Effective Date: As approved by the Board of Trustees  |  Last Updated: 01.10.2026

1. Introduction and Acceptance

Welcome to Advocate Council of India (ACI).

These Terms and Conditions govern access to and use of the website https://advocatecouncilofindia.org/, its membership programmes, online learning platform, courses, events, job and internship portal, affiliate programme, Legal Relief Portal, digital resources and other services made available by ACI.

By accessing the website, creating an account, applying for membership, purchasing a course or service, or otherwise using the platform, you agree to comply with these Terms and Conditions and the applicable policies published on the website.

If you do not agree with these Terms and Conditions, please discontinue use of the relevant services.

2. Institutional Identity and Status

Advocate Council of India is an independent public charitable trust established to promote legal education, professional development, legal literacy, research, training and initiatives supporting access to justice.

ACI describes its educational initiative as India’s Digital National Legal Academy. This is institutional branding and does not imply that ACI is a statutory authority.

ACI is not the Bar Council of India, any State Bar Council, a court, a government department or a university. ACI does not exercise statutory regulatory powers over advocates, grant enrolment licences, or independently confer statutory qualifications.

Membership of ACI does not constitute enrolment with a Bar Council and does not authorise any person to practise law.

3. Eligibility and User Accounts

3.1 Users must provide accurate, current and complete information when registering or applying for services.

3.2 Users must ordinarily be at least 18 years old to independently create an account, enter into a paid service agreement or participate in programmes requiring contractual capacity. Any programme for younger participants must be subject to appropriate parental or guardian consent and applicable law.

3.3 Each user is responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of their login credentials and for activity conducted through their account.

3.4 Accounts and membership benefits are personal unless ACI expressly permits an institutional or group account.

3.5 Users must promptly notify ACI if they suspect unauthorised access, misuse or compromise of their account.

3.6 ACI may request reasonable identity, educational, professional or institutional verification where necessary for membership, instructor approval, job listings, certificates or other platform functions.

3.7 ACI may suspend or restrict an account where there is credible evidence of fraud, impersonation, misuse, a security risk or a material breach of these Terms, subject to applicable law and a fair review process where appropriate.

4. Membership Programmes

4.1 ACI may offer student, professional, corporate, honorary or other membership categories as announced on the website.

4.2 The eligibility requirements, membership fees, duration, benefits, renewal conditions and limitations applicable to each category will be those disclosed at the time of application or payment.

4.3 Membership applications may be subject to verification and approval. Payment alone does not guarantee approval where verification or eligibility requirements remain unsatisfied.

4.4 Membership benefits may include access to learning resources, webinars, mentorship initiatives, virtual chambers, professional networking, job and internship listings, legal literacy activities and other facilities specified for the relevant category.

4.5 Membership does not guarantee clients, case assignments, employment, internships, income, professional recognition, selection, referrals or any other particular result.

4.6 Members must not misrepresent their membership as a government appointment, statutory accreditation, Bar Council approval or professional licence.

4.7 ACI may revise membership facilities or programme arrangements for legitimate operational or compliance reasons. Material changes affecting paid benefits will be handled in accordance with the applicable membership terms and law.

5. Courses, Training and Educational Content

5.1 ACI may provide online courses, recorded lectures, live sessions, study materials, workshops, assessments, certificates and other educational services.

5.2 Course descriptions, fees, duration, curriculum, instructor information, access period and certificate conditions will be specified on the relevant course page or purchase screen.

5.3 Course access is intended for the registered purchaser and is non-transferable unless expressly authorised by ACI.

5.4 Users must not share login credentials, reproduce course materials for unauthorised distribution, upload course content to third-party platforms, sell access or commercially exploit protected content without permission.

5.5 Certificates may be issued upon satisfaction of the stated completion, attendance or assessment requirements. ACI may verify eligibility before issuing or correcting a certificate.

5.6 Unless expressly stated and legally recognised by a competent authority, an ACI certificate records participation in or completion of a programme. It does not by itself confer a statutory qualification, university degree, professional licence, Bar Council enrolment or entitlement to practise law.

5.7 ACI may update course content, instructors, delivery methods or schedules where reasonably necessary. Where a material change affects a paid programme, ACI will address the matter under the applicable course terms and Refund Policy.

