Public Defender/Prosecutor Loan Forgiveness

Posted May 1st, 2008 by SDevlin

Has anyone heard whether the proposed federal program to forgive student loans for law students who become public defenders or prosecutors passed? Or how much it would forgive? Or when it would be enacted? Or how long I'd have to work for the PD? I volunteer with the Missouri State Public Defender, and absolutely love it, but they're so overworked, that no one has really had the time to look into this, and no one at my law school seems to know what's going on with it either. (another failure of career services). I've wanted to be a public defender literally since I was in fourth grade, but at $30 thousand/year, I don't know if I can without some kind of loan forgiveness, and the state doesn't offer any.

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Federal Loan Forgiveness Program

On May 27th, 2008 alicia3780 says:

Yes, the legislation passed. It's called the College Cost Reduction and Access Act. The act provides that loans will be forgiven if you work in public interest for 10 years and make 120 payments (or 10 years worth). You can select a 25 year term for your loan payments (30 years automatic for consolidated loans). If you work in public interest (as a P.D. or whatever-the term is broadly defined) for 5 years and then go into the private sector for 2 years and then come back and work another 5 years in public interest, your loans will still be forgiven so long as you have made 120 payments. There are some special provisions for prosecutors and P.Ds with regard to Perkins loans. I think they are forgiven earlier than other types of loans.

I turned down a firm and chose to work in government. I have 6-figure debt (undergrad, grad school, and law school) so it is possible to do it. I would check out the Act and call your lender for more info.