CLE Programs and Products FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding MSBA CLE
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding MSBA CLE
Programs refund policy
Full refunds will be made to registrants for cancellations received by 12:00 p.m. 2 weeks before the event. If a refund is requested after the 14‐days prior to the event 12:00 p.m. cut‐off time, they will be charged a $50 administrative fee. If you register for regular full‐day and half‐day programs, but do not attend or cancel, you will receive the course materials following the program in full consideration of tuition paid. Full refunds for a virtual 40 Hour Basic Mediation Training or 20 hour divorce mediation training will be accepted by 12:00 p.m. 14 days before the first day of training. If a refund is requested after the cut‐off day/time, the registrant will be charged a $150 administrative fee.
Publications return/refund policy
MSBA may issue a refund, credit, or exchange for all bound book purchases in resalable condition if returned within 30 days of purchase/shipment. We will not accept returns for bound shrink-wrapped publications or bound supplemental material/updates that have been opened. The MSBA does not give refunds on electronic publications that have been downloaded.
To initiate a return or refund, please contact the MSBA directly by email at cle@msba.org or call (410) 685-7878, ext. 3062 or ext. 3063. The MSBA will confirm the approved refund amount and provide instructions for the return of the product. Refunds will be issued when a product is returned and received in salable condition less the amount of the original shipping and handling charges paid. Customers bear the cost of return shipment charges.
COVID Guidelines & Protocols
The MSBA is committed to holding a safe event for all participants, and is following all CDC, Federal, State, and Local regulations, as well as venue requirements.
In accordance with CDC guidelines, faculty or attendees that have tested positive for COVID within 5 days of their in-person presentation, are experiencing any symptoms consistent with COVID, including fever, cough, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell, or shortness of breath, should not attend the in-person event.
The Maryland State Bar Association (MSBA) exists to serve legal professionals with leadership, education, professional development, and advocacy, opportunities. We understand that you are aware of and care about your own personal privacy interests, and we take that seriously. This privacy policy describes our policies and practices regarding collection and use of your personal data, and sets forth your privacy rights. We recognize that information privacy is an ongoing responsibility, and so we will continue to update this privacy policy as we undertake new personal data practices or adopt new privacy policies.
Applicability and Eligibility
This privacy policy applies to our collection, use, disclosure, and protection of your data. It does not apply to third party websites, applications, or services. Before accessing, using, or interacting with our services, carefully review the terms and conditions of this privacy policy.
Collection and Use of Personal Information
We collect personal information about our members and other customers. This information includes, but is not limited to, first name, last name, job title, employer name, work address, work email, and work phone number. This information is used to provide members and customers with goods and services, including membership services, event notifications, training, and more. We do not sell personal information to anyone and only share it with third parties who are facilitating the delivery of our services.
Membership
When you become a member, we collect information about you including (but not limited to) your name, your employer’s name, your work address, and your email address. We may also collect your personal email address, a personal mailing address, and a mobile phone number. Members may voluntarily provide additional information in their membership profile, such as information about their educational background, number of years in the industry, and the like. Members may edit their profile at any time to change, add, or remove personal information.
We process your personal information for membership administration, to deliver member benefits, and to inform you of our events, content, and other benefits or opportunities associated with your membership. We may also use this information to help us understand our members’ needs and interests to better tailor our products and services to meet your needs.
Events and Webinars
We host events throughout the year, including our annual and mid-year meetings, webinars, and trainings (collectively “events”). If you are a member and register for one of our events, we will access the information in your member account to provide you with information and services associated with the event. If you are not a member and you register for one of our events, we will collect your name and contact information, which we will store in our database and use to provide you with information and services associated with the event. If you are a presenter at one of our events, we will collect information about you including your name, employer and contact information, and photograph, and we may also collect information provided by event attendees who evaluated your performance as a presenter. As an attendee, speaker, or sponsor/exhibitor, we will keep a record of your participation to provide you with post-event information including details on upcoming events you may be interested in.
