Tuesday, January 05, 2010

 

A worthwhile non-sequitor


A few days ago, the following comment was published here in response to my post about vandalizing the wrong house. While I'm not sure it had much to do with the post, it does have a lot to do with law school, so I am giving it space here. Thank you, Richard Howell!

Professor Osler,

A frequent topic on your blog is the cost of law school. Many of your readers (including Dallas Prosecutor, Lane, and my wife Julie) take positions in the public sector after leaving Baylor Law School. In many cases, these former BLS students are still burdened by high student loan debt.

Part of the solution for people who choose to serve may be found in the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007. Not actually passed until 2008 and not effective until July 2009, the Act may lower or eliminate student loan debt for people who take certain jobs after law school.

College and law school grads who take full time jobs with the government, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, AmeriCorps, the Peace Corps, or a private "public service organization" (i.e. an org. funded in part by a governmental unit that is not a political party, labor union, or religious org.) are eligible. After 10 years of "eligible employment," all federal Stafford & GradPlus loans are forgiven. The program also reduces payments on those loans. More information is available at www.IBRinfo.org. The site has an awesome video with a gremlin that would be just right for the Razor.

I just thought I'd pass this along.

Richard

Comments:
Sure, now you help me, Richard. But when Prof. Powell was grilling me like a strip of fajitas over hot coals, did you move your notes where I could glance down and read the answer? No.

But really, thanks.
 
Well to be fair, if you've read the info on this program, he won't be helping you until 2017....you should hold off on taking out the Powell frustrations until then.

As for the programs, there are bills in both the feds and at the state level (Tx) that would pay prosecutors and defenders directly on their loans. Alas, there is no funding.

I say the Razor becomes a Political force and starts threatening some legislators to get it passed.
 
Dallas ADA

There is no funding for the bills you're talking about or there is no funding for the plan originally blogged about (CCRAA of 2007)?

I've been to a "webinar" on the CCRAA of 2007 and from what I could tell it sounded like great option for those of us planning to enter the public sector, but I haven't heard anything about funding.
 
Fear not the CCRAA is funded from my understanding.

The bills I refer to would give you a monthly check for a promise to devote 5 years or so in the public sector.

Unfortunately, almost everyone in my office can't get much relief from the program program mentioned in the original post since it's tied to income including your spouse's and because we've been promoted and now get paid too much under the formulas.
 
As a veteran of the public sector, I have always thought it would be great if Baylor had an endowed program to help out graduates who enter pblic service for some length of time. Baylor Law prides itself on preparing trial lawyers and, more and more, the best place to get trial experience for most young lawyers is with a DA or County/City Attorney's office, or with the AG. Such a program would also encourage students to look for appellate or federal clerkships following graduation and provide some (hopefully) talented young lawyers to the State and Federal offices. Now to get it endowed...
 
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