Privacy Policy

Privacy and Security Policy


Maryland Legal Aid understands your concerns about privacy on the Internet and takes them very seriously. All online transactions, including donations, are strictly permission-based: You, the Donor/Volunteer control the use of your name, personal information, and donation or other transaction.

Key aspects of our privacy policy include:

  • Personal information about a Donor/Volunteer is  never sold, shared, traded, or disclosed.
  • When a Donor/Volunteer performs a transaction with Maryland Legal Aid, only that information that is required to process the transaction is collected.
  • Maryland Legal Aid uses  credit card processing companies, Electronic Processing Exchange and PayPal, both of which are not authorized to retain, share, store, or use your personal information.

Internet User Privacy

Maryland Legal Aid respects privacy of Internet Users and does not collect personally identifying information without the Internet User’s permission.  This policy applies to websites owned or operated by Legal Aid Bureau, Inc., (“Maryland  Legal Aid”).

For questions about this Privacy Policy, you may contact Maryland Legal Aid by mail at:

Legal Aid Bureau, Inc.
500 East Lexington Street
Baltimore, MD 21202

Some terms used in this Policy are:

Donor/Volunteer
A person or organization that has entered into a Donor/Volunteer Service Agreement with Maryland Legal Aid.
Cookies
Small pieces of information that are stored by an Internet User’s browser on the Internet User’s hard drive.

Collection of Data

Maryland Legal Aid does not collect Internet User identity or contact information from Internet Users’ visits to Maryland  Legal Aid websites. A visitor’s computer reaches a Maryland Legal Aid website a via an Internet Protocol (IP), address, which is automatically collected by Maryland Legal Aid’s servers.

An Internet User’s browser sets Cookies (when enabled) that contain small amounts of data on the Internet User’s computer after a visit to any website. Cookies assist Maryland Legal Aid in tracking Internet Users’ activities to facilitate easier navigation, data entry and retrieval, and preference tracking. By setting a cookie on the website, users do not have to log in a password more than once, thereby saving time while on the site. If users reject the cookie, they may still use the website.

No information is obtained from the Internet User or the User’s computer to generate a  unique identifying number for  the  User. Maryland Legal Aid servers automatically generate a unique number. None of Maryland Legal Aid’s Cookies are used to perform “User Profiling.”

Maryland Legal Aid does receive and record e-mail addresses of Internet Users only in situations where the Internet User has voluntarily provided his/her identity and contact information through the Maryland Legal Aid’s website.

Disabled and Non-functioning Cookies

Maryland Legal Aid does not employ any technology or means of preventing an Internet User from disabling the acceptance of a Cookie. Most Web browsers automatically accept Cookies, but an Internet User’s browser may be set by the Internet User to disable this function.  If Cookies are disabled or the Internet User is utilizing technology that does not adequately support Cookie technology, Maryland  Legal Aid will not be able to record the Internet User’s activity.

Log Files

Like most standard websites, Maryland Legal Aid uses log files. This includes internet protocol (IP) addresses, browser types, internet service providers (ISP), referring/exit pages, platform types, date/time stamps, and numbers of clicks to analyze trends, administer the site, track users’ movements in the aggregate, and gather broad demographic information for aggregate use. IP addresses, etc. are not linked to personally identifiable information.

Use and Disclosure of Data

Maryland  Legal Aid does not sell or rent personally identifying information nor does it disclose personally identifying information to anyone that Maryland Legal Aid is not authorized to do so. Maryland Legal Aid uses anonymous user data to create and report the browsing and/or form completion activities of anonymous users.

When a Donor/Volunteer performs a Maryland Legal Aid transaction that requires him/ her to be identified for a function on the website (e.g., donation, volunteering, event registration, membership dues, etc.), Maryland Legal Aid, and if the transaction involves a cash payment, our credit card processors –Electronic Processing Exchange or PayPal — are the only parties granted access to the Donor/Volunteer’s personal information.

Maryland Legal Aid will send an e-mail receipt for all cash transactions made by a Donor/Volunteer or Member Nonprofit. These may be printed for tax receipts.

Maryland Legal Aid reserves the right to release information on Internet Users if compelled to do so by proper judicial or governmental authorities. Disclosure shall be limited to only those that Maryland Legal Aid is compelled to do so.  At present, all information processing on live, production data occurs in the United States.

Security Measures

Maryland Legal Aid has implemented technology and security features and strict policy guidelines to safeguard the privacy of customer identifiable information from unauthorized access or improper use, and will continue to enhance security procedures as new technologies becomes available. Access to Maryland Legal Aid customer data is accessible via password protection through the Donor/Volunteer Account created by each Donor/Volunteer, and to designated Maryland Legal Aid employees who require system level access in order to perform their jobs. Access to Internet User data that identifies the Internet User’s name and/or e-mail address is limited to designated Maryland Legal Aid employees who require such access in order to perform their jobs and to a Donor/Volunteer that provided such information. Each Donor/Volunteer is responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of his/her own password used for accessing his/her accounts on the Maryland Legal Aid website.

Maryland Legal Aid and its online credit card processors use TDES – Triple Data Encryption Standard. This is considered a “very strong” encryption method, and uses 168-bit security. It is one of the most secure methods available for online credit card processing. It is also used by Federal Government organizations to protect sensitive data. For more information, please see the Federal Information Processing Standard Publication 46-3, Data Encryption Standard (DES)

Maryland Legal Aid periodically backs up all of its data. Multiple copies of the data are maintained and stored in secure locations.

