Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) for Public Interest Lawyers

Columbia Law School offers a Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) for J.D. students interested in becoming public interest lawyers. It is among the most generous in the country to ensure that law school debt does not prevent graduates from entering the public interest sector.

LRAP benefits are loans, which are used to repay Law School debt. LRAP loans are gradually forgiven when graduates remain in public interest employment for more than three years.

Participants have the option of electing the traditional Columbia Law School LRAP, or a program that combines Columbia’s LRAP with the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program. For detailed information about the programs, please refer to the Columbia Law School Loan Repayment Assistance Program description, paying particular attention to the “Combining LRAP with the Federal Program” section.

LRAP Policies & Procedures

Several Enhanced LRAP Fellowships have been established at Columbia Law School, and are awarded to students who have demonstrated dedication to and exceptional promise for leadership in public interest law.

  • These fellowships are designed to supplement the benefits of LRAP, and can cover as much as 100% of eligible debt service for loans borrowed up to the cost of Law School tuition for fellows whose annual income does not exceed $100,000.
  • Fellows are selected after graduation.
  • For more information, please refer to the Office of Public Interest/Public Service Law and Careers webpage for Columbia Fellowships or contact the Office of Public Interest/Public Service Law and Careers directly for more information.

Please feel free to contact our LRAP Administrator, Ms. Seandell James (212-854-1245) by email or phone for questions related to LRAP.

Columbia Law School always attempts to ensure that, to the extent possible, changes in the coverage and policies of the Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) do not prejudice the interests of graduates who made fundamental decisions in reliance on the basic features of the program at the time they entered the Law School. Applicants should be aware that other factors, including fiscal constraints and the changing needs of the legal community, also will be considered in determining the design and administration of the program over the years.  Eligibility and the extent of support available under the program will be determined at the time a graduate applies to the program, in accordance with the rules and policies then applicable.

Contact Us

Ms. Seandell James

Director, Financial Aid and LRAP Administrator

Office of Financial Aid

LRAP 2022-23 Participant Breakdown

Total Participants: 307

Columbia LRAP Statistics

Columbia LRAP supports high levels of retention over time. On average, more than 4 out of 5 LRAP participants remain enrolled in the program after five years.

  2014 Graduates 2015 Graduates 2016 Graduates 2017 Graduates 2018 Graduates
5-Year Retention Rate* 83% 74% 88% 68% 89%
5-Year Adjusted Retention Rate**  91% 89% 95% 81% 97%
           
  2008 Graduates 2009 Graduates 2010 Graduates 2011 Graduates 2012 Graduates
10-Year Adjusted Retention Rate ** 31% 31% 33% 37% 34%

* Tracks retention of graduates who enrolled in LRAP during the first year of post-graduation
** Adjusts for clerks who use LRAP to bridge obligations 

Columbia LRAP allows graduates to enroll in the program up to 7 years after law school graduation. New participants are not included in the retention calculation, as they were not enrolled during their first year post-graduation. The retention rate understates the overall participation rate, as it does not include new participants.

  2014 Graduates 2015 Graduates 2016 Graduates 2017 Graduates 2018 Graduates
# of New Participants After First Year*** 4 11 5 1 3

*** Number of new graduates who enrolled in LRAP after the first year post-graduation