November 7, 2011

STATE BAR ASSOCIATION OFFERS PUBLIC SERVICE LAWYERS GRANTS TO HELP REPAY LAW SCHOOL STUDENT LOANS

Government and public interest lawyers burdened by student loan debt can apply for grants through the New York State Bar Association.

To be eligible for the Steven C. Krane Special Committee on Student Loan Assistance for the Public Interest grants, attorneys must have practiced for at least five years. Priority will be given to civil legal services attorneys. Each grant will be for a minimum of $2,000.

“Public service attorneys play a critical role in society. Law school loan debt can discourage attorneys from continuing their vital work,” said committee co-chair C. Bruce Lawrence of Rochester (Boylan Code LLP). “We hope these grants will enable them to keep doing the public good.”

“While earning often modest salaries, public service attorneys who have practiced for five years are ineligible for many loan forgiveness programs. The Student Loan Assistance for the Public Interest Program fills an important need for attorneys committed to helping the public,” said committee co-chair Edwina Frances Martin of New York City (Legal Services NYC).

Applications are due November 30, 2011. Applications must be mailed to: SLAPI, New York State Bar Association, One Elk Street, Albany, NY 12207. Recipients will be announced in January.

For more information, please visit: www.nysba.org/slapi.

The Special Committee on Student Loan Assistance for the Public Interest was created by Past State Bar President Steven C. Krane in 2001. It was renamed for Krane after he died in June 2010.

On November 1, the committee and loan repayment expert Heather Jarvis presented a free webinar on student loan forgiveness, attended by more than 100 people. Because of the popularity of the program, another webinar is planned for February 28, 2012.

The 77,000-member New York State Bar Association is the largest voluntary state bar association in the nation. It was founded in 1876.