6. Payments, Fees, Taxes and Refunds

6.1 Fees and payment conditions will be displayed on the relevant membership, course, event or service page before the user completes the transaction.

6.2 Payments must be made through payment methods authorised by ACI. Users must not attempt fraudulent, unauthorised or deceptive transactions.

6.3 Applicable taxes, if any, will be handled in accordance with the displayed price and applicable law.

6.4 Refunds, cancellations, duplicate payments, failed transactions and other payment-related requests are governed by ACI’s separate Refund, Cancellation and Payment Policy, available at:

https://advocatecouncilofindia.org/refund-policy/

6.5 Nothing in these Terms creates a blanket exclusion of refunds or remedies that are required under applicable law.

6.6 ACI may revise prices for future purchases. A price change will not, by itself, alter the amount already paid for a completed purchase, subject to the applicable terms and law.

7. Instructor and Course Contributor Arrangements

7.1 Eligible professionals, instructors and other approved contributors may be permitted to publish courses, educational materials or training programmes through ACI.

7.2 Contributors must provide accurate information about their qualifications, experience, course content, permissions and any relevant professional affiliations.

7.3 Publication of a course or resource is subject to ACI’s approval and applicable content, quality, legal and technical requirements.

7.4 Where an instructor or contributor receives a revenue share, commission or other payment, the applicable rate, calculation method, deductions, payment schedule, tax responsibilities and related conditions must be governed by the relevant written agreement or published programme terms.

7.5 Contributors must not upload material that infringes copyright, confidentiality, privacy, professional duties or other legal rights.

7.6 ACI may suspend or remove content that is unlawful, misleading, infringing, unsafe or inconsistent with its educational objectives or policies.

8. Affiliate and Promotional Programme

8.1 ACI may operate an affiliate programme under which approved participants promote eligible memberships, courses or other authorised products and services.

8.2 Participation is subject to ACI’s separate Affiliate Terms of Use, available on the website.

8.3 Affiliates must disclose promotional relationships where required by law and must not use misleading claims, fabricated testimonials, spam, impersonation, unauthorised discounts or deceptive advertising.

8.4 Affiliates must not promise guaranteed income, employment, clients, legal outcomes, government recognition or other benefits that ACI has not expressly authorised and cannot substantiate.

8.5 Affiliate commissions may be paid only for eligible transactions under the applicable programme terms. Fraudulent, cancelled, refunded, self-referred or otherwise ineligible transactions may be excluded in accordance with those terms.

8.6 No affiliate or member is authorised under the ACI programme to receive commission for procuring legal clients, selling legal-client referrals or sharing an advocate’s professional fees through ACI.

Any legal assistance must be handled separately and consistently with applicable law and professional-conduct requirements.

9. Job and Internship Portal

9.1 ACI may publish job openings, internships, fellowships, volunteering opportunities and other professional listings submitted by organisations, institutions or individuals.

9.2 Unless expressly stated otherwise, ACI acts as a platform or facilitator for such listings and does not guarantee that every listing will result in an interview, appointment, internship or employment.

9.3 Users should independently verify the identity of the advertiser, the authenticity of the opportunity, eligibility criteria and any requested payment or documentation before proceeding.

9.4 Employers and opportunity providers must submit accurate information and must not publish fraudulent, discriminatory, unlawful or misleading listings.

9.5 ACI may request verification, decline a listing, remove an opportunity or restrict an account where there are reasonable concerns about authenticity, legality, safety or compliance.

9.6 Users must not use the job portal to solicit unlawful payments, collect unnecessary sensitive information, impersonate an employer or misrepresent a job opportunity.

10. Legal Relief Portal and Access-to-Justice Initiatives

10.1 ACI may provide forms, information channels or other facilities through which members of the public can describe legal difficulties and request information or assistance.

10.2 Submission of a form does not automatically create an advocate-client relationship, establish an entitlement to representation or guarantee that a matter will be accepted.

10.3 Any screening, information-sharing, eligibility assessment or referral-related assistance is subject to the availability of resources, verification, conflict considerations, applicable law and ACI’s published procedures.

10.4 Where an independent advocate or other professional is engaged, the terms of that engagement, including professional fees and scope of work, must be agreed separately between the relevant parties.

