NOVA Membership Rules and Protocol

I understand that the purpose of NOVA’s online groups is to provide a platform for sharing information and strategies among NOVA members for their use in representing VA claimants. Such posts should refrain from making statements about or endorsing political candidates; making disparaging comments about other members, other accredited advocates, or VA/government/court employees; or using the platform to sell products.  NOVA reserves the right to remove any posts which, in the judgement of NOVA staff or Board members, do not advance the mission of sharing information and strategies for use in representing VA claimants.

Legal access to NOVA’s groups is limited to paying members of this organization as prescribed in the NOVA Bylaws. The individual posts on the groups, to include the text of the post and the information that identifies the person who posted, shall be the property of NOVA and the posting member. Neither the text of the post nor the identity of the person who submitted the post may be

reproduced by any means for dissemination to any non-NOVA member without the written consent of NOVA and the posting member. A NOVA member who violates this policy shall, in addition to penalties authorized by the NOVA Bylaws, be subject to termination of his or her privilege of access to the NOVA groups and/or termination of membership in NOVA.

I agree to abide by the policy stated herein for access to and use of all NOVA groups to which I am granted access by my membership status.

I agree to abide by the policy stated herein for access to and use of the NOVA Document Library.

I agree to abide by the policy stated herein for Member's Use of NOVA's Name and LOGO/Registered Symbol.

MEMBER’S USE OF NOVA’S NAME AND LOGO/SERVICE MARK
 

NOVA welcomes sustaining members in good standing to use NOVA’s name and logo/service mark in their firm website, firm advertising (but not firm letterhead), or in a qualifying member’s individual email signature block in accordance with the following rules and guidelines:

1) NOVA’s logo/service mark must be in close proximity to the ® notation. We encourage members to display the address for NOVA’s website, www.vetadvocates.org, or embed the link

into the logo. The member may also include NOVA’s tagline “Advocating for Those Who Served.” Please contact the NOVA office if you need a compliant logo.

2) Unless used on the first page of a website with other relevant logos, the name(s) of all qualifying member(s) must be placed next to NOVA’s logo/service mark, followed by the

statement “Sustaining member since [year].

3) If used in an email, it may only be used if the sustaining member has placed it under their own firm or organization signature block and has complied with number 1 above. Under no

circumstances may the logo be used if the sustaining member is not using a signature block identifying their firm or organization.

4) NOVA retains the right to change this policy and to prospectively prohibit the use by its members of NOVA’s name or logo/service mark.

5) Because NOVA has not implemented a certification program, NOVA members are prohibited from representing that they have been trained by NOVA.

6) No member of NOVA will be permitted to utilize NOVA’s name, slogan, or logo/service mark in violation of the Model Rules of Professional Responsibility nor in violation of rules of

ethics or professional responsibility enacted by any state bar association or court, nor in violation of VA’s standards of conduct.

7) Failure to comply with this policy may result in an order to cease and desist using NOVA’s name, slogan, or logo/service mark and/or other disciplinary action in accordance with NOVA’s bylaws.

Updated 8.2023

The document of this policy can be found HERE.

To ensure the best possible experience for all NOVA members, basic guidelines have been established for participation.

By joining and using the NOVA Groups and Document Library, you agree that you have read and will follow the rules and guidelines which follow.

Access to the Groups and Document Library is granted only to members of NOVA and is granted as a single use license. No one who has been granted access to the Groups and Document Library is permitted to allow another person to use their user name or user ID and password to access the NOVA Groups or Document Library.

To preserve a climate that encourages both civil and fruitful dialogue, NOVA reserves the right to suspend or terminate membership on the Groups for members who violate these rules.

Materials contained in the Document Library of the NOVA website are intended solely for general information purposes. While these documents are posted by NOVA, NOVA makes no representation or guarantees of any kind, express or implied, as to the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or availability of materials posted in the Document Library or the information, products, and/or services contained throughout the website for any purpose. The use of materials and information provided anywhere on NOVA’s website is done so strictly at your own risk and NOVA bears no liability, whether financial or otherwise, for its use.

(A) Guidelines

Do not attack others. The discussions are meant to stimulate conversation; not to create contention. Let others have their say, just as you may.

-Do not post commercial messages, except to recommend products or services you have found useful.

-Information posted on the page is available for all NOVA members to see. Comments are subject to libel, slander, and antitrust laws.

-All defamatory, abusive, profane, threatening, offensive, or illegal materials are strictly prohibited.

-You should not post any confidential client identifying information. In sum, you should not post anything that you would not want the world to see or that you would not want anyone to know came from you.

-Please note carefully all items listed in the disclaimer and legal rules below, particularly regarding the copyright ownership of information posted.

-Remember that NOVA members have the right to reproduce postings.

(B) Rules

NOVA Groups are provided as a service by NOVA which is not responsible for the opinions and information posted on this site by others. NOVA disclaims all warranties with regard to information posted on this site, whether posted by NOVA or any third party; this disclaimer includes all implied warranties of merchantability and fitness. In no event shall NOVA be liable for any special, indirect, or consequential damages or any damages whatsoever resulting from loss of use, data, or profits, arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of any information posted on this site. Postings are not permitted to contain any confidential, private, proprietary, defamatory, abusive, profane, threatening, offensive, or illegal materials. Nor are they permitted to contain any information or other material protected by copyright without the permission of the copyright owner. By posting material, the user warrants and represents that he or she owns the copyright with respect to such material or has received permission from the copyright owner. In addition, the user grants NOVA and users of the NOVA Groups the nonexclusive right and license to display, copy, publish, distribute, transmit, print, and use such information or other material.

Discussions and comments are not to be posted if they encourage or facilitate members to arrive at any agreement that either expressly or impliedly leads to price fixing, a boycott of another’s business, or other conduct intended to illegally restrict free trade. Messages that encourage or facilitate an agreement about the following subjects are prohibited: prices, discounts; or terms or conditions of sale; salaries; profits; profit margins, or cost data; market shares, sales territories, or markets; allocation of customers or territories; or selection, rejection, or termination of customers or suppliers.

NOVA does not actively monitor the site for inappropriate postings and does not on its own undertake editorial control of postings. However, in the event that any inappropriate posting is brought to NOVA’s attention, NOVA will take all appropriate action. NOVA reserves the right to terminate access to any user who does not abide by these guidelines.

The document of this policy can be found HERE.