Columbia Law School offers a Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) that is among the most generous in the country to ensure that law school debt does not prevent Columbia graduates from entering the public interest sector.
Columbia provides all graduates who enter qualifying public interest employment within seven years of graduation with interest-free loans that are used to repay a large portion of their law school debt. Loans are gradually forgiven after three years and completely forgiven after five years, as long as the graduate remains in public interest law. Unlike programs at many other schools, LRAP has no salary cap because benefits are determined by the difference between annual loan repayments and expected contribution from income. Recent improvements establish an earnings floor below which no contributions by the graduate are required.
More on CLS's LRAP Program
PUBLIC INTEREST ENHANCED LRAP FELLOWSHIPS
Enhanced LRAP Fellowships are awarded to students who have demonstrated dedication to and exceptional promise for leadership in public interest law. These fellowships cover all loans up to the cost of law school tuition for Fellows whose annual income does not exceed $100,000, and the schedule of forgiveness is accelerated beyond that of the typical LRAP arrangement.
Currently four types of fellowships are available: Lowenstein Fellowships, endowed by a faculty member, are designated for at least four incoming students each year. Dean's Public Interest Fellows are designed for two incoming students each year. Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossman LLP Fellowships, from the law firm of the same name, are granted to a graduate pursuing anti-discrimination work, as is the Berger Fellowship. Strine Fellowships are granted to a graduate pursuing Native American law.
Lowenstein Enhanced LRAP Fellowship
Endowed by Professor Louis Lowenstein and his wife Helen, at least four fellowships per year are awarded to outstanding graduates pursuing any type of public interest law, including government service.
Berger LRAP Fellowship
Endowed by Max W. Berger ’71 and Dale Berger, one fellowship is awarded to a graduate pursuing anti-discrimination work. This fellowship will not be offered in 2011.
Bernstein LRAP Fellowship
The Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann LLP Fellowship (Bernstein Fellowship) will be awarded to one Columbia Law School graduate who whose career and first post-graduate job (other than a judicial clerkship) will be substantially devoted to using the law to fight racial, gender and/or other discrimination. This fellowship will be offered in 2011.
Strine LRAP Fellowship
One fellowship per year is awarded to a graduate pursuing Native American law.