10.5 ACI does not guarantee that a complaint will succeed, a case will be filed, a hearing will take place by a particular date, or any particular legal outcome will be achieved.

10.6 ACI will not operate its Legal Relief Portal as a mechanism for selling legal clients, charging commissions on advocates’ professional fees or guaranteeing case assignments.

10.7 Users must not submit fabricated evidence, knowingly false allegations, unnecessary third-party personal information or documents they are not authorised to disclose.

10.8 Users should not delay urgent legal action, statutory filings or court deadlines merely because they have submitted a request through ACI.

11. User-Generated Content, Blogs and Publications

11.1 Users may be permitted to publish blogs, articles, comments, educational resources or other content through the website.

11.2 Users retain ownership of original content they create, subject to any separate written agreement and the rights of third parties.

11.3 By submitting content for publication, the user grants ACI a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to host, display, reproduce, format and distribute that content for operating, promoting and administering the relevant ACI service, subject to applicable law and the user’s rights.

11.4 Users confirm that they have the necessary rights and permissions to submit the content.

11.5 Content must not contain unlawful material, defamatory statements, threats, harassment, discriminatory abuse, fraudulent claims, confidential information disclosed without authority or material infringing intellectual property rights.

11.6 ACI may moderate, restrict or remove content where reasonably necessary to enforce these Terms, protect users, comply with law or maintain the integrity of the platform.

11.7 Publication of user-generated content does not necessarily mean that ACI endorses its accuracy, legality or opinions.

12. Intellectual Property

12.1 Unless otherwise indicated, the ACI name, branding, logos, website design, original educational materials, publications, videos, text, graphics and other platform content are owned by ACI or used under permission or licence.

12.2 Users may access and use content for their personal learning or other expressly permitted purposes.

12.3 No person may reproduce, distribute, sell, modify, commercially exploit or publicly communicate protected ACI content without prior written permission, except where permitted by law.

12.4 Users must not use ACI’s name, logo or branding in a way that falsely suggests endorsement, employment, official appointment, statutory affiliation or authorisation.

12.5 Any third-party trademarks, logos and materials remain the property of their respective owners.

13. Events, Workshops and Collaborations

13.1 Registration for an event may be subject to eligibility criteria, capacity limits, payment requirements and event-specific conditions.

13.2 ACI may make reasonable changes to schedules, speakers, formats, venues or delivery methods where operationally necessary.

13.3 Cancellation and refund requests will be handled in accordance with the event-specific conditions and the Refund Policy.

13.4 Participants must comply with event instructions, safety requirements and respectful-conduct standards.

13.5 Certificates, participation records or other benefits will be issued only where the relevant event terms and eligibility requirements are satisfied.

13.6 Any institutional collaboration, sponsorship, faculty engagement or commercial arrangement may be subject to a separate written agreement.

14. Privacy and Data Protection

14.1 ACI may collect and process information required to operate user accounts, verify membership, deliver courses, administer payments, manage applications, respond to grievances and maintain platform security.

14.2 Personal information will be handled in accordance with ACI’s Privacy Policy and applicable law.

14.3 Users must ensure that information submitted by them is accurate and that they have the authority to provide any third-party information included in their submissions.

14.4 ACI may use authorised service providers, payment gateways and technology partners where reasonably necessary to deliver its services, subject to applicable legal and contractual safeguards.

14.5 Users should avoid uploading sensitive personal information or confidential legal documents unless necessary for the relevant service and through an appropriate channel.

15. Prohibited Conduct

Users must not:

• Provide false identities, forged credentials or misleading information.
• Commit fraud or attempt unauthorised access to accounts, systems or data.
• Distribute malware, conduct cyberattacks or interfere with website operations.
• Harass, threaten, impersonate or unlawfully discriminate against others.
• Infringe intellectual property, privacy, confidentiality or other legal rights.
• Publish fraudulent jobs, misleading courses or deceptive promotional claims.
• Misuse membership, certificates, affiliate links or ACI branding.
• Attempt to manipulate transactions, commissions, reviews, assessments or platform records.
• Use ACI’s services for any unlawful purpose.
• Sell legal-client referrals, promise legal outcomes or engage in unauthorised fee-sharing through ACI.

ACI may take proportionate action in response to suspected violations, including content removal, suspension, termination, recovery of losses where legally permissible or referral to the appropriate authority where required by law.

