- v1.5.0, 2024-09-17 - Update reimbursement process to use Gusto
- v1.4.4, 2024-03-03 - Add PTO accrual table
- v1.4.3, 2024-02-26 - Add details to PTO policy
- v1.4.2, 2023-06-18 - Add/clarify mileage reimbursement
- v1.4.1, 2022-04-14 - Note max PTO time
- v1.4.0, 2022-04-13 - Add referral bonus
- v1.3.0, 2021-11-10 - Switch to Gusto for tracking sick and PTO time
- v1.2.0, 2021-10-12 - Add security sections
- v1.1.0, 2020-06-15 — Remove Columbus Day, add Indigenous Peoples' Day and Juneteenth.
- v1.0.2, 2020-06-01 — Staff update
- v1.0.1, 2019-12-05 — Adds link to the leave policy section for logging leave.
- v1.0, 2019-09-30 — Final version approved by board, without changes since 0.99 version.
- v0.99, 2019-09-22 — Updates following legal review, and once again proposed to the board. Again, this version is not yet applicable to any employee, and remains open to suggestions and corrections.
- v0.9.3, 2019-07-08 - All policies updated and reviewed by @mlissner and proposed to board. This version is not yet applicable to any employee, but is open to suggestions and corrections.
- v0.9, 2019-07-01 - A copy from https://github.com/opengovfoundation/hr-manual
This handbook aims to memorialize the policies, goals, and culture of Free Law Project. All volunteers are asked to agree to this policy, and all employees must agree to it as a term of their employment contract.
We aim to be an inclusive, diverse, safe, and productive organization that improves the justice system in the United States.
The short version of our mission is:
To make the legal system more competitive, fair, and efficient.
The long, official, IRS-approved version of our mission is:
- To provide free, public, and permanent access to primary legal materials on the Internet for educational, charitable, and scientific purposes to the benefit of the general public and the public interest;
- To develop, implement, and provide public access to technologies useful for legal research;
- To create an open ecosystem for legal research and materials;
- To support academic research on related technologies, corpora, and legal systems; and
- To carry on other charitable activities associated with these purposes, including, but not limited to, publications, meetings, conferences, trainings, educational seminars, and the issuance of grants and other financial support to educational institutions, foundations, and other organizations exclusively for educational, charitable, and scientific purposes as allowed by law.
The genesis of Free Law Project was a small idea lobbed by Brian Carver while he was a professor at UC Berkeley School of Information, and I was a student in the graduate program there. One of the things I had to do to graduate was a big final project, and as I was fishing around for ideas, Brian suggested that somebody make an alert system for circuit court opinions. I took the idea and ran with it, building the first version of CourtListener. It had crawlers for all circuit courts and SCOTUS, and it would send alerts to users based on their interests.
From there, things grew steadily:
- We had a database of opinions we were collecting. Why not add opinions from other sources?
- If we had all these opinions, why not launch the first-ever API for them?
- The RECAP Project, originally started at Princeton's Center for Information Technology Policy, looked like it needed a new maintainer. What if we took over?
- Circuit Courts were doing a lousy job posting and hosting their oral argument recordings. Could we do better?
- There was no open database of judges and their campaign finance contributions. Would Knight Foundation fund us to make one?
Little by little, we added features and built the organization itself. In 2014, Brian and I submitted the paperwork, and the IRS granted us 501(c)(3) status. Free Law Project was officially a non-profit.
We've been growing and expanding ever since.
- Ramiro Blanco, Dev-Ops
- Jessica Frank, User Researcher and PM
- Sergei Hovyadinov, AI Legal Engineer
- Alberto Islas, Developer
- Michael Lissner, Director
- Bill Palin, Developer
- Kevin Ramirez, Developer
- Eduardo Rosendo, Developer
- Gianfranco Rossi, Developer
- Stephanie Taube, User Researcher and PM
- Jenifer Whiston, Philanthropy
- Heliya Izadpanah, 2022 Summer Intern
- Andrea Ekey, 2020 Summer Intern
- Brian Carver
- Michael Lissner
- Ansel Halliburton
- Rebecca Fordon
Our organization adheres to the highest legal and ethical standards applicable in our line of work. The organization's business is conducted in strict observance of both the letter and spirit of all applicable laws and the integrity of each employee is of utmost importance.
