Legal
Effective Date: June 1, 2025 · Last Updated: June 1, 2025
These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the website located at thedeanondemand.com and any consulting services provided by The Dean On Demand, operated by Dr. Justin T. Bernstine in Washington, DC ("we," "us," or "our").
By accessing our website, submitting an inquiry, or entering into a service agreement with us, you affirm that you are at least 18 years of age, have read and understood these Terms, and agree to be bound by them. If you are acting on behalf of a family or organization, you represent that you have authority to bind that party to these Terms.
These Terms are governed by the laws of the District of Columbia, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.
The Dean On Demand provides private, fee-based college consulting and advisory services to families, including but not limited to:
All services are provided by Dr. Justin T. Bernstine or under his direct supervision. Specific scope, deliverables, and fee arrangements are set forth in individual engagement agreements or letters of engagement.
Our services constitute independent educational consulting and advisory services. We do not represent, act as agents of, or have formal affiliation with any college, university, or educational institution. Advice provided does not constitute legal, medical, psychological, or financial advice.
Formal consulting engagements are established through a written engagement agreement or letter of engagement, which sets forth the specific scope of services, fees, payment schedule, and duration. These Terms are incorporated by reference into all such agreements.
Consulting fees are as agreed in your individual engagement agreement. Fees are due in accordance with the payment schedule set forth therein. We reserve the right to suspend services for accounts that are past due.
Due to the personalized, time-intensive nature of our consulting services, fees paid are generally non-refundable unless otherwise specified in your engagement agreement. If a service cannot be delivered due to circumstances within our control, we will work with you to arrange a mutually acceptable resolution, which may include a credit or partial refund at our discretion.
Crisis Consultation services involve priority access and rapid response, and are priced at a premium rate as set forth in any applicable engagement agreement or communicated at the time of the inquiry. Initiating a crisis consultation constitutes acceptance of the applicable premium fee.
We take client confidentiality extremely seriously. All information you share with us — including information about your student's academic standing, disciplinary history, health, personal circumstances, or family situation — is treated as strictly confidential.
We will not disclose your confidential information to any third party without your express written consent, except as required by law, court order, or to protect the immediate safety of an individual.
You agree to treat any materials, strategies, or proprietary methods we share with you as confidential and not to disclose them to third parties without our written consent.
Our services are designed to provide the most informed, strategic, and effective counsel possible. However, no consulting relationship can guarantee results, and past experience does not guarantee future outcomes in any specific case.
All content on our website — including text, design, graphics, logos, the coat of arms mark, and the overall visual identity — is the proprietary intellectual property of The Dean On Demand and is protected under applicable copyright and trademark law.
You may not reproduce, distribute, modify, transmit, or use any content from our website for commercial purposes without our express written permission. Limited personal, non-commercial use for informational purposes is permitted provided that attribution is maintained.
Any materials, frameworks, or tools we develop specifically for your engagement remain our intellectual property unless otherwise agreed in writing.
By using our website, you agree that you will not:
We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason at any time and to terminate access to our website for violations of these Terms.
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, The Dean On Demand and Dr. Justin T. Bernstine shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising out of or relating to your use of our website or services, including but not limited to loss of revenue, loss of opportunity, or any outcome resulting from a college or university's decision.
Our total liability for any claim arising from our services shall not exceed the total fees paid by you for the specific service at issue in the three months preceding the claim.
Nothing in these Terms shall limit or exclude liability for fraud, gross negligence, or willful misconduct, or any other liability that cannot be limited under the laws of the District of Columbia.
Our website and services are provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement.
We do not warrant that our website will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of viruses or other harmful components. We do not warrant the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any content on our website.
These Terms and any disputes arising hereunder shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the District of Columbia, without regard to conflict of law principles.
Any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or our services that cannot be resolved through good-faith negotiation shall be submitted to binding arbitration in Washington, DC in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association, except that either party may seek injunctive or other equitable relief in any court of competent jurisdiction.
You agree that any dispute resolution proceedings shall be conducted on an individual basis only and not as part of a class, consolidated, or representative action.
Nothing in these Terms limits your rights under the DC Consumer Protection Procedures Act (CPPA), D.C. Code § 28-3901 et seq., including your right to file a complaint with the DC Attorney General's Office of Consumer Protection.
Either party may terminate a consulting engagement upon written notice, subject to any terms set forth in the applicable engagement agreement regarding notice periods, fees for services rendered, and return of materials.
We reserve the right to terminate or suspend access to our website or services immediately, without notice, for any violation of these Terms or for any other reason at our sole discretion.
Sections relating to confidentiality, intellectual property, limitation of liability, and dispute resolution shall survive any termination of these Terms or an engagement agreement.
We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. Your continued use of our website or services following any changes constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.
If you have an active engagement agreement with us, changes to these Terms will not materially alter the terms of that engagement without written notice and mutual agreement.
For questions about these Terms of Service or to report a concern, please contact us:
Consumer complaints may also be directed to the DC Office of the Attorney General — Consumer Protection Division at oag.dc.gov or by calling (202) 442-9828.