Donor/Volunteer Privacy

Notwithstanding the circumstances outlined above under Use and Disclosure of Data, Maryland Legal Aid does not share personally identifiable information about a Donor/Volunteer with anyone. Such transactions include, but are not limited to, cash and non-cash donations, volunteering, planned giving, offering or purchasing items in an online thrift shop, membership setup or renewal, event registration, mailing list signup, and training registration. Such exchange is limited to a party’s e-mail address and basic Account detail. All personally identifiable information of Donors/Volunteers that is provided during the sign-up process is retained and used by Maryland Legal Aid in order to serve the Donor/Volunteer in performing functions on the website. Each Donor/Volunteer may view or modify the information provided during sign-up.

Online Intake

Your personal information is used to determine your eligibility to receive legal services and to contact you in the event you are eligible for services. Maryland Legal Aid will never sell, share, trade, or disclose any personal information provided during the intake process.

Spam

Maryland Legal Aid does not intentionally send unsolicited e-mail messages that could legitimately be construed as spam.

Collection of Usage Data:
Maryland Legal Aid servers automatically gather information about which pages are visited within a Maryland Legal Aid website, but  does not use that information except in the aggregate.
E-mail Contents:
Maryland Legal Aid will not read or disclose to third parties private e-mail communications that are transmitted using Maryland Legal Aid services, except as required to operate the service or as otherwise authorized by law.
Improper Conduct:
Maryland  Legal Aid may also use customer identifiable information to investigate and help prevent potentially unlawful activity or activity that threatens the network or otherwise violates the customer agreement for that service.
Account Information:
Maryland Legal Aid honors requests from customers for account information, for example, name, address, or billing information, and will correct any such information which may be inaccurate. Users may verify that appropriate corrections have been made.
Customer Concerns:
If you are a consumer with concerns about the Maryland Legal Aid online privacy policy or its implementation you may contact us via the contact form.
E-Mail List:
If a user wishes to subscribe to Maryland Legal Aid’s e-mail list, he/she will need to provide basic contact information, such as name and email address. Members of a mailing list receive periodic newsletters and emails. Each newsletter or email provides  a mechanism to opt-out of the subscription. One can also unsubscribe via the contact form with the word “unsubscribe” in the message.

COPPA

Maryland Legal Aid complies with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998.

If you inform Maryland Legal Aid that Maryland Legal Aid has collected or received information from a child under 13, Maryland Legal Aid will delete such information immediately from its databases. No Maryland Legal Aid website is specifically directed to children under the age of 13. Maryland Legal Aid does not knowingly distribute to third parties any personally identifiable information erroneously collected from children under the age of 13.

Deactivating or deleting from databases by Donors/Volunteers

Please contact us via the contact form if you no longer wish to maintain an account with Maryland Legal Aid, or are unable to access your account. If Maryland Legal Aid has such information, your name and/or e-mail address will not be retained any longer than is necessary to perform the services that you requested.

Policies and Disclaimers for Maryland Legal Aid Users

Your access to and continued use of the Maryland Legal Aid website constitutes your acceptance, without limitation, of these policies and disclaimers.

Any resale of this information or use for commercial gain is prohibited, except in accordance with a Maryland Legal Aid licensing agreement.

Copyright Protection

All materials appearing on www.mdlab.org are the property of the Legal Aid Bureau, Inc. unless otherwise indicated, and are protected by United States copyright laws. Any reproduction or distribution, except for personal, informational use, is a violation of our copyright. If you would like to make copies and/or distribute the materials, please contact us.

Trademark Protection

Maryland Legal Aid is a registered service/trademark of the Legal Aid Bureau, Inc.

Accuracy Disclaimer

Maryland Legal Aid does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy, quality, completeness, currency, or validity of any information on its website, or websites linked to or from Maryland Legal Aid. All information contained on this website has been obtained from sources believed by Maryland Legal Aid to be accurate and reliable.

Maryland Legal Aid is not responsible for any errors or omissions. All information is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind. Maryland Legal Aid makes no representations as to the accuracy or integrity of the information. Maryland Legal Aid disclaims all express, implied, and statutory warranties of any kind, including warranties as to accuracy, timeliness, completeness, merchantability, or fitness for any particular purpose. Maryland Legal Aid will not be liable for any damages of any kind incurred as a result of the information posted on this site.

Endorsement Disclaimer

Maryland Legal Aid does not endorse, support, sanction, or verify the information or material that is provided on this site or linked to this site. Unless otherwise specifically indicated, Maryland  Legal Aid has no affiliation with any of the organizations mentioned or described on the website, and it makes no representations or warranties with regard to those organizations. Nor does Maryland Legal Aid endorse or affiliate itself with any of the organizations which are linked to or from this website.

Disclaimers:

Financial and Legal Advice
The information on this site, including but not limited to reports, newsletters, articles, and opinions, is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to provide legal, accounting, or tax advice and should not be relied on in that respect. It is recommended that you hire an attorney, accountant, and/or financial advisor to answer any financial or legal questions.
General Disclaimer
Maryland Legal Aid is not responsible for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential or any other damages arising out of or in connection with the use of this website or in reliance on the information available on the site. This includes any personal injury, business interruption, loss of use, lost data, lost profits, or any other pecuniary loss, whether in an action of contract, negligence, or other tort action, even if Maryland Legal Aid has been informed of the possibility.
Response to Comments Disclaimer
Maryland Legal Aid appreciates hearing from you. All efforts will be made to respond to your comments, but Maryland Legal Aid cannot guarantee it will do so. Any response will be for informational or educational purposes only and will not constitute legal or financial advice. Maryland Legal Aid makes no warranties, express or implied, about the information in these responses.
Policy Changes
Maryland Legal Aid may find it necessary or be legally obligated to update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this site. Except as otherwise required by law, modifications to this Privacy Policy will not affect the privacy of data collected by Maryland Legal Aid prior to the effective date of the policy change.