In our work, we often work with legal companies, journalists, and academic researchers. Each has distinct confidentiality interests that we must treat with the highest respect. Our reputation and our mission depends on our ability not to disclose our clients confidential information.
Be prepared to be asked if you are working with an organization or if you know what an organization's next product will be. You may be asked by somebody with extensive experience interviewing witnesses. If asked, remember that the person asking you will judge your honesty and that of Free Law Project by how much you disclose. The less you reveal, the more they will trust you with their confidential information in the future. This builds trust, and allows us to further our mission.
Do not disclose confidential client information. This is a critically important element of our work, and any disclosure, even inadvertent, may result in immediately disciplinary action, up to and including your termination.
Employees must not use their positions with the organization for private gain, to advance personal interests or to obtain favors or benefits for themselves, members of their families or any other individuals, corporations, or business entities. Furthermore, employees should avoid situations where a perception of a conflict of interest could be created.
Our conflict of interest and ethics policies can be found on our website:
https://free.law/pdf/policies/005-COI_and_Ethics_policy.pdf
We strive to balance the need for intentionality in our organizational communications with each employee's fundamental free speech rights and the important role of media in our society.
It is our policy that media inquiries directly pertaining to the organization, its employees, products, positions, or related operations be referred to the Executive Director.
We also encourage individual employees to speak to members of the media about any subject matter of their choosing, including any subject matter in which the organization may be involved. We simply ask that you present your views as "personal" and not of the organization (unless authorized to do so).
Administered every other Friday, via direct deposit.
The organization's Executive Director is available to help with any payroll or benefits questions.
All employees are encouraged to enroll in pre-tax Simple IRA retirement plans and 529 college savings plans. Please see our IRA documentation for details on that.
Life insurance and flexible spending accounts for dependent care and health care spending are available upon request.
Any contractor or employee that refers an applicant to the organization is entitled to a $500 referral bonus if that applicant is hired as a new contractor or employee and continues working full time with the organization for a period of 90 days.
Unfortunately, we currently do not offer health, vision, or dental benefits due to the immense complexity of offering them in an organization of our size and geographic distribution. We do, however, adjust salaries to attempt to compensate for this deficiency.
Our organization is committed to a fair, collaborative, and straightforward review of each employee's performance. Each employee will be assessed twice per year.
We are in the process of determining the best way to carry out this commitment and will update this manual when a plan is made.
Annual cost of living increases will be combined with any merit increases. These will be reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors on an annual basis.
Additional raises and bonuses may be considered at other times to account for special circumstances, such as extraordinary performance, a change in position and/or an increase in responsibilities.
All expenses must be pre-approved. Pre-approved, work-related expenses less than $1,000 will be reimbursed. Any expenditure totaling more than $1,000—including cumulative expenses like software subscriptions—must be pre-approved by the Board of Directors and Executive Director. Sub-$1,000 reimbursable expenses which do not require Board approval include but are not limited to:
- Travel between work meetings and the office.
- Mileage incurred traveling to events via personal vehicle will be reimbursed according to the Federal Mileage rates.
- Travel to, from, and during conferences and events.
- Housing and food during conferences and events.
- Business-meeting meals and drinks.
- Office supplies.
- Organization-specific subscriptions and/or software.
- Expenses associated with organization sponsored events.
Employees are expected to travel economy class when traveling by air, book reasonably-priced hotels and not spend excessively on meals and other travel expenses.
You are strongly encouraged to file reimbursement requests as soon as you incur the expenses. Expenses are usually reimbursed within a week of approval and submission. Each reimbursement request must be submitted into Gusto at the following link:
https://app.gusto.com/free-law-project/employee/expenses/me
Your manager will review and (hopefully) approve your request.
We strongly encourage employees to explore professional development options.
Potential professional development opportunities include, but are not limited to:
- Attending relevant professional conferences.
- Tuition for relevant classes.
- Books on relevant topics.
