Practising Law Institute
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 135562321
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2010–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
- Location
- New York, NY, USA
- Phone
- 2128245700
- Rating
- 82
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Adult, Continuing Education
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $114,306,643
- Expenses
- $112,333,414
- Assets
- $207,984,144
- Liabilities
- $97,202,624
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
35 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- SHARON L CRANE (PRESIDENT)
Highest reported compensation
- SHARON L CRANE (PRESIDENT): $897,722 total reported compensation
- CRAIG A MILLER (CHIEF CUSTOMER OFFICER): $610,300 total reported compensation
- CHRISTOPHER ROUSSEAU (CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER): $527,723 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
Practising law institute is a nonprofit learning organization dedicated to keeping attorneys and other professionals at the forefront of knowledge and expertise, as well as preparing them to fulfill their pro bono responsibilities. (see schedule o)organization's mission (continued)the institute is chartered by the regents of the university of the state of New York, and was founded in 1933 by harold p. Seligson. The institute provides the highest quality, accredited, continuing legal and professional education programs in a variety of formats which aredelivered by 4,433 volunteer faculty including prominent lawyers, judges, investment bankers, accountants, corporate counsel, and u.s. And international government speakers. The institute publishes a comprehensive library of treatises, course handbooks and answer booksthat are also available through the pli plus online platform. A significant part of the institute's mission is a commitment to the pro bono community.
What it reported doing in 2024
Publishing services supplement the seminars offered by the institute to provide the most up-to-date, relevant information and resource materials. Annually the institute provides course handbooks, treatises, and supplements which are important in providing the legal community and allied professionals with the tools to stay abreast of new legal developments. In 2024, there were 283 course handbooks, 33 treatises and answer books, and 93 treatise supplements released. 139 treatises were available for download on the kindle digital reader. Other revenue includes subscription to pli plus (an online database).
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Earned-program. 98% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
- Distribution model
- Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 77% for direct work, and 23% for grants.
The verdict
STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and expenses are high relative to revenue.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 81
- Transparency & Controls: 75
- Accountability: 100
- Sustainability: 43
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 90.6%; rating input score 91
- Program expense ratio: 91.9%; rating input score 92
- Fundraising efficiency: Limited
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
- Compensation committee: Pass
- Independent consultant: Pass
- Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
- Written employment contract: Missing
- Compensation survey or study: Pass
- Board or committee approval: Pass
- Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
- Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
- Major donor itemization: Limited
- Related-party transparency: Limited
Accountability
- Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- Document-retention policy: Pass
- CEO compensation review process: Pass
- Other executive compensation review process: Pass
- Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Pass
- Independent financial-statement audit: Pass
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 1.7%; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.85; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.47; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 5.5%; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 2.6% per year; rating input score 100; 19th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 5% per year; rating input score 100; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 6.7% per year; rating input score 100; 49th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 90.6% of revenue deployed · 91.9% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 21 of 21 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
- Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $103.3M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $898K · 35 people listed · 5 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
- Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $9.2M reported
- Consistency: 39 of 39 current checks pass
- Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
- Filing history: 14 filing years from 2010 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 14 filed money-flow records
- Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
- People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.
Key Signals
Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.
- High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 41/100.
- High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 14/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 39/100.