Toby’s blog

I heard from some students that there was some misinformation out on the message boards on the subject of the Low-Income Protection Plan and our financial aid packages—most specifically on post-graduation options. So I posed some questions to Ken Lafler, HLS’s director of Student Financial Services.

Q: Does the LIPP program allow you to practice in the private sector, say in a small law firm?

A: Sure. LIPP is based on income and debt level—so private practice or small law firm practice works just as well as public service if your income level is low enough. We also have several graduates working as in-house counsel at for-profit companies.

Q: Can you get a political job, like on a campaign or in a congressional office, and still qualify for LIPP?

A: Absolutely. Though Summer Public Interest Funding (SPIF) doesn’t cover campaign work, the LIPP program definitely covers political work of all kinds. We’ve had a number of graduates in think tanks, working on campaigns, congressional staff, etc.

Q: Some people think that an HLS graduate’s only choices are a law firm paying $160,000 a year or a very low-paying public interest job. Are those the only feasible options?

A: There is a huge range of employment between those two extremes. Many people are surprised to find that there are public sector positions with starting salaries of $50,000 and above. Jobs in the middle range of salaries present different kinds financial challenges and require good personal budgeting skills, but LIPP will help based on actual income level and debt load, so each individual has his or her own unique situation. Some scenarios are available at this link.

Q: When I do the math, it seems like my loans would be as much as $200,000. That’s got to be something like $5000/month to repay! Is that doable?

A: First of all, not a single HLS graduate has left with that much law school debt any time in the last five years! And 80% of the HLS Class of 2006 who had law school debt graduated with a debt load under $135,000, with a median debt load of under $100,000 (which would mean monthly payments of no more than $1500 and $1200 respectively). Graduates in private sector jobs can manage that kind of debt load (with take-home pay of as much as $7000/month), and those earning low incomes can get help from LIPP for as long as they need it. Plus, with summer jobs paying upwards of $30,000 or $35,000, students who would otherwise borrow the full cost of attendance can cut down on their debt load quite a bit. Many students also supplement their budget with work as a research assistant, undergraduate house tutor, or teaching fellow.

Ken also told me to encourage everyone to check out the financial aid website for the facts about LIPP, SPIF, and financial aid generally.