All information concerning clients, former clients, staff, volunteers, financial data, and business records of the New York State Bar Association (hereinafter “NYSBA”) is confidential. “Confidential” means that you are free to communicate about the NYSBA Restoration of Honor Act Pro Bono Project and about your role as a volunteer, but you are not permitted to disclose clients’ names or communicate in any way about them in ways that will, or can reasonably be expected to, disclose their identity.
Confidential information includes:
- Identifying information about the client, including the client’s name, address or phone number;
- Information relating to the client’s family;
- Information about the legal issue(s) facing the client; or
- Any other information that would, or can reasonably be expected to, identify the client.
No confidential information may be released without appropriate authorization from the client. NYSBA and our clients rely on volunteers to conform to this rule of confidentiality.
Failure to maintain confidentiality may result in termination of your volunteer engagement, or other corrective action. This policy is intended to protect you as well as NYSBA in part because in extreme cases, violations of this policy may also result in personal liability.
As amended December 4, 2020