Waive Fees for Public Service Lawyers

Title of bill

An act to amend the judiciary law, in relation to waiving the biennial attorney registration fee for New York attorneys who meet the federal public service loan forgiveness program employment qualifications

Purpose

Waives the biennial registration fee for New York attorneys who meet the federal public service loan forgiveness program employment qualifica- tions

Summary of provisions

Section 1 amends Section 468-a of the Judiciary Law, to allow New York attorneys who meet the employment requirements for participation in the federal public service loan forgiveness program, as set forth by 20 U.S.C. 1087e(m), to similarly be eligible for a waiver of the biennial attorney registration fee collected by the New York Office of Court Administration.

Section 2 sets forth the effective date of this legislation.

Justification

As the nation's student debt crisis has continued to balloon in recent years, law school graduates have been especially crippled by the cost of their education. In 2015, The New York Times reported that the average student loan debt carried by an American law school graduate was approx- imately $140,000. This is in stark contrast to the average student loan debt of $37,712 carried by students receiving an undergraduate degree in 2016.

Recognizing that massive student loan debt brings a negative impact upon the nation's economy, often disenabling professionals from making 'big ticket' purchases for up to thirty years in their futures, the federal government implemented several reforms related to the repayment of student loan debt. These included the establishment of the income-based repayment programs, as well as the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLFP), now codified at 20 U.S.C. 1087e(m). Graduates who are employed full-time by government organizations and most 501(c)(3) nonprofit groups are eligible for participation in the PSLFP, which forgives the balance of a graduate's student loan debt after making ten years of payments on student loans, while employed by such an organiza- tion. The PSLFP seeks to incentivize students to work in government and/or non-profit positions where employers typically cannot afford the salaries that can be earned in the private sector.

Building upon this theme, this legislation seeks to was the biennial attorney registration fee for New York attorneys who also quafilfy for participation in the PSLFP. This fee, currently pegged at $375 every two years, comes in addition to costly aspects of maintaining one's bar license, including fees associated with mandatory continued legal educa- tion and an attorney's admission to practice before federal courts. As the State of New York and other organizations necessarily seek out the best and brightest attorneys to work on behalf of the People, this

legislation takes an important step toward incentivizing lawyers to accept positions in public service.

Prior legislative history

2018: 5.987 - Died in Judiciary 2017: 5.987 - Died in Finance

Fiscal impact

To be determined.

Effective date

This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law; provided, however that effective immediately, the addi- tion, amendment and/or repeal of the rules or regulations necessary for the implementation of the foregoing provisions of this act on its effec- tive date are authorized and directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date.