Loan Repayment Programs Prepared for the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defendants April 2013 Summary Creating Entity or Current Administrator Arizona 1990 Arizona for Legal Services & Education District of Columbia 2008 DC City Council/DC Bar Florida 2002 Florida Bar Illinois 2007 The Chicago Bar 6 46 175 26 And Years of No time limit, but maximum of $60,000 of assistance Up to 8 years of assistance Up to five years of assistance Indiana 2007 Indiana Bar 2 Iowa 2007 Iowa State Bar/Iowa Student Loan Liquidity Corporation 8 (FY 2013) Max: $10,000 Average: $967 Range: $584 - $2,004 Max: $12,000 Average: $4,904 Range: $345 - $12,000 Max: $6,675 Average: $4,012 Range: $194 - $6,675 Max: $12,000 Average: $10,000 Range: $8,000- $12,000 Max: $5,000 Average: $2,313 Range: $2,000 - $2,625 Max: $3,000 Average: $2,000 Range: $1,000 - $3,000
Creating Entity/Administration And Years of Kansas (see FN 9 about limitation to certain counties) 2011 Kansas Department of Commerce 21 Up to five years of assistance Max: $3,000 Average: $3,000 Louisiana 2007 Louisiana Bar 21 Up to ten years of assistance Max: $5,000 Range: $450 - $5,000 Average: $3,754 Maine 2003 Maine Bar 12 (2012) Up to ten years of assistance, which may be waived Max: $5,000 Average: $2,042 Range: $450 - $2,500 Maryland 1988 Office of Student Financial of MD Higher Education Commission 14 (FY12) Priority given to applicants who graduated within last three years Max: $10,000 Average: $8,857 Range: $6,000 - $10,000 Massachusetts 2001 Massachusetts Legal Corporation Not available Set by local programs Max: Set by local programs Average: $4,404 Range: $179 - $10,752
Creating Entity/Administration And Years of Minnesota 1991 Loan Repayment Program of Minnesota Mississippi 2010 Mississippi Bar Montana 2006 Montana Justice Nebraska 2007/2010 Nebraska Lawyers Trust Account New Mexico 2006 NM Department of Education New Hampshire 1999 New Hampshire Bar 44 (FY12) 4 8 (PY13) 5 (2010) Suspended for 2011 10 10 (FY12) Up to 15 years of assistance Up to five years of assistance Up to five years of assistance at committee discretion Max: individual formula Average: $3,425 Range: $997 - $3,750 Max: $5,000 Average: $4,375 Range: $2,500 - $5,000 Max: $2,500 Range: $1,667 - $2,000 Average: $1,875 Max: $3,000 Average: $2,500 Range: $500- $3,000 Max: $7,200 Average: $4,380 Range: $4,200 - $5,200 Max: $12,000 Average: $7,000 Range: $1,141 - $12,000 New York (NYSBA) 2003 New York State Bar Association 3 Max: $4,000 Average: $4,000
Creating Entity/Administration And Years of New York (Statefunded) 2009 New York State Higher Education Services Corporation 177 (2011) Admitted to practice in NY for not more than 11 years and in the fourth through ninth years of eligible employment All receive $3,400 North Carolina 1989 North Carolina Legal Education Fund # not available (FY12) Max: $13,500 Ohio 2007 Ohio Legal 77 of $75,000 of assistance Max: $6,000 Average: $5,699 Range: $1,500 - $6,000 Oregon 2007 Oregon State Bar 20 (PY12-13) Three years of assistance given to each participant Max: $5,000 Average: $4,195 Range: $2,400 - $5,000 Pennsylvania 2010 PA Bar /PA IOLTA Board 81 Up to ten years of assistance Max: Tiers of $3,500, $4,500 and $6,000 Average: $4,330
Creating Entity/Administration And Years of South Carolina 2007 SC Bar 1 (FY11) Suspended for FY12 $6,000 Texas 2003 Texas Access to Justice 118 Graduated within last ten years Max: $4,800 Range: $100- $4,800 Average: $4,171 Vermont 2007 Vermont Bar 13 Max: $5,000 Range: $2,175 - $5,000 Average: $3,500 Virginia 2008 Legal Services Corporation of Virginia 65 All receive $5,000
Law Full-time Employment Requirement 1 Income Cap 2 Licensure Requirement 3 Grant/ Loan/ Forgiveness Specific Law School Requirements Arizona 4 No $65,000 Yes Loan No Dist. of Yes $75,000 Yes Loan Preference Columbia 5 Florida 6 No Yes Loan No Illinois Yes Yes Loan No Indiana 7 No $50,000 Yes Loan No Iowa 8 No $50,000 Yes Loan No Kansas 9 No No Grant No Louisiana 10 Yes $45,000 Yes Loan No Maine 11 No Yes Loan No Maryland 12 Yes $60,000/ $130,000 if married Yes Grant No Massachusetts 13 Loan Minnesota 14 Yes $50,000 Yes Loan Yes Mississippi 15 Yes $60,000 Yes Loan No Montana 16 Yes Yes Loan No Nebraska 17 No Yes Loan No New Hampshire 18 No Yes Loan No New Mexico 19 No $45,000 Yes Grant Preference New York (NYSBA) 20 Yes $50,000- $75,000 Yes Loan ABA-accredited New York (Statefunded) Yes Yes Grant No North Carolina 21 Yes $42,000 - $51,000 Yes Loan ABA-accredited Ohio 22 No Yes Loan No Oregon 23 No $55,000 Yes Loan No Pennsylvania Yes $64,000 Yes Loan No South Carolina 24 No Yes Loan No