16. Third-Party Websites and Services

The website may contain links to external websites, payment gateways, learning tools, job providers or other third-party services.

Such services may be governed by their own terms and privacy policies. ACI does not control every third-party website or independently guarantee the accuracy, availability or security of its content.

Users should review the relevant third-party terms before proceeding. Nothing in this clause excludes responsibility that cannot lawfully be excluded.

17. Website Availability and Technical Issues

ACI endeavours to maintain the website and its services but does not guarantee uninterrupted or error-free operation.

Access may be temporarily affected by maintenance, upgrades, connectivity issues, hosting failures, cybersecurity incidents or circumstances beyond ACI’s reasonable control.

ACI will take reasonable steps to address material technical issues affecting paid services. Applicable payment, refund and consumer rights remain unaffected.

18. Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability

18.1 Website information and educational materials are provided for their stated informational, educational or institutional purposes. They should not automatically be treated as advice tailored to an individual legal matter.

18.2 Users remain responsible for assessing whether information is appropriate to their circumstances and for obtaining independent professional advice where necessary.

18.3 To the extent permitted by law, ACI is not responsible for losses caused by inaccurate third-party listings, a user’s unauthorised disclosure of credentials, misuse of user-generated content by others or events beyond ACI’s reasonable control.

18.4 Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability for fraud, wilful misconduct, negligence or any other matter where exclusion or limitation is prohibited by applicable law.

18.5 Nothing in these Terms restricts any non-waivable consumer right, statutory remedy or right to approach a competent court, commission or authority.

19. Suspension and Termination

19.1 ACI may suspend or terminate access to a service where there is a material breach of these Terms, fraudulent activity, unlawful conduct, a serious security risk or another legitimate reason.

19.2 Where reasonably practicable, ACI may provide notice and an opportunity to respond before taking material adverse action, except where immediate action is necessary for safety, security, legal compliance or prevention of harm.

19.3 Termination does not automatically extinguish rights or obligations that accrued before termination.

19.4 Any refund following suspension, cancellation or termination will be determined under the applicable service terms, the Refund Policy and applicable law.

20. Amendments to These Terms

ACI may update these Terms to reflect changes in its services, technology, governance, operational requirements or applicable law.

The revised version will be published on the website with an updated date. Users should periodically review the Terms. Where a material change requires notice or consent under applicable law, ACI will take the appropriate steps.

Continued use of a service after a valid update may constitute acceptance where legally permissible. ACI will not use this clause to remove rights that cannot lawfully be waived or to retroactively alter a completed transaction contrary to applicable law.

21. Grievance Redressal and Contact

Users may submit complaints concerning account access, payments, memberships, courses, content, job listings, data handling or other ACI services through the contact details below.

Institution: Advocate Council of India (ACI)

Address: 6/C, Aftab Mosque Lane, Gopal Nagar, Alipore, Kolkata, West Bengal – 700027, India

Email: writeus.advocatecouncilofindia@gmail.com

Website: https://advocatecouncilofindia.org/

Designated Grievance Officer: Subrata Mondal

Grievance contact details: 8282943322

Please provide your name, contact details, relevant account or transaction reference and a clear description of the issue. ACI will acknowledge and address grievances in accordance with its applicable procedure and legal obligations.

22. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms are governed by the laws of India.

Subject to applicable law and the jurisdiction of competent statutory bodies, courts and consumer commissions, disputes arising from these Terms may be brought before the competent courts at Kolkata where such jurisdiction lawfully exists.

Nothing in this clause prevents a user from exercising a statutory right to approach another forum that has jurisdiction under applicable law.

23. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found invalid, unlawful or unenforceable by a competent authority, the remaining provisions will continue to operate to the extent legally permissible.

24. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with the applicable Refund Policy, Privacy Policy, Membership Rules, Affiliate Terms, course-specific conditions and event-specific terms, govern the relevant use of ACI’s services.

Where a separate written agreement applies to a particular service or collaboration, the documents will be read together. In the event of inconsistency, the specific agreement will govern that matter to the extent stated in it and permitted by law.

Issued by: Advocate Council of India Trust

For: Website users, members, learners, instructors, affiliates, contributors and other users of ACI services.

These Terms together with the Governance, Rules & Regulations and Conditions should be read