Judicial Education Expenditure Request
The Judicial Education Expenditure Request (ER) Form is the starting point for a judge to receive funding for any education other than Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC)-sponsored events (biennial, annual or semi-annual seminars). ERs are considered by the Judicial Council of the State of Nevada (JCSN) Education Committee, and are the method by which judges can be sure they have received approval for funding for an educational event. An ER is not a travel claim. Travel claims are submitted after the travel.
The form should always be accessed from the site for a couple of reasons. The first is that the form is periodically changed. Sometimes we get an Expenditure Request that’s on an outdated form because someone made a master copy, years ago, and just pulls it out and runs new copies when sending in a new request. The second reason is that we have switched to a fillable PDF form, and by using the new form, a requestor will be able to complete the form electronically.
Judicial Education Expenditure Request FAQs
Judicial Education Expenditure Request questions frequently asked by Judges and court personnel.
Outside education is when a judge wants to receive funding to attend a non-AOC-sponsored education event, such as a class at The National Judicial College (NJC), the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ), a State Bar meeting, or a class offered by any entity other than the AOC. An ER is required in this case. Judges must register for the class directly through the providing agency.
Elective education is anything other than AOC-sponsored events, and the required courses for new judges. By definition, all elective education is outside education.
If the brochure came from the AOC, and is for an AOC-sponsored event, the electronic flyer will say “Sponsored by the Administrative Office of the Courts” on the first page. Generally, if the event is at the NJC, any location out of state, or is for another organization, such as the Nevada State Bar, The Nevada Justice Association, or the National Association or American Association of anything, it is an outside event and requires an ER.
The JCSN Education Committee is made up of six judges (three District Court Judges, and three Limited Jurisdiction Judges) who set policies and approve ERs for outside, elective education. All ERs for elective education for more than the amount of $500 must be approved by the majority of the committee. For some events that will generate a lot of interest (State Bar meetings, Court Technology Conferences) the committee may cap the number of judges funded, and set a maximum amount for reimbursement. Their normal procedure is to approve each judge for up to $1700 worth of elective education during each fiscal year. They do consider, and often approve higher amounts if they are justified. (The Supreme Courts fiscal year runs from July 1st of a given year through June 30th of the following year.)
Some agencies have additional costs beyond a registration or tuition fee. An example of this would be something that you will see with almost all courses from the National Judicial College. They have a tuition or registration fee, but they will usually specify a separate Conference Fee. The separation is part of their accounting practices. In this case these fees cover such costs as meals and refreshments that may be provided.
Yes, if that information is available. The AOC Accounting Unit will review the travel claim, filed after the event, and will subtract claims for any meals that were provided. So, if those are noted in the ER, it makes things a little smoother. One example of provided meals is that The National Judicial College provides continental breakfasts, all lunches, and Wednesday evening dinners for their Reno classes.
Yes, if they attach a memo explaining why they can’t participate in provided meals, then they can claim normal per diem rates. To summarize the requirements for information, “give us as much information as you can, and explanations for anything you think might cause questions.” We will also call if we are unclear about something.
When traveling to a high cost area, you can provide the GSA rate for that area. It is often useful for lodging, but less so for meals, because it requires receipts with the travel claim, and excludes tips and alcohol.
Once the completed ER and amplifying documentation has been sent to Judicial Education, we will process the ER (confirming the math, making sure that all of the funding requests are within guidelines and policy, that sort of thing), and then, once it’s approved (or denied) by the JCSN Education Committee, we will send it back to you via email.
When we send back the ER, and it has a signature on the line that says “Signature of Supreme Court Approver”, that will be your approved copy.
Email us in Judicial Education. We will be able to give you an idea about whether it will be approved, and sometimes we are just waiting for an approval that we know is coming.
No. There are some very popular events, such as the Annual State Bar Meeting, for which the JCSN Education Committee may set a cap on how many attendees will be funded. In cases like that we may end up with a waiting list. It is important to remember that if you have not received an approved copy, you should not assume approval. This is one of those things you can always call to follow-up on.
We’ll do everything we can to work with the judge to provide reimbursement of the costs, but there is a chance the judge will not be eligible for any reimbursement.
When in doubt, contact Judicial Education at judicialed@nvcourts.nv.gov.