Texas 25 No Yes Loan ABA-accredited Vermont 26 No $50,000 Yes Loan No Virginia 27 No Yes Loan No 1 Full-time requirements vary from 32 to 35 hours per week. 2 The LRAPs vary in how and what income is counted. DC uses AGI. Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri and North Carolina s cap is after certain deductions are given. Some states count spouse or domestic partner s income and some expenses. 3 Many states allow applicants to be unlicensed at the time of application, but must be licensed within a certain period of time. 4 Arizona: Part-time attorneys receive pro-rated assistance. Applicants must be members of the State Bar of Arizona with the possibility of waiver of this requirement; or be licensed by another state and employed by an approved non-profit legal organization assisting immigrants. 5 District of Columbia: Applicants must be licensed to practice in DC or with another state and an application is pending with DC or be authorized under the provisions of Rule 49(c)(9) of the DC Court of Appeals. Graduates of accredited public schools of law in DC are given preference if applicants exceed funding. The $75,000 income limit (increased from $65,000) will be implemented for DC residents in mid-1013 and will be implemented for non-dc residents when revenue increases. 6 Florida: Part-time attorneys who are at least a 0.50 FTE are eligible for pro-rated assistance. must be admitted to the Florida Bar by the end of the first year after having been selected as a participant. 7 Indiana: to part-time attorneys is pro-rated. Law licensure requirement may be waived for up to 12 months. 8 Iowa: to part-time attorneys is pro-rated. Law licensure is required of participants, not applicants. 9 Kansas: is provided to anyone who has any degree, has student loans, and moves after July 1, 2011 to one of 50 counties classified as Rural Opportunity Zones. 10 Louisiana: Applicants must be licensed members of the Louisiana State Bar Association. 11 Maine: Part-time attorneys receive pro-rated assistance. 12 Maryland: Preference given to individuals who have graduated in the last three years. A check is issued that is co-payable to the recipient and the loan holder. 13 Massachusetts: Eligibility and benefits are set by local programs. 14 Minnesota: A renewing recipient who has had his/her hours reduced involuntarily may re-apply. must be graduates of Minnesota law schools or ABAaccredited law school (if employed by qualified Minnesota agency). Applicants must be attorneys, but an applicant s employers policy re bar passage will be followed. Certain assets offset the amount of assistance provided. 15 Mississippi: Participants must be admitted to the State Bar of Mississippi by the end of the first year after having been selected as a participant. 16 Montana: must be admitted to the State Bar of Montana by the end of the first year after having been selected as a participant. 17 Nebraska: Part-time attorneys receive pro-rated assistance. Attorney applicants must be a licensed Nebraska attorney or become licensed within 12 months of becoming an LRAP participant and must be post-probation period. 18 New Hampshire: Part-time attorneys receive pro-rated assistance. 19 New Mexico: Applicants must be licensed in New Mexico. Preference is given to applicants who graduated form the University of New Mexico law school, have the greatest financial need, and have the lowest salaries. The award is a grant, but interest, along with the grant amount must be repaid if a recipient does not fulfill his or her obligations. 20 New York: Applicants will not receive assistance until admitted to New York Bar. 21 North Carolina: must be a licensed member in good standing of a state Bar. An applicant may apply before licensed, but will not be eligible to participate until licensed. Preference is given to graduates of North Carolina law schools, then graduates of out-of-state law schools who are originally from NC, and then others.
22 Ohio: Participants must be a permanent hire employee. to part-time attorneys is pro-rated. Participants must be licensed in Ohio within 18 months of becoming a participant. Licensure requirement may be waived for positions that do not require an Ohio license, but are held by an attorney. 23 Oregon: Applicants must be eligible debt of at least $35,000. Part-time employees may apply, but assistance may be prorated at the Advisory Committee s discretion. Applicants must be licensed in Oregon. Participants remain eligible if their salaries increase above $55,000. 24 South Carolina: to part-time attorneys is pro-rated. Law licensure requirement may be waived for up to 12 months, and be waived entirely for attorneys in positions that may not require a South Carolina law license. 25 Texas: must be licensed to practice law in Texas, with the exception of immigration attorneys who may be licensed in any U.S. jurisdiction. Attorneys who were full-time and were reduced to part-time for budgetary reasons continue to receive the full assistance. Other part-time attorneys who work a minimum of 20 hours per week as their exclusive employment will be considered for pro rata assistance on a case by case basis. 26 Vermont: to part-time attorneys is pro-rated. 27 Virginia: to part-time attorneys is pro-rated. Participants must be licensed in Virginia within 18 months of becoming a participant. Licensure requirement may be waived for positions that do not require a Virginia license, but are held by an attorney.