CAREER COUNSELOR'S CORNER
1. 800. 973. 1177
Debt, Pay Plague Public Interest Law [by Jim Dunlap] Study confirms that recruitment, retention suffering.
The double whammy of lower salaries and
sponses appeared to indicate that when good
high educational debt are making it difficult
LRAP programs are available, recruitment
for the public interest law sector to recruit
and retention problems decrease, said Sheila
A similar plan has been under study for some
and retain attorneys, according to a recent
Siegel, the Equal Justice Works research
time by the American Bar Association. Its
study by a national group.
associate who managed the survey. Some
president, Robert Hirshon, asked for an exten-
government agencies are already on the LRAP
sion of the study at the ABA national meeting
In a survey of more than 300 public inter-
bandwagon. The U.S. State Department, for
in August.
est law employers nationwide, 69 percent of
instance, has a program that provides student
employers reported significant difficulty in
debt relief up to $6,000 per year of employ-
Hirshon said only 3.3 percent of law school
attorney recruitment, with 62 percent citing
ment, to a maximum of $40,000.
graduates currently enter public interest law,
problems with attorney retention. Nearly 90
for contributions.
compared to approximately 15 percent 25
percent of those employers cited low salaries
Equal Justice Works also touts its annual Ca-
years ago, a statistic he attributes largely to
and educational debt as the primary factors
reer Fair in Washington, D.C. - to be held Oct.
higher educational debt and the greater dis-
responsible for recruiting woes.
25 to 26 this year - as a tool to match employ-
parity between large private firm and public
ers to law school graduates in this tougher
interest law salaries that exists today.
For retention of attorneys, the most-cited cul-
market. It attracts about 200 employers a year
prits were salaries, mentioned by 92 percent,
from government, not-for-profit agencies and
This story appeared in the September 2002
and debt, by 82 percent. Other factors, such
public interest law organizations.
edition of The National Jurist, www.nationaljurist.com.
as geographical location, pressure to take a private- sector job and lack of upward mobility
Last year’s program cited the statistic that
potential, were mentioned by less than 45
of 180 ABA-approved law schools, 52 offered
percent of respondents.
some form of LRAP, although six schools accounted for 70 percent of all LRAP money dis-
The survey confirmed long-held suspicions,
bursed. Students were also provided with tips
said David Stern, executive director of Equal
and guidelines on ways to establish LRAPs at
Justice Works, formerly the National Associa-
their law schools.
tion for Public Interest Law, which conducted the survey.
The New York State Bar Association, meanwhile, is working on a plan that would utilize
“These findings demonstrate that the combi-
funds solicited from all segments of the legal
nation of low salary and high debt is lethal to
industry to underwrite law school debt for
the public service law community,” he said.
young attorneys who opt to practice public
“When you offer salaries of less than $40,000
interest law.
to persons with educational loans totaling more than $100,000, the result is epidemic problems in recruitment and retention.”
Five states - North Carolina, Minnesota, Maryland, New Hampshire and Arizona - currently provide some degree of debt relief underwrit-
One solution proposed by Equal Justice Works
ing, though the amounts are limited. The New
is an increase in loan repayment assistance
York Bar is hoping for much more extensive
programs (LRAPs). A review of anecdotal re-
funding, leaning heavily on private law firms
PAGE 1