We reserve the right to use any photograph/video taken at our events, without the expressed written permission of those included within the photograph/video. We may use the photograph/video in publications or other media material produced, used or contracted including but not limited to: brochures, invitations, books, newspapers, magazines, television, websites, etc. To ensure the privacy of individuals, images will not be identified using full names or personal identifying information without written approval from the photographed subject.
Publications
In addition to producing original content, we also subscribe to news feeds and blogs produced by others, which we often link to from our website. This means you may find yourself on our website or reading an email where we will offer you a link to another organization’s website for additional relevant content. At these times, you will be leaving our website. We are not responsible or liable for content provided by these third party websites or personal information they may happen to gather from you.
You may wish to subscribe to some of our publications without becoming a member. To receive our mailings/newsletters by email, you will need to create a profile with us, which involves providing us with at least your first name and last name, an email address, and the country in which you live. We do not share this information with any third party other than to store the information in our database.
You may manage your subscriptions by subscribing or unsubscribing at any time. If you have any difficulties managing your email or other communication preferences, please contact us at info@msba.org.
Correspondence Information
If you correspond with us by email, the postal service, or other form of communication, we may retain such correspondence and the information contained in it and use it to respond to your inquiry; to notify you of our conferences, publications, or other services; or to keep a record of your complaint, accommodation request, etc. Users may opt-out of receiving certain communications by following the unsubscribe process described in an email communication, or by contacting our office directly.
Access to Your Information
Certain tools and settings are provided to help you access, correct, delete, or modify your personal information. We welcome you to contact us regarding the information we have collected about you, including the nature and accuracy of the data collected about you, to request an update, modification, or deletion of your information, to opt-out of certain services, or to withdraw any consent you may have granted. Please note that if you choose to delete your information or opt-out of the collection and use of your information, certain features may no longer be available to you.
Purposes for Processing Your Data
As explained above, we process your data to provide you with the goods or services you have requested or purchased from us, including membership services, events, publications and other content, certification, and training. We use this information to refine our goods and services to better tailor them to your needs and to communicate with you about other services we offer that may assist you in your career or otherwise help you to advance your career.
Payment Information
We may collect and store information related to purchases if you choose to purchase goods and services from us. You may provide certain information to complete payments, including your credit or debit card number, card expiration date, CVV code, and billing address (collectively, “Payment Information”), along with your name and billing, and shipping address, to complete payment transactions. Per PCI Compliance, we do not accept credit card information via email. Credit card information received via fax, phone, or mail is entered into a secure system and then deleted and destroyed.
Website Usage
As is true of most other websites, our website collects certain information automatically and stores it in log files. The information may include internet protocol (IP) addresses, the region or general location where your computer or device is accessing the internet, browser type, operating system and other usage information about the use of our website, including a history of the pages you view. We use this information to help us design our site to better suit our users’ needs. We may also use your IP address to help diagnose problems with our server and to administer our website, analyze trends, track visitor movements, and gather broad demographic information to assist us in identifying visitor preferences. Our website also uses cookies and web beacons. It does not track users when they cross to third party websites or provide targeted advertising to them, and therefore does not respond to Do Not Track (DNT) signals.
Sharing Information
Information about your purchases are maintained in association with your membership or profile account.
We do not otherwise reveal your personal data to third-parties for their independent use unless: (1) you request or authorize it; (2) it’s in connection with any of our events as described above; (3) the information is provided to comply with the law (for example, to comply with a search warrant, subpoena or court order), enforce an agreement we have with you, or to protect our rights, property or safety, or the rights, property or safety of our employees or others; (4) the information is provided to our agents, vendors or service providers who perform functions on our behalf; (5) to address emergencies or acts of God; and (6) to address disputes, claims, or to persons demonstrating legal authority to act on your behalf.
Our website uses interfaces with social media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and others. If you choose to “like” or share information from our website through these services, you should review the privacy policy of that service. If you are a member of a social media site, the interfaces may allow the social media site to connect your site visit to your personal data.
Member Directory
Members are allowed to share their information through our Member Directory to other members using this site. Members are invited to opt-in to having their information shared in the Member Directory. Member information will only be shared in the Member Directory if the member has opted-in to sharing such information.
