Law schools help make public careers feasible

Daily Record, The (Baltimore), Jan 25, 2005 by Alisa Bralove

Graduates of the University of Baltimore School of Law who want to go into public interest careers will soon have an easier time when it comes to paying off student loans.

Under the new Loan Repayment Assistance Program, alumni making use of their legal education by working at a nonprofit organization can apply for a loan from the school that can be forgiven in a year's time - as long as the graduate meets the program's requirements.

It's been in the works for a couple of years and it's been recognized as a need, said Karen Rae Hammer, associate dean for career services and publications. We're very excited about it and looking forward to seeing a large applicant pool from our graduates.

According to the 2003 Final Report of the American Bar Association's Commission on Loan Repayment and Forgiveness, nearly 87 percent of law students took out loans in 2002 to finance their legal education. Factoring in undergraduate loans, many students borrow more than 80,000, the report said.

That debt can be very difficult to manage for students who pursue public interest jobs that pay far less than private sector jobs, said Adam W. Marker, a 2003 graduate of the law school and former chair of UB Students for Public Interest.

As most law students and law school graduates are aware, the cost of law school has had a negative impact on graduates pursuing public interest careers, Marker said. By instituting an LRAP, the school is showing a commitment to trying to eliminate at least one of the impediments to students and alumni getting involved in public interest law.

Across town, University of Maryland School of Law graduates have been benefiting from a similar loan assistance program since 1995.

Del. Samuel I. Rosenberg, D-Baltimore, established the first of the funds at the University of Maryland's law school for graduates who work for a nonprofit organization or in local, state or federal government. In 2002, the law school began the University of Maryland School of Law Public Interest Loan Repayment Assistance Program, which is funded by donations from local attorneys and alumni.

I've seen an increase in applications to the program over the past couple years, so I believe that's an indication that more grads are able to pursue these opportunities due to the assistance, said M. Teresa Schmiedeler, director of public interest programs at the University of Maryland's law school.

Public interest graduates can also seek assistance through the statewide Janet L. Hoffman Loan Assistance Repayment Program, designed for professionals in many fields who provide public service within the state, Schmiedeler said.

While UB's Dean of the School of Law Gilbert Holmes still has to determine the amount to be given out, Hammer said she imagines the loans will be in the $2,500 range. Graduates can apply to renew the loan for up to five years.

I think the amount is enough that it can at least help to service the loans for the students that are getting them. Every little bit counts, Hammer said, adding that the school is creating an endowment to fund the program and is looking for donors.

To qualify for the program, graduates must be working full-time for a nonprofit organization and if single, cannot be making more than $40,000 a year. Applications for the UB LRAP must be postmarked by March 15.