1 Dec, 2006
Help on the way for future public defenders/prosecutors?
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Pre-Law Discussions, Prelaw News 
I've posted in the past about how the recent change in political leadership might directly affect future law students (here). I've also have several posts on the types of attorney jobs t considered lesser paying like public defense/prosecution (here and here).
The Chicago Sun-Times reports on another possible change that might come about due to the upcoming power shift in Washington. In May the Senate Judicial Committee passed a debt relief program for public defenders/prosecutors. The bill was eventually shelved by the Republican led Senate. But...
- "Since 2003, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) has been pushing legislation that would grant student loan relief to public sector lawyers in the criminal justice system. With the Democrats in control of Congress, Durbin plans to reintroduce his bill early next year."
Why this is important to future law students
The problem is that the debt of many law school graduates is becoming so astronomical that it is hard for many to even consider public defense or prosecution. That's a real problem.
Details of the bill are as such:
- "[T]he Justice Department would pay up to $10,000 a year of the law school loans of any prosecutor or public defender. To qualify, a lawyer would have to commit to three years of service. Loan assistance would be capped at $60,000 per lawyer and would apply only to loans made through federal programs."
Keep an eye on this bill and see if anything comes of it.
Additional links:
Frugal Law Student points us to an e-petition started by IndebtStudent.com with the goal rallying for government support for softening the blow of increasing student loan debt.