Go Premium for $25 and get
Already a member? Log in here.
Join Derek Brainard, MBA, AFC®, CRPC® from nonprofit AccessLex Institute as he outlines how to create a financial plan that works for you during law school. You can also download the
Join LeAndra Ross from AccessLex Institute as she breaks down the sometimes-complicated world of student loan repayment. Learn how to choose a repayment plan that works for you!
Join Jennifer DiSanza, JD, AFC® from nonprofit AccessLex Institute as she discusses the financial actions you can take as you prepare for and transition to life after law school. The Virtual Office Hours series connects you with experts to help you thrive as a law student and prepare
Your loan debt probably already feels crushing. Discussions are underway to ease your burden, but their success is uncertain.
A law school student loan debt survey report demonstrates the growing crisis of lawyer debt. Here's how that impacts law students.
Do you know that potential landlords, employers and even utilities companies routinely access credit scores as part of their application process? Learning how to manage student loans, credit cards and other debt is essential. Establishing financial skills early on and working to build a good
This article, written by Joshua Cohen, originally appeared in the May/June 2020 issue of GPSolo magazine, volume 37, number 3, published by the American Bar Association Solo, Small Firm and General Practice Division. All rights reserved. This information or any portion thereof may not be copied or disseminated in
The national student debt is now at $1.6 trillion. Students loans are currently the second largest slice of household debt after mortgages. In 2019, about one in eight Americans had student loan obligations. Many financial models predict that 40 percent of all federally backed
There’s no dancing around it: debt and loans are an anchor on law students and young lawyers. To put a visual to the daunting numbers that we all know in checking our own loan servicing accounts, one place we can look is the
In response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, Congress has come together in a bipartisan way to offer financial support to millions of student loan borrowers trying to navigate these difficult times. The recently enacted Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provides a number of
Here’s a three-step guide to setting your course for student loan repayment, with a few cautionary tips along the way.
It’s never too early or too late to start thinking about paying off law school loans. In some cases, if you go to the right school, make the right amount of money, and follow confusing steps that may go horribly awry at any point, you
Editor's note: This post has been updated to clarify a passage in the original version (5/16/19, 10:44 a.m. CDT). As the spring semester comes to a close, many 3Ls are investigating their bar study loan options. Borrowing one last loan to pay
Getting that first student loan bill can be terrifying. For many borrowers, it is the precise moment the monopoly money of student loans becomes real debt. For young lawyers, it can lead to an epic panic. I owe how much? This can’t be right, who
There is a great debate in the legal and financial aid community. Is it a good idea to borrow money for law school? How much is too much? When is law school a mistake? To be clear, this analysis is critical and should be considered by any perspective law
Want to get your student loans paid off faster? Would you like to retire a bit earlier? What if I told you there was an easy step you could take right now that would help you accomplish those goals? These questions may sound like the beginning
Debt and Credit Strategist Jen Lee and Creative Joy Director Samorn Selim, both lawyers, share their expertise on how law students and lawyers can navigate the waters of debt and careers in this webinar, "Key Strategies for Managing Student Loans and Other Debt."
As a law student there are many things you can be doing to “vaccinate” yourself from future misery. A few small steps will leave you much better off in the future.
Most of us will incur some type of student loan debt by the time we graduate from law school. Depending on the professional path we choose, it may take more than a decade to be debt free. Today, student debt in the United States amounts to more
Last month this column admonished law students not to rely on the public service student loan forgiveness (PSLF) program. The many variables of life make it a dangerous six figure bet. Shortly after publication of this advice, news broke that 99 percent of borrowers who applied for PSLF were rejected. At the risk of sending mixed messages, however, I would tell law students and young lawyers not to give up on PSLF either.
Student loans are scary and sometimes downright mystifying. Do as much research as possible and ask questions, even the ones you’re afraid to ask.
Don’t bank on student loan forgiveness. Don’t borrow money that you don’t absolutely need. Have a Plan B and keep an open mind to the future.
If you want to make a difference to preserve Public Service Loan Forgiveness, this is that time, today’s the day. Tell your elected officials to oppose the PROSPER Act – now.
“Law school” and “debt-free” may seem like an oxymoron these days. Mainstream media and law school admissions blogs alike are filled with stories of newly-minted lawyers who are hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt and without an income adequate to pay off that debt. But I am here to tell you that it is not only possible—but entirely attainable—to graduate law school without any (or with only minimal) student loan debt.
I spoke at my law school at an admitted students’ event about how I decided on a law school. I am sharing some of my thoughts here as well because I know that many of you are making the same decision.