To seek approval for a professional development opportunity, please submit the following items to your supervisor, who will review and discuss them with you, and if requiring an expenditure greater than $999, share them with the Board of Directors for approval:
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A description of the professional development opportunity, how it would support your growth, and how it would benefit the organization.
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The total cost of the opportunity, and any relevant payment dates and methods.
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The time the opportunity would require (dates, times, including travel) as well as the location.
Employees are expected to work 40 hours per week, but we are flexible on where and when that work gets done, provided timezones do not interfere with your ability to communicate with the rest of the organization.
Employees are expected to attend all meetings to which they have been invited as a "required" participant.
Employees are able to work from home and/or remotely and the organization will make all efforts to ensure a comparable work experience regardless of where an employee is located.
Any time that you won't be available during the regular work day (9 AM to 5 PM locally) should be put on your work calendar so your colleagues will know that you are not available.
We are closed on:
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All Federal holidays except for Columbus day;
We expect everyone to be able to get their work done in a timely fashion, and to not have to work on personal time. Rested and refreshed people are better team members, and we encourage enjoying life outside of the office.
We encourage employees to use their vacation time.
You must inform your supervisor in writing as far in advance as is reasonable for staff and project planning purposes. Your supervisor must grant permission no less than 5 business days in advance. All extended periods of leave must be discussed with the Executive Director.
Please add the dates your travel to your work calendar and notify the team when you take leave.
Employees accrue hours of paid leave for every year they work:
| After | Hours accrued |
|---|---|
| Start day | 96 |
| +1 year | 104 |
| +2 years | 112 |
| +3 years | 120 |
Employees may hold a maximum of 240 hours of accrued leave.
Use Gusto to request and track time off.
Paid time off is paid out upon dismissal and accrues at a greater rate the longer you are with Free Law Project. PTO can carry over from year to year, but there is a maximum of 240 hours of paid time off any employee can have.
Please notify the team if you are sick and need to take the day off. All employees accrue one hour of sick time per 30 hours of employment with a cap of 80 hours of sick time available.
Use Gusto to request and track sick time.
Please see our Parental Leave policy for details.
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Use a password manager. 1Password, BitWarden, and LastPass are all fine.
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In general, do not use passwords you can memorize. Some exceptions might be for logging into laptops or servers (where you have 2FA configured).
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Whenever possible, use two-factor authentication (2FA). If a system offers it, use it.
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Keep all your systems updated at all times. Always apply security updates as quickly as possible.
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Use a strong password on your laptop and encrypt your disk.
The nature of our work puts at some personal risk. We place personal records online for millions of people, some of whom may not be safe. Do not share personal information like the address of the FLP headquarters or phone number in public locations or with people that you do not trust.
We will set you up with an organizational Google Suite account. This will provide you access to all the basic necessities like email, calendar, and shared storage.
Please use your organizational email address for all work-related correspondence, scheduling, etc. Personal accounts should not be used for work-related activities.
Please keep your availability updated on your Google calendar account associated with the organization - please don't use your personal account. Please record any meetings, vacation time, appointments, and anything else that your teammates might need to schedule around. Schedule meetings with other coworkers on the Google calendar.
All meetings must be held in a manner that allows for full participation of all employees, regardless of such individual variables such as geographic location.
We are a small, close knit team. To maintain a balanced, healthy, and fun organization, we encourage the formation of informal gatherings and groups. Any employee may sponsor an informal gathering or group so as long it is are open to all employees and supports organizational health.
As in any endeavor, it is critical that any informal gathering or group clearly define its purpose and the expectation placed upon its participants.
Free Law Project is committed to equal employment opportunity.
We will not discriminate against employees or applicants for employment on any legally recognized basis including, but not limited to race, religion, color, national origin, age, disability (physical or mental), genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, or any other protected class under federal, state or local law, as well as gender identity or expression, parental status, marital status, mental illness, socioeconomic status or background, neuro(a)typicality, physical appearance, body size, or clothing.
We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to qualified individuals with disabilities. This may include providing reasonable accommodation where appropriate in order for an otherwise qualified individual to perform the essential functions of the job.
We prohibit harassment of one employee by another employee, supervisor or third party for any reason. Harassment of third parties by our employees is also prohibited.
