Academic

Harvard Law School plans to waive law school tuition for the third year of law school for students who pledge to spend five years working for the government or a nonprofit organization. The plan stems from the persistent concern that debt and other financial pressures force students otherwise interested in the public sector to choose more lucrative jobs in the for-profit arena. Indeed, in light of my recent post about the salary differences between non-profit and for-profit leaders, it is clear that students cannot hope to make as much money in the public sector. It is also clear that law school cost a lot of money and students who take on the financial burden of law school find themselves unable to turn down jobs that will relieve that burden in order to work in the public sector. To be sure, Harvard already has a loan forgiveness program, but believed it needed to do more. Indeed, the fact that between 2003 and 2006, only 54-67 of Harvard's 550 graduates chose careers in the government or public sector suggest that other measures were needed. Students seeking a tuition waiver must demonstrate some commitment to the public sector while in law school, but those students also will be eligible for the loan forgiveness program. Interestingly, clerkships apparently will count towards the five year commitment. Dean Kagan did note that the law school planned to track students to ensure that they remained in the public sector for the full five years, otherwise students will be asked to return the tuition money. Of course it is not clear what type of impact the program will have. And maybe we will learn that the expressed desire to work in the public sector is more often than not an admissions ploy. However, for those who genuinely find themselves struggling between that desire and their financial commitments, the program seems like a positive development, especially because it reduces students debt load up front while continuing their eligibility for loan forgiveness after the fact. Seems like a commendable step in the right direction.