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GPSLD Law Student
E-Mail Discussion
Student members of the GPSLD have full access to our Law Student E-mail Discussion List. We created this forum to give our law student members a place to ask and answer questions, and to share advice and opportunities with other law students. As a member of the list, you will receive timely notification of internship and job opportunities, as well as information about starting your job search. |
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Looking for a legal job with the federal government?
Need help figuring out which form to submit? Or what needs to be on your résumé? Want a better understanding of pay grades? Or advice from government lawyers on finding a job? Take a look at the  2009-2010 Federal Legal Employment Opportunities Guide. This handy resource was produced by the National Association for Law Placement, the Partnership for Public Service, and the Division. It's a great resource for federal jobseekers, and it's free! |
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More ABA Law Student Membership Benefits
Visit the ABA Law Student Division's Web page to learn about the benefits of joining the ABA as a law student member; identify ABA leadership opportunities; meet law students with similar professional and academic interests; and join efforts to strengthen legal education and to help make law school and public interest work affordable. |
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You've found it: The latest on loan repayment assistance
Click here for loan repayment assistance program and student debt relief resources.
*NEW* Click here for highlights from the May 2009 Equal Justice Works Student Debt Relief Webinar Series -- plus additional loan repayment resources.
Many public service minded law school graduates can't afford to take the jobs they want because of overwhelming student loan debt. Members of Congress and federal agencies are trying to ease the loan repayment burden for lawyers who enter public service.
On October 23, 2008, the U.S. Department of Education released the final regulations governing the Public Service Loan Forgiveness and Income-Based Repayment programs of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act (P.L. 110-84). The regulations are available in full online at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-24922.pdf.
Some clarifications and changes announced include:
• a rejection of annual certifications of eligibility;
• the intention to develop a form for borrowers to use to apply for the public service loan forgiveness;
• a revised definition of "full-time" (30 hours per week annual average) when a borrower works more than one qualifying job;
• clarification that Income-Base Repayment eligibility is based on the amount owed when the borrower first entered repayment, not the current amount owed;
• a decision that Family Medical Leave Act time off does not count in determining whether a borrower is considered full-time;
• the inclusion of intergovernmental or public regional agencies under the definition of government; and
• the determination that Peace Corps volunteers who decline the economic hardship deferment during service or make a lump sum payment on the loan from the Peace Corps transition allowance may meet the loan forgiveness payment requirement.
On Thursday, September 27, 2007, the President signed H.R. 2669, the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007, into law (Public Law 110-84). Both the House (292-97) and Senate (79-12) had voted to approve the act, including the income contingent loan forgiveness program for public service, on September 7, 2007.
Under this program, the federal government will forgive the balance (including interest) of qualifying student loans for lawyers who provide “public interest law services”— including prosecution or public defense or legal advocacy in low-income communities at a nonprofit organization — or who are employed by a 501(c)(3) organization — after 120 timely income contingent repayments and 10 years of public service.
The act also offers borrowers another repayment option. During the period of repayment, borrowers of most federal and federally-backed loans may use the new Income Based Repayment Option to repay their loans at just 15 percent of their discretionary income, defined as their gross income minus 150 percent of the poverty line. The bill now awaits the President’s signature. (The full text of the bill is available online at http://thomas.loc.gov/home/thomas.html.) H.R. 2669 passed in the house on July 11, 2007 by a vote of 273-149; it passed the Senate on July 20 by a vote of 78-18. See the linked article below for background information.
On July 24, 2007, the Senate unanimously passed S.1642, a bill that reauthorizes the Higher Education Act (HEA) and includes provisions from the John R. Justice Prosecutors and Defenders Incentive Act of 2007 (H.R. 916 and S.442) and a loan repayment program for civil legal assistance attorneys (first introduced by Sen. Tom Harkin in S.1167). This bill has not yet been voted on in the House.
Read more about efforts to assist public lawyers
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Michael Young
2009-2010 Law Student Division Liaison | A Note from GPSLD's Law Student Division Liaison:The ethical codes proscribing a lawyer's public service aspirations are more than just professional standards to which we should adhere. They partly embody, but cannot capture in whole, that obligation to serve the public which is integral to our profession. While some law students fulfill their civic duty through incidental pro bono publico deeds, some choose to embark on public service careers. Whether they seek these opportunities with private, nonprofit, or governmental organizations, I hope to better enable students to pursue both of these activities. My name is Michael Young. I am a third year law student, also earning a master's degree in public administration at the University of North Carolina and it is an honor to serve as the American Bar Association's Government and Public Sector Division's Law Student Division Liaison for the 2009-2010 bar year.
Membership in the Government and Public Sector Lawyers Division offers invaluable networking and career development opportunities. Take full advantage of the membership resources and explore the website regularly to find out about: local service opportunities, Division meetings and committee opportunities, along with updates to the Public Lawyer Career Center. And of course, feel free to email me at moyoung@email.unc.edu for more information about the Division, leadership positions within in the ABA, or if you need help finding an internship. Also, be sure to share these resources and encourage your friends to join our Division.
All my best,
Michael |
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BENEFITS OF DIVISION MEMBERSHIP
- Free enrollment -- you've got nothing to lose!
- Post comments and questions and receive helpful information on the Division's members-only Law Student e-mail discussion list
- Access to the Public Lawyer Career Center
- Division publications by e-mail -- with extra bonus information for students
- Mentors available to answer your career questions
- Opportunity to join committees which focus on topics of specific interest to public lawyers
- Get published -- or send us your article ideas
- Network through the Division-wide e-mail discussion list and at Division meetings, programs and receptions
- Send us an e-mail and let us know what we can do for you: GPSLD@abanet.org
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ABA MEMBERSHIP AND ITS BENEFITS
- Kaplan-PMBR bar review courses: tuition discounts of $50 to $100 off specialized study courses
- BAR/BRI bar review course scholarship opportunity
- Subscription to ABA Journal and Student Lawyer magazine
- Discounts on Career Series publications
- Valuable ABA Career Counsel resources at www.abanet.org/careercounsel
- Savings from Hertz, Sprint, HP, Office Depot, Brooks Brothers and more
- Leadership opportunities at the national, regional or local levels
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