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UC Berkeley School of Law Library UC Berkeley School of Law Library BerkeleyLaw Library

Student Journals: Journal Editorial Retreats

Journal Retreats

Editorial Retreats in which the primary purpose is to discuss journal-related business and issues (as opposed to a 'retreat' to destination locations such as weekend trips to Tahoe at which there will only tangential journal business) are considered 'allowable expenses.*

As such various aspects of the retreat are able to be paid for using your Journal's university funds (provided they adhere to UC policy), including:  location rental, food, some travel.   

Expenses can add up quickly for even daylong local retreats, so when planning, you should consider:

  •    Location-  local day events are least expensive, there are many locales both on campus and near campus which may work for your event
  •    Dates- holiday weekends and weekends in general are often time much more expensive!
  •    Meals-  some locations require that you use their catering, which can be more expensive than the location rental!


Keep in mind that students do not have the authority to obligate spending of University funds, therefore, are unable to sign contracts to authorize payments of invoices.

Retreats, if held off-campus, are NOT considered to be University events if a UC employee is not present.  Therefore a Journal member will need to sign off on any on-site contracts indicating that they'll follow rules/ regulations and be responsible for any repercussions should they not be followed.

When beginning to plan a retreat:

  1. Contact Journal Administrator well in advance to confirm your journal has funds to cover costs (that won't be subsidized by members)
  2. Given your budget, look into various options for locations/ dates etc.
  3. Contact vendor directly and obtain price quotation for your specific event
  4. Email quote, and event details to JournalOrders@law.berkeley.edu  for Journal Administrator review and authorization for payment
  5. If deposit is required, amount and date required must be specified in quotation
  6. If food is included in the quote, you will need to submit an Entertainment Certification Form (ECF) along with vendor quotation

* Please note:  Even if something is an 'allowable expense', there are UC policies which need to be followed in order to ensure reimbursement!  

Please see links (on the left) for policy and procedure for the various components which make up the retreats:  Purchasing, Reimbursements, Travel Information