Terms of Service

Last updated: June 2, 2026

Important: VeriLex provides legal information — not legal advice. Using VeriLex does not create an attorney-client relationship. Always consult a licensed attorney for advice about your specific situation.

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using VeriLex at verilex.org, you agree to these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, please do not use the service. These terms may be updated from time to time; continued use after changes are posted constitutes acceptance.

2. Legal Information, Not Legal Advice

VeriLex provides legal information — not legal advice. These are meaningfully different:

Legal information explains what a law or legal document generally says. VeriLex does this.
Legal advice applies the law to your specific facts and circumstances, assesses your options, and recommends a course of action. Only a licensed attorney can do this.

VeriLex is designed to help you understand what a document says and what laws may be relevant — not to tell you what to do. Nothing in any VeriLex analysis constitutes legal advice, and nothing should be relied upon as a substitute for consultation with a licensed attorney.

For advice specific to your situation, consult a licensed attorney. Free legal aid is available in most states — visit lsc.gov/find-legal-aid or lawhelp.org.

3. No Attorney-Client Relationship

Use of VeriLex does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and VeriLex, its operator (Tera Chen), or any other person or entity. No communication through VeriLex is privileged. VeriLex is not a law firm and is not authorized to practice law.

4. AI Accuracy — Verify Before Acting

VeriLex uses AI technology (Claude, by Anthropic) to analyze documents. AI can and does make mistakes. Specifically, you should be aware that:

Statute citations may be inaccurate, incomplete, or out of date
Case law citations may contain errors, misattributions, or may not exist
Legal summaries may miss important nuance or jurisdiction-specific rules
Analysis may not account for recent changes in the law
Important facts specific to your situation may affect the analysis in ways the AI cannot know

Always verify statute citations against official sources before relying on them — for example, leginfo.legislature.ca.gov for California law or law.cornell.edu for federal law. Laws change, and citations that were correct at the time of training may have since been amended.

5. No Warranty

VeriLex is provided "as is" and "as available," without any warranty of any kind, express or implied. To the fullest extent permitted by law, VeriLex and its operator make no representations or warranties regarding:

The accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any analysis or citation
The fitness of the service for any particular purpose
The continued availability or uninterrupted operation of the service

6. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Tera Chen and VeriLex shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from:

Your use of or reliance on any VeriLex analysis or legal citation
Any inaccuracy in AI-generated content
Any interruption, suspension, or termination of the service

This limitation applies regardless of the theory of liability (contract, tort, negligence, or otherwise) and even if VeriLex has been advised of the possibility of such damages. Your sole remedy for dissatisfaction with the service is to stop using it.

7. Acceptable Use

You agree not to use VeriLex to:

Violate any applicable law or regulation
Submit documents or text containing fabricated information with the intent to generate misleading legal analysis
Attempt to access, probe, or test the security of the service without authorization
Scrape, crawl, or make automated requests that place unreasonable load on the service
Attempt to circumvent rate limits, usage restrictions, or security features

8. No Endorsement

VeriLex has not been reviewed, certified, or endorsed by any bar association, state law licensing authority, legal aid organization, or regulatory body unless explicitly stated in writing. References to organizations (e.g., EBCLC, ILRC, Pro Bono Net) are provided as resources and do not imply any affiliation or endorsement by those organizations.

9. Service Availability

VeriLex is a free service operated by an individual. We make no guarantees of continuous availability, uptime, or data retention. The service may be modified, suspended, or discontinued at any time without prior notice. VeriLex is not a substitute for emergency legal help — if you have an urgent legal matter, contact a licensed attorney or legal aid organization immediately.

10. Third-Party Links and Resources

VeriLex may link to third-party websites and legal resources. These links are provided for convenience only. VeriLex has no control over and assumes no responsibility for the content, accuracy, or availability of third-party sites.

11. Governing Law

These Terms of Service are governed by the laws of the State of California, United States, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any disputes arising under these terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located in Alameda County, California.

12. Contact

Questions about these terms: terachen@berkeley.edu