We ask that all Section members who use the Members’ Forum adhere to this Code of Conduct. This is a private online community, and only current members of the State Bar of Texas Consumer and Commercial Law Section have access to it.
Confidentiality and Privacy
All information shared in forum conversations and the resource library is accessible only to members of the State Bar of Texas Consumer and Commercial Law Section. Access to the Members’ Forum is a benefit of Section membership. All communications in the forum must be treated as privileged, co-counsel communications. Please do not forward or share any information from a conversation or the resource library to anyone who is not a Section member. If you want to share publicly available information from a library resource or from a member post, you may cut and paste the publicly available information, but do not forward the e-mail itself. Examples of publicly available information would be a case cite or a link to a newspaper article.
This is a moderated private online community. We are also a diverse community. One of the benefits of the Section is the ability to network with attorneys from both sides of the bar. It goes without saying that the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct apply to conversations within the Member Forum. Please use good judgment when sharing information of a sensitive nature, such as case details or when making comments about peers, opposing counsel, or law firms.
Community Posts
We ask that all members use the following guidelines when posting: courtesy, relevance, and clear subject lines.
Courtesy
We hope that this forum is a safe space for spirited debate where attorneys can take advantage of the experience of others to hone arguments and become better advocates. This only works when we can agree to disagree courteously! Please use a courteous and respectful tone when posting. This may mean tempering our emotions and avoiding offensive language. Disagreements are expected, but please avoid insulting, defamatory, offensive, explicit, or threatening language. Please avoid politics as much as feasible. Sometimes, it may be relevant whether a proposed statute has support from a particular party. We ask that members stick to the facts and avoid inflammatory language when referencing political parties. Please also avoid sending personal messages or non-substantive messages to the entire group. For example, if a Section member was recognized with an award, it would be appropriate to post a congratulatory announcement to the group. However, to thank a member for help such as providing a helpful case citation, please send the thank you directly to the member not to the whole group. And, a final note, please self-moderate your use of ALL CAPS. No one likes to be shouted at!
Relevance
Please keep postings relevant to the group. Certainly, there is a broad range of relevant discussions. For example, asking whether anyone has deposed a certain expert witness is clearly relevant. Asking members to recommend a house painter probably isn’t, but members may be willing to help. If you believe information is of interest or that members may be able to help but that someone may consider the information to be off topic, please place “OFF TOPIC” in the subject line along with a brief description of the post.
Clear Subject Lines
Please use the subject line to give a clear, concise description of the topic of the post. This will help readers as well as make the post easy to archive.
Administrative Requests
f you have questions about your Section benefits, how to use the Members Portal, or problems with the website, please do not send those as a post to the entire group. [ADD INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOW TO ADDRESS ADMIN REQUESTS INCLUDING HOW TO UNSUBSCRIBE]
Links
Clicking a broken link is frustrating. Please check links before you post them. The Section is not responsible for links posted by members. Please use common sense when posting or clicking links.
Benefiting from the Community
This Portal is for your use! We encourage members to share information. You can use information from this group however you feel is appropriate. Case cites, court orders, court opinions, and the like should be freely shared. For example, you may want to quote language from a brief or court order that you found through this community. On the other hand, there may be times when a member seeks information or peer advice that is intended to stay within the group. To do that, place PRIVATE in the subject line. You may also post a general description of the issue and ask members to respond to your private email rather than to the group. And, as a group member, please respect posts labeled PRIVATE by not sharing them with anyone.
