Community Guidelines

FederalLawyer.com is a professional community dedicated to connecting individuals with qualified federal attorneys and fostering meaningful legal discourse. These guidelines apply to all community features, including Q&A, reviews, articles, comments, live stream chat, and any other interactive features.

1. Professionalism and Respect

All interactions on FederalLawyer.com must be conducted with professionalism and mutual respect. This is a platform used by licensed attorneys, legal professionals, and members of the public seeking legal information. We expect all participants to:

• Treat all community members with courtesy and respect, regardless of their role or background
• Engage in constructive dialogue and avoid personal attacks, insults, or inflammatory language
• Respect differing legal opinions and interpretations — reasonable minds can disagree
• Use professional language appropriate for a legal community

2. Content Standards

All content posted on FederalLawyer.com must meet the following standards:

• Accuracy: Information should be accurate to the best of your knowledge. If you are unsure about a legal point, indicate that it is your understanding or opinion rather than stating it as fact.
• Relevance: Content should be relevant to federal law, legal practice, or the specific topic being discussed. Off-topic posts may be removed.
• Originality: Do not plagiarize content from other sources. If you reference external material, provide proper attribution.
• No Spam: Do not post repetitive content, unsolicited advertisements, or promotional material outside of designated advertising areas.

3. Legal Advice Boundaries

This is critically important: FederalLawyer.com is an educational and informational platform. Community interactions must not cross the line into providing specific legal advice:

• General Information Only: Q&A responses, articles, and comments should provide general legal information, not advice tailored to specific situations
• No Fact-Specific Advice: Do not provide opinions on the likely outcome of a specific legal matter based on the facts presented
• Disclaimer Required: Attorneys responding to questions should include a disclaimer that their response is general information and does not constitute legal advice
• Referral Encouraged: When a question requires specific legal advice, direct the person to consult with a licensed attorney in their jurisdiction

4. Confidentiality and Privacy

Protecting confidentiality is paramount in a legal community:

• No Active Case Details: Do not post identifying details about active cases, including party names, case numbers, or specific facts that could identify parties
• Attorney-Client Privilege: Attorneys must never disclose information protected by attorney-client privilege
• Personal Information: Do not share other people's personal information (phone numbers, addresses, email addresses) without their consent
• Sealed or Confidential Proceedings: Do not discuss details of sealed proceedings, grand jury matters, or other confidential legal processes

5. Reviews and Ratings

Reviews are a valuable resource for people seeking legal representation. To maintain their integrity:

• Reviews must be based on genuine, first-hand experience with the attorney
• Do not post fake reviews — whether positive (for yourself) or negative (for competitors)
• Do not offer or accept compensation for reviews
• Be specific and constructive in your feedback
• Do not include confidential case details in reviews
• Attorneys may respond to reviews professionally but should not retaliate against reviewers

6. Live Stream Conduct

Live streams and CLE sessions have additional conduct requirements:

• Chat messages must be relevant to the stream topic
• Do not disrupt streams with spam, excessive self-promotion, or off-topic commentary
• Respect the host's moderation decisions
• Do not share stream access credentials or recordings without permission
• Sponsored content must be clearly disclosed per FTC guidelines and our Terms of Use

7. Advertising and Self-Promotion

FederalLawyer.com provides designated channels for attorney advertising and promotion. Outside of these designated areas:

• Do not use Q&A responses, comments, or reviews primarily as advertising for your practice
• Attorneys may mention their relevant experience when it adds value to a discussion, but should not use every interaction as a marketing opportunity
• All advertising must comply with the applicable state bar advertising rules
• Sponsored content must be clearly labeled — do not disguise advertising as organic content

8. Prohibited Content

The following content is strictly prohibited and will be removed immediately:

• Hate speech, discrimination, or harassment based on race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or any other protected characteristic
• Threats of violence or encouragement of illegal activity
• Sexually explicit or obscene content
• Content that promotes unauthorized practice of law
• Malware, phishing links, or other malicious content
• Content that violates intellectual property rights
• Doxxing or sharing private information to harass or intimidate

9. Moderation and Enforcement

FederalLawyer.com moderates community content to maintain quality and compliance. Our moderation approach includes:

• Content Review: Posts, reviews, and comments may be reviewed before or after publication
• Warnings: Minor violations may result in a warning and content removal
• Temporary Suspension: Repeated violations may result in temporary account suspension
• Permanent Ban: Serious or repeated violations may result in permanent account termination
• Bar Reporting: In cases involving potential ethical violations by attorneys, we may report the matter to the relevant state bar association

Users may report content that violates these guidelines by using the report function available on all community content. We review all reports and take action as appropriate.

10. Appeals

If you believe your content was removed or your account was restricted in error, you may appeal the decision by contacting us through our Contact page. Appeals will be reviewed by a senior moderator and you will receive a response within 5 business days.

11. Changes to These Guidelines

We may update these Community Guidelines from time to time. Significant changes will be communicated through the site. Continued use of the community features after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated guidelines.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions about these Community Guidelines or need to report a violation, please contact us through our Contact page.