Changes and Updates to the Privacy Policy
By using this site, you agree to the terms and conditions contained in this privacy policy. As our organization, membership, and benefits change from time to time, this privacy policy is expected to change as well. We reserve the right to amend the privacy policy at any time, for any reason, without notice to you, other than the posting of the amended privacy policy on our website. We may e-mail periodic reminders of our notices and terms and conditions and will e-mail members of material changes.
Photo/Audio/Video Release
By registering for or attending this Event, you acknowledge and consent to be recorded or photographed and authorize MSBA to use your likeness, personal characteristics, and any other proprietary and publicity rights for any such purposes without the requirement of further notice, royalty, payment, or other compensation to or consent from you. This includes photographs, video, recordings, screenshots, written text or verbal comments/questions on the virtual platform, social media or emails (“Recording(s)”). By registering for or attending this Event you also acknowledged that all Recordings are the property of MSBA.
We reserve the right to use any Recording taken at our Events, without the expressed written permission of those included within the Recording. We may use the Recording in publications or other media material produced, used or contracted, including, but not limited to: brochures, invitations, books, newspapers, magazines, television, websites, social media, emails, etc. Consenting to Recording includes the use, editing, copying, publishing, and/or exhibition of the Recordings which may include your voice, name, and/or likeness, in any and all forms of media. To ensure the privacy of individuals, images will not be identified using full names or personal identifying information without written approval from the photographed subject.
Outside or Third Party Recording of Any MSBA Event Prohibited
The use of any third party recording devices or applications (examples: Otter a.i., or Fireflies a.i.) are prohibited in any events, CLE programs or meetings and anyone using them will be asked to refrain, and if the recording continues, will be removed from the event.
MSBA Accessibility Policy
The Maryland State Bar Association (MSBA) is committed to making its online and in-person services, products, events, and continuing legal education programs accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. Examples of accommodations that could be provided include, but are not limited to, making course outlines and materials available in electronic formats, providing recordings of programs or events, and providing ASL interpreters. To request an accommodation, please complete this form. Once you’ve registered our staff will contact you to arrange an accommodation plan.
Our ongoing accessibility efforts include working towards conforming to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.1, level AA criteria.
Website Feedback
Your feedback is valuable in making accessibility improvements and identifying potential barriers across our website. Should you experience any issues or have ideas related to site accessibility, please email membership@msba.org .
The MSBA aims to host in-person events, meetings, and CLE programs that enable all individuals to participate fully and equally. Please let us know as early as possible if there are reasonable accommodations that would allow you to participate more fully. Again, to request an accommodation, please complete this form.
MSBA Event Code of Conduct
By registering for or attending the Event, you agree to comply with the following Code of Conduct at all times during the Event and any Event-related gatherings.
The MSBA leadership and staff are committed to providing a safe, productive, welcoming, and vibrant learning environment to all participants, including staff and vendors, at all of our Events. We welcome people from as many diverse backgrounds as possible. We expect our Events to be a respectful, harassment-free environment for people of all races, gender and trans identity, sexual orientation, ability, nationality, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and beliefs. We have no tolerance for discrimination, harassment, or bullying in any form at an Event for any reason, including on account of a person’s age, ancestry, color, disability or handicap, national origin, race, religion, gender, sexual or affectional orientation, gender identity, appearance, matriculation, political affiliation, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Participants are expected to adhere to these principles and respect the rights of others.
We’re grateful that our community is positive, friendly and supportive of one another — it’s what makes our events such a draw each year.
In that spirit, the staff, supporters, volunteers, attendees and speakers at MSBA Events are expected to:
MSBA Equity Diversity & Inclusivity Plan
MSBA Hardship/Scholarship Policy
For standard programming the MSBA offers a hardship application that is reviewed by the CLE committee, similar to the hardship application that is considered by the Board of Governors when a member requests a reduction or waiver of membership dues. The programs that are exempt from a hardship waiver or discount are the same programs that are exempt from the Passport membership program, which include 40 hour and 20 hour mediation trainings, Advanced Tax Institute, the Essentials of Maryland Estate and Trust law, Maryland Trial Advocacy Institute, and Deposition Practice and Procedure.