Terms of Service

Effective Date: February 1, 2026

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using the 4thePPL website ("Site"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to all of these Terms, you must not access or use the Site. Your continued use of the Site following the posting of any changes to these Terms constitutes acceptance of those changes.

These Terms apply to all visitors, users, and anyone who accesses or uses the Site. We recommend that you review these Terms periodically, as they may be updated from time to time.

2. Description of Service

4thePPL is a free legal education platform designed to help everyday people understand their legal rights, navigate common legal situations, and access publicly available legal information. Our services include, but are not limited to:

• Educational guides on legal topics such as civil rights, immigration, disability rights, elder law, debt, and record expungement
• Directories of legal aid organizations and resources for finding an attorney
• Court preparation materials and explanations of how the legal system works
• Legal document templates for common situations
• A glossary of legal terminology written in plain language
• Voter information and civic engagement resources
• Tracking of legislation and bills at the federal and state level

All content on 4thePPL is provided free of charge. We do not charge fees, require subscriptions, or place content behind paywalls. Our mission is to make legal knowledge accessible to everyone.

3. Not Legal Advice

IMPORTANT: 4thePPL provides legal education and general information only. Nothing on this Site constitutes legal advice, and no attorney-client relationship is created between you and 4thePPL by your use of this Site.

The information provided on 4thePPL is intended to help you understand general legal concepts and your rights. However, every legal situation is unique, and the law varies by jurisdiction and changes over time. The content on this Site:

• Is not a substitute for the advice of a qualified attorney. If you have a specific legal problem, question, or dispute, you should consult with a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction.
• Should not be relied upon to make legal decisions. While we strive to keep our content accurate and up to date, we cannot guarantee that all information reflects the most current legal developments.
• Does not create an attorney-client relationship. 4thePPL is not a law firm, does not employ attorneys for the purpose of providing legal counsel to users, and does not provide legal representation.
• May not apply to your specific circumstances. General legal information cannot account for the particular facts, circumstances, and applicable laws relevant to your individual situation.

If you need legal assistance, we encourage you to visit our Legal Aid page or use our Find a Lawyer tool to connect with qualified legal professionals in your area.

4. Use of the Service

4.1 Permitted Uses

You are welcome to use 4thePPL for the following purposes:

• Learning about your legal rights and the legal system
• Accessing legal education materials for personal or community use
• Sharing links to our content with others who may benefit from it
• Using our templates and guides to prepare for legal situations
• Referencing our glossary and educational resources for research or study

4.2 Prohibited Uses

You agree not to use the Site in any way that:

• Violates any applicable federal, state, local, or international law or regulation
• Misrepresents 4thePPL content as professional legal advice or counsel
• Involves scraping, data mining, or automated extraction of content for commercial purposes without prior written consent
• Attempts to interfere with, compromise, or disrupt the Site's infrastructure, security, or availability
• Introduces malware, viruses, or other harmful code to the Site
• Impersonates 4thePPL, its contributors, or any other person or entity
• Uses the Site to harass, abuse, or harm another person or group
• Reproduces, redistributes, or republishes substantial portions of the Site's content for commercial gain without attribution and permission

We reserve the right to restrict or terminate access to the Site for any user who violates these Terms.

5. Intellectual Property

All content on 4thePPL, including but not limited to text, graphics, logos, icons, images, audio, video, software, and the compilation thereof, is the property of 4thePPL or its content contributors and is protected by United States and international copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.

5.1 Fair Use and Sharing

We believe in the free flow of legal knowledge. You may:

• Share links to any page on 4thePPL freely
• Quote brief excerpts from our content for educational, journalistic, or non-commercial purposes, provided you give proper attribution to 4thePPL and include a link to the original content
• Print copies of our guides and materials for personal, non-commercial use

5.2 Restrictions

You may not:

• Reproduce, distribute, or republish substantial portions of our content without prior written permission
• Use the 4thePPL name, logo, or branding in a way that implies endorsement or affiliation without authorization
• Remove or alter any copyright, trademark, or other proprietary notices from our content
• Create derivative works based on our content for commercial purposes without permission

6. User-Generated Content

4thePPL may offer features that allow you to save notes, bookmarks, preferences, or other personalized content. Please be aware of the following:

• Local Storage: Any notes, bookmarks, or personal data you create using 4thePPL features are stored locally on your device using your browser's local storage or similar client-side technologies. This data is not transmitted to or stored on our servers.
• Your Responsibility: You are solely responsible for the content of any notes or data you create. Because this data is stored on your device, clearing your browser data or switching devices will result in the loss of this information.
• No Backup: 4thePPL does not back up, sync, or recover locally stored user data. We recommend that you independently save any important notes or information you create.

7. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE SITE AND ALL CONTENT, MATERIALS, INFORMATION, AND SERVICES PROVIDED ON THE SITE ARE PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED.

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, 4thePPL disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including but not limited to:

• Implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement
• Warranties that the Site will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free
• Warranties that the information provided on the Site is accurate, complete, reliable, current, or free of errors
• Warranties that defects in the Site will be corrected

Legal information is subject to change, and the applicability of any information to your specific situation depends on facts and circumstances that 4thePPL cannot evaluate. You use the Site and rely on its content at your own risk.

8. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL 4THEPPL, ITS FOUNDERS, CONTRIBUTORS, AFFILIATES, OR PARTNERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

• Loss of profits, data, use, goodwill, or other intangible losses
• Damages resulting from your access to, use of, or inability to access or use the Site
• Damages resulting from any content, information, or materials obtained from the Site
• Damages resulting from unauthorized access to or alteration of your data
• Damages resulting from any actions taken or not taken based on the information provided on the Site

This limitation applies regardless of the legal theory on which the claim is based, whether or not 4thePPL has been advised of the possibility of such damages, and even if a remedy set forth herein is found to have failed its essential purpose.

Because 4thePPL is a free service, you acknowledge that our total aggregate liability to you for any and all claims arising from your use of the Site shall not exceed the amount you have paid to 4thePPL, which is zero dollars ($0.00).

9. Third-Party Links

The Site may contain links to third-party websites, services, and resources, including but not limited to government agencies, legal aid organizations, law firm directories, and legislative tracking tools. These links are provided for your convenience and informational purposes only.

4thePPL does not:

• Control or endorse the content, accuracy, or practices of any third-party websites
• Guarantee the availability, reliability, or security of any linked external resources
• Accept responsibility or liability for any damages or losses caused by your use of third-party websites or services

We encourage you to review the terms of service and privacy policies of any third-party websites you visit through links on our Site. Your interactions with third-party websites are solely between you and that third party.

10. Changes to Terms

4thePPL reserves the right to modify, update, or replace these Terms at any time at our sole discretion. When we make changes, we will update the "Effective Date" at the top of this page.

We may also notify users of significant changes through a notice on the Site's homepage or through other reasonable means. However, it is your responsibility to review these Terms periodically for any updates.

Your continued use of the Site after any changes to these Terms constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms. If you do not agree to the updated Terms, you must stop using the Site.

11. Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the United States, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any disputes arising out of or relating to these Terms or your use of the Site shall be resolved in accordance with applicable federal and state law.

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, that provision shall be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary so that the remaining provisions of these Terms remain in full force and effect.

12. Contact Information

If you have any questions, concerns, or feedback about these Terms of Service, please reach out to us through our Contact page.

We are committed to transparency and will do our best to respond to all inquiries in a timely manner.