ABA Prez Laments Young Lawyers ‘Squashed by Debt,’ Presses Deferment Idea
The ABA continues to lobby for student loan deferments for recent law grads, despite Congress’ failure to advance the proposal.
ABA President Carolyn B. Lamm told The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times that congressional and White House aides appeared interested in finding a solution when she and other ABA officials sought their help. But the loan deferment idea wasn’t included in either of two appropriations bills approved last month.
Under the plan, unemployed recent graduates would be allowed to convert private loans into federal ones, a change that would give the graduates up to three years to defer payments, the National Law Journal reported last month.
“Wherever we have an opportunity, we share our views,” Lamm told The BLT. “What we can’t have is this situation of a generation of young lawyers squashed by debt.”
Educational debt averages nearly $60,000 for public law school graduates and more than $91,000 for private law graduates, according to the ABA.