The purpose of this policy is to ensure that all employees shall be free from harassment of any kind. The conduct prohibited by this policy includes conduct in any form including but not limited to e-mail, voice mail, chat rooms, social networking, internet use or history, text messages, pictures, images, writings, words or gestures.
While it is not easy to define precisely what harassment is, it includes: slurs, epithets, threats, derogatory comments or visual depictions, unwelcome jokes, and teasing.
For authoritative guidance on legally prohibited harassment and boundaries, please consult the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing.
In addition to prohibiting harassment in these forms, we also consider the following unacceptable:
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Making negative or offensive remarks, regardless of to whom they are directed.
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Touching people without their affirmative consent.
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Repeatedly and unnecessarily disrupting formal or informal gatherings or meetings, whether in person or within a chat room setting.
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Retaliating against anyone who files a complaint that someone has violated the provisions of this manual.
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Intentionally or repeatedly referring to people in a way that rejects the validity of their gender identity; for instance, by knowing and intentional use of incorrect pronouns or forms of address.
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Engaging in behaviors that marginalize people or communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative beliefs. Examples include:
- Patronizing or belittling a person or group,
- Repeatedly interrupting or talking over someone else,
- Pedantic corrections that don’t add value,
- Expressing an assumption that persons or groups need concepts defined or explained to them without first asking if they do,
- Using unsubstantiated language that creates or furthers a belief which diminishes the value or contributions of a person or group,
- Employing racially or ethnically charged language to describe a person or thing,
- Referring to an individual in a way that demeans or challenges the validity of any aspect of their personal identity, or
- Mocking someone’s real or perceived accent or first language.
In sum, we always seek to maintain a professional, healthy and supportive environment for every employee. The guiding principle of Free Law Project is to be excellent to one another.
Any employee who believes they have been harassed or believes they have witnessed another member of our organization violate the terms of this document should report the situation immediately to one of the following members of management: Executive Director, Chair, Vice Chair, or Treasurer of the Board of Directors. If an employee makes a report to one of these persons and the employee does not receive a satisfactory response, the employee should report the situation to one of the other designated persons to receive complaints.
The organization will investigate all such reports as confidentially as possible. Adverse action will not be taken against an employee because he or she, in good faith, reports or participates in the investigation of a violation of this policy. Violations of this policy are not permitted and may result in disciplinary action, up to and including discharge.
We also recognize that sometimes such reports may be difficult to make, or may come at a real or perceived personal cost. We believe that situations are often easier to resolve when all parties are known, but we will accept anonymous reports, and will treat them according to our standard resolution policies. The choice of anonymity of the reporter will be respected to the extent possible, and recipients of anonymous reports will not attempt to investigate or unmask the identity of the reporter unless legally bound to do so.
The unlawful or improper presence or use of controlled substances or alcohol in the workplace can present a danger to all employees. All members of the organization are prohibited from reporting to work or working while using illegal or unauthorized substances.
State and federal agencies require that we share posters with our employees that informs them of their rights. We keep these posters in this repository in the "posters" directory, and post some additional information below.
Please review and know your rights.
In compliance with Title 8 §1512(e) of the California Code of Regulations, the following are to be used in the case of emergency:
- Ambulance: 911
- Fire/Rescue: 911
- Hospital: 911
- Physician: Contact your insurer
- Police: 911
- Cal/OSHA: (800) 963-9424
In compliance with Division 14, Chapter 1, §14000 of the CA state code:
(a) If a voter does not have sufficient time outside of working hours to vote at a statewide election, the voter may, without loss of pay, take off enough working time that, when added to the voting time available outside of working hours, will enable the voter to vote.
(b) No more than two hours of the time taken off for voting shall be without loss of pay. The time off for voting shall be only at the beginning or end of the regular working shift, whichever allows the most free time for voting and the least time off from the regular working shift, unless otherwise mutually agreed.
(c) If the employee on the third working day prior to the day of election, knows or has reason to believe that time off will be necessary to be able to vote on election day, the employee shall give the employer at least two working days’ notice that time off for voting is desired, in accordance with this section.