Every year, many Pitt Law graduates pursue advocacy in public sector employment. However, these new lawyers face a substantial challenge. It is especially difficult for new law graduates with student loan debt to take lower-paying jobs. The Law School recognizes that the legal community is responsible for serving others and seeks to support its students in pursuing a broad range of career choices.
Pitt Law has adopted three loan repayment assistance programs in the hope that it may begin to remove obstacles to graduates interested in choosing a career of service and will serve as the foundation of a sustainable, permanent loan repayment assistance program.
Application Process
Graduates can apply for all of the Pitt Law Loan Repayment Assistance Programs by completing one application and the employer certification. The application and supporting materials should be submitted by January 15. For more information about the program and application procedures, view the LRAP Information.
Pitt Law Loan Repayment Assistance Program
The Loan Repayment Assistance Program provides direct financial assistance to qualifying graduates who enter public interest careers by contributing money to their student loan payments. Recent Pitt Law graduates may apply for consideration if they meet the requirements for "qualifying employment" and "qualifying income." Graduates must work full-time for a public interest or public service employer. An applicant's income qualifies if their family's annual AGI is approximately 400% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (please see the application for more details).
H. Rowena Herring Family Loan Repayment Assistance Program
The H. Rowena Herring Program will assist a recent graduate working in an area of public interest related to child welfare. Graduates may apply for consideration if they meet requirements for qualifying employment, qualifying income, and past participation in a Law School Clinical Program connected to the health and well-being of families and children. Preference will also be given to recent graduates who are Pennsylvania residents.
The Honorable Gary L. Lancaster Award for Public Interest or Service
The Honorable Gary L. Lancaster Award will assist a recent graduate working in public interest or service. Graduates may apply if they meet the Pitt Law Loan Repayment Assistance program requirements and submit a letter of recommendation. Qualified graduates must be Western Pennsylvania residents from underrepresented backgrounds with high academic achievement.
