our Site is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 through the Site.
If you believe that a child has provided personal information to us through the Site, please contact us at cla@clsnet.org so that we can review the information and take appropriate action.
12. Donors
Christian Legal Society (CLS) does not sell a donor’s name or personal information to any other entity.
CLS may occasionally send correspondence to supporters on behalf of groups directly affiliated with CLS, including Christian Legal Aid clinics. To the extent donations are processed through a third-party service provider, donor information will be used only for purposes reasonably necessary to process the donation, maintain appropriate donation records, communicate with donors, and comply with applicable legal and accounting requirements.
Additional privacy terms or notices provided by a third-party donation processor may also apply.
13. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update or revise this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, services, technology, legal requirements, or organizational structure.
When we make changes, we will post the revised Privacy Policy on the Site and update the “Last Updated” date at the beginning or end of the policy. Unless otherwise required by applicable law, the revised policy will become effective when posted.
If we make material changes to how we collect, use, disclose, or otherwise process personal information, we may provide additional notice when reasonably appropriate or required by law.
Your continued use of the website after the revised Privacy Policy takes effect means that you acknowledge the changes, to the extent permitted by applicable law.
14. Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, our privacy practices, or the handling of information submitted through the Site, please contact us at:
Last Updated: September 11, 2026