Professional Development

Overview

Free Law Project strongly encourages all employees to pursue professional development opportunities that support their growth and benefit the organization. To that end, each full-time employee receives an annual professional development budget of $2,000 to invest in their learning and career growth.

This budget can be used for conference attendance, courses, books, certifications, and other educational activities described in this policy. The budget resets on January 1 each year and does not roll over.

When using this policy, employees are encouraged to coordinate with their colleagues to share resources and see each other in person if applicable and practical.

Eligibility and Budget

Full-Time Employees

Each full-time employee (1.0 FTE) receives $2,000 per calendar year.

Part-Time Employees

Employees working less than full-time receive a prorated budget based on their scheduled hours. For example, an employee working 30 hours per week (0.75 FTE) would receive $1,500 per year.

Budget Reset

The professional development budget resets on January 1 of each calendar year. Unused funds do not carry over to the following year and cannot be transferred to another employee.

What's Covered

Professional development funds may be used for any of the following:

Conference attendance, including registration fees, travel, lodging, and meals.
Courses and classes relevant to your role or professional growth, including online courses, university classes, workshops, and bootcamps.
Books and subscriptions related to your work or professional development, including e-books, audiobooks, and technical subscriptions.
Certifications and exams, including preparation materials and exam fees.
Memberships in professional organizations relevant to your role.

If you're unsure whether something qualifies, ask your supervisor. We'd rather you ask and learn something new than skip an opportunity because you weren't sure.

Approval Process

Submit the following to your supervisor for approval:

A brief description of the expense and why it would benefit you in your role at FLP.
An estimated total cost, including registration, tuition, travel, lodging, and meals (if applicable).
The dates of the event, including any travel days (if applicable).

Your supervisor will review the request and approve it if the opportunity is a good fit and the cost is within your remaining budget for the year.

We intentionally leave conference and class selection broad. There are no restrictions on specific events—your supervisor is the best judge of whether something is a good use of your professional development budget.

Conference Duration

Conference attendance is limited to ten working days, including travel. For example, that could be two five-day conferences where you travel on the weekend or two three-day conferences where you travel on Monday and Friday for each. Each conference should run no longer than three event days. If a conference runs longer than three days and you'd like to attend additional days, you may use PTO for the extra days. If exceptional circumstances warrant an exception, discuss it with your supervisor and/or the Executive Director in advance.

Speaking Engagements

If you are invited to speak at, present at, or attend a conference, on behalf of Free Law Project, travel expenses may be covered separately from your professional development budget at the discretion of your supervisor or the Executive Director. Please discuss this with your supervisor as early as possible.

Travel

General Principles

Employees are expected to be cost-conscious when traveling for professional development. Book economy-class flights, choose reasonably-priced hotels, and be sensible about meals and other expenses.

Meals and Incidentals

Meal and incidental expenses during conference travel are reimbursed according to the GSA per diem rates for the destination city. As of this writing, the standard rate for meals and incidentals within the continental U.S. is $68/day, though rates vary by location and can be higher in major cities.

When per diem rates are available, you do not need to submit individual meal receipts. Simply claim the per diem rate for each day of travel.

Lodging

Lodging is reimbursed at actual cost. We expect employees to book reasonably-priced accommodations. Conference hotel blocks often offer good rates and the convenience of being on-site—these are generally a fine choice. If a conference hotel is unusually expensive, look for alternatives nearby.

Flights

Employees should book economy-class tickets and book as far in advance as is practical to get the best fares. Frequent flyer miles and rewards earned from work travel belong to the employee.

Driving vs. Flying

If your destination is within approximately 300 miles (roughly a five-hour drive), driving is generally preferred over flying, as it is typically less expensive when factoring in airport transit time, baggage, and ground transportation at the destination. Mileage for driving a personal vehicle will be reimbursed at the current IRS mileage rate.

If your destination is beyond 300 miles, flying is generally more practical. If you prefer to drive a longer distance for personal reasons, you may do so, but reimbursement will be capped at the lesser of your actual mileage cost or the cost of a comparable economy-class flight.

Rental Cars

Rental cars may be used when they are the most practical option for reaching your destination or getting around at the conference. Choose economy or mid-size vehicles.

Ground Transportation

Reasonable ground transportation expenses (rideshare, taxi, public transit, airport parking) to and from airports, train stations, and conference venues are reimbursable.

Filing Reimbursements

All professional development expenses follow the same reimbursement process as other work expenses. Submit your reimbursement request through Gusto as soon as you incur the expenses. Include receipts for all expenses except per diem meals. Your supervisor will review and approve the request.

If you are not paid through Gusto, submit a reimbursement request via email to the Operations Manager (operations@free.law) with copies of your receipts and a short explanation.

Planning Ahead

Professional development works best when it's intentional. We encourage you to think about your development goals at the start of each year—after your annual performance review is a great time for this. Discuss potential conferences, courses, or other opportunities with your supervisor so you can plan your budget and schedule accordingly.

There is no requirement to use your full budget, and no penalty for not using it. But we encourage you to take advantage of this benefit. Investing in your growth makes you better at your work and helps Free Law Project fulfill its mission.