Privacy statement

The State Bar of Wisconsin has created this statement to demonstrate our firm commitment to the privacy of our users. It discloses information gathering and dissemination practices for WisBar, the State Bar of Wisconsin's official Internet site. The State Bar of Wisconsin may change, add to, or remove all or any portion of the statement at any time, but if it does so it will post such changes on this page.

Members and registered users

Members and registered users are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of their password. The State Bar of Wisconsin will not intentionally share a member or registered user's password with any third party (it will email a user the user's password upon request, but only to the user's preidentified email address. Members and registered users are responsible for keeping that email address secure and up-to-date. Registered users and members agree to notify Customer Service of any known or suspected unauthorized use(s) of the user's ID, or any known or suspected breach of security, including loss, theft, or unauthorized disclosure of the user's password.

Use of domain names/IP addresses

We use your domain address (i.e., execpc.com, aol.com or yourfirmname.com) to help diagnose problems with our server, and to administer various features of our site. Your IP address is also used to gather broad demographic information such as the name of your Internet service provider and its geographic location.

Use of "Cookies"

A "cookie" is a small data file transferred by a website to your computer's memory or hard drive. The State Bar of Wisconsin sends cookies when you surf our site, make purchases, request or personalize information, or register yourself for certain services. Accepting the cookies used on our site does not give us access to your personal information, but we may use the cookies to identify your computer. Cookies are typically classified as either "session" cookies or "permanent" cookies.

• "Session" cookies do not stay on your computer after you leave our website or close your browser. Temporary cookies serve to identify the user during each individual visit to the site ("session") and are temporarily stored in the user's browser throughout the course of each individual session. They are used to facilitate shopping, personalization and registration services. For example, cookies can keep track of what you have selected to purchase as you continue to shop and allow you to enter your password only once on Web pages where a login is required.
• "Permanent" or "Persistent" cookies are those that remain on your computer. These cookies are used for internal web reporting and statistics. This information is gathered at an aggregate level and no individual user or computer is identified. We do not and will not use cookies to retrieve data from your hard drive or to obtain your e-mail address or other personal information. The aggregate information collected permits us to analyze traffic patterns on our site. This can enable us over time to provide a better experience on our site by improving content or personalization and making our site easier to use. We also use cookies to help our ad management software display random advertisements throughout the site. "Permanent" cookies can be manually removed by the user.

In the future, we may use cookies for site personalization and marketing (by allowing us to recommend products that may be of interest to you). If we do, we will post appropriate information on this page.

Most browsers automatically accept cookies by default, but you can usually refuse cookies or selectively accept certain cookies by adjusting the preferences in your browser. If you turn off cookies, there may be some features of our site that will not be available to you and some Web pages may not display properly.

"Cookies" do not pose a threat to your computer, your web browser or software installed on your system. They do not contain viruses, and the information provided is not used beyond the general administration our ad management software.

Information gathered through the use of "cookies" is not sold or provided to vendors, direct mail concerns, email list services, etc.

The State Bar of Wisconsin cannot control the use of "cookies" by sites linked to WisBar or to vendor(s) sites that have purchased banner advertisements. WisBar is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such sites.

Online Order Forms and Online Surveys

How will your profile information be used?

We ask users to provide contact information (i.e., email address, phone number, contact person), unique identifiers (i.e., State Bar membership number, password), and/or financial information (i.e., credit card number). Customer information is used to: process and send order(s); bill credit cards, and to contact the customer when necessary.

If you are a member of the State Bar of Wisconsin, your email address will be published online in Lawyer Directory and in print in the Wisconsin Lawyer Directory. To request that this information not be published, contact Customer Service.

Directory address - What is it?

If you are a member of the State Bar of Wisconsin, an address designated as your directory address is the address that will display in the Wisconsin Lawyer Directory and on Lawyer Directory. If you do not enter a directory address, we will use your work address for this listing.

Online Order and Registration Forms

Registration and order forms on WisBar operate in an environment using Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption technology. We ask users to provide contact information (i.e., email address, phone number, contact person), unique identifiers (i.e., State Bar membership number), and/or financial information (i.e., credit card number). Customer information is used to: process and send order(s); bill credit cards and/or Bar invoice and to contact the customer when necessary. Unique identifiers (i.e., State Bar number) are collected for use as account numbers in our record system.

Information supplied via online order forms and registration forms is used only by the State Bar of Wisconsin. It is not sold or provided to vendors, direct mail concerns, email list services, etc.

Online Surveys

From time to time, we conduct online surveys, which ask visitors for voluntary information on various topics of interest to the State Bar of Wisconsin.

Information supplied for online surveys is used only by the State Bar of Wisconsin. It is not sold or provided to vendors, direct mail concerns, email list services, etc.

Confidential fields

Confidential fields: If you are a member of the State Bar of Wisconsin, much of the information in your profile comes from your State Bar record. If you are not a member of the State Bar of Wisconsin, information supplied via online order forms and registration forms is used only to fulfill those orders. In neither case is it sold or provided to vendors, direct mailers, email list services, etc. The following fields are marked in red on the profile form and are considered confidential:

• Dues paid thru date
• Home phone
• Toll free number
• Home county
• Ethnicity
• Date of birth
• Place of birth
• Social security number

The information contained in these confidential fields will not be released to anyone other than the member or registered user. The exception would be a member's social security number which will be released to the Supreme Court or as directed by the Court.

Electronic Mailing Lists "E-Lists"

Throughout our site, members are given the opportunity to freely subscribe to electronic mailing lists, which are subscription-based groups that send email on certain content/topics to your email account. The identity of subscribers and their corresponding email addresses are not sold or provided to outside vendors, advertisers, direct mailers other email list services, etc.

To unsubscribe to any email list send an email to the asking to unsubscribe. Be sure to mention the name of the list.

Opt-Out

In the event that customer information is used to direct State Bar advertisements and announcements to customers, registrants and online survey participants, WisBar will always provide our users with the opportunity to opt-out of receiving similar future communications from us.

Credit card security

The State Bar of Wisconsin recognizes the importance of protecting the information collected from Users in the operation of this Web site and in the taking of your online orders. Because your credit card security is a high priority, we have taken reasonable steps to maintain the integrity and privacy of your information to ensure that your payment information is processed confidentially, accurately and securely. The State Bar of Wisconsin uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), an encryption technology that protects your credit card information. SSL encrypts all ordering information (name, address and credit card number) so no one can read it as it travels over the Internet.

Delete/Deactivate

This site gives users the option to email and request to no longer receive future communications, or our services.

Contacting the Web Site

If you have any questions about this privacy statement, the practices of this site, or your dealings with this Web site, please contact Customer Service.