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11 Pass It On: Newsl. Gov't & Pub. Sector Law. Div. 1 (2001-2002)
Issue 3

handle is hein.journals/passit11 and id is 17 raw text is: Spring 200 Volume41 , ube IIKS]UE GI ll a GPSLD Government end Public Sector Lawyers Divisin THE NEWSLETTER OF THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION'S GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC SECTOR LAWYERS DIVISION Paving the Way to Public Service: The ABA C on Loan Repayment and Forgiveness by Curtis M. Caton and Judge Frank M. Coffin Editors Note: Loan repayment assistance programs have been a priority issue for the Government and Public Sector Lawyers Division for several years Division leaders were pleased when ABA President Hirshon determined that loan forgiveness would be one of his major initiatives during his term. President Hirslwn appointed Davidj De Vries, Immediate Past Chair of the Division, to serve on the ABA 's Commission on Loan Repayment and Forgiveness. M any of today's law graduates are faced with law school debt of $80,000 or more upon graduation. For graduates following the standard 10-year repayment schedule, this results in monthly payments of more than $900 for 10 years following graduation. With the average starting pub- lic interest salary at $34,000, these mort- gage-size debts bar most graduates from pursuing public service legal jobs. Among those graduates who do take such posi- tions, many-when faced with major life decisions such as starting a family-are forced to leave after two to three years of employment. In response to this problem, ABA Presi- dent Robert E. Hirshon created the Com- mission on Loan Repayment and Forgive- ness in August 2001. The commission's job is to examine and report on the effect upon the legal profession of the increasing edu- cational debt burdening law school gradu- ates. In creating the commission, Hirshon noted that many observers believe that fewer lawyers are drawn to public service law positions such as civil legal services, indigent defense or government, immedi- ately following graduation, and that those who do take these jobs cannot afford to re- main in them very long. He believes this phenomenon has immediate and long-term consequences that will harm the profession and the public it serves. Loan repayment assistance programs ('LRAPs) have emerged as a solution for re- lieving the debt burden of some law gradu- ates. LRAPs provide loan forgiveness, lower interest rates on loans or postponed pay- ment of law school loans to graduates enter- ing specific types of employment, usually law-related public interest jobs. Most LRAPs limit the amount of income a recipient can earn. There are various types of LRAPs, ad- ministered by law schools, state bar founda- tions and federal and state governments. The number of these programs however, has not increased appreciably during the past five years, while the average debt bur- den of law graduates has more than dou- bled during the same period of time. The commission will study the impact of the debt burden problem on the ability of law graduates to pursue and remain in public service law jobs and will recommend solutions to the ABA and the profession. During the current bar year (ending in Au- gust 2002), the commission will focus on promoting LRAPs as well as guiding ABA efforts to stimulate more LRAPS and schol- arships/fellowships provided by law schools, the federal government, state gov- ernments, and other private sources. The commission is chaired by Curtis M. Caton, a member of the firm of Heller Erhman White & McAuliffe LLP in San Francisco, and Judge Frank M. Coffin of Portland, Maine, a senior judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. The ten commission members include leaders in the profession, drawn from the ranks of law school deans and faculty, law stu- dents, government, experienced public service lawyers, legislative experts and others. Liaisons to the commission in- clude representatives from many ABA en- tities, as well as external organizations representing various constituencies, such as law schools, labor, public interest attor- neys, and corporate counsel. The commission held its first meeting on October 22-23,2001, in Washington, DC. The meeting featured a day-long educa- tional forum during which commission members, liaisons and invited guests heard continued on page 2 spring 2002 Volume 11, Number 3

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