Civil Legal Aid Lawyers Not Likely to Get CLAAP Again
The Civil Legal Assistance Attorney loan repayment assistance program, affectionately referred to as CLAAP (or CLAARP), looks like it’s run its course.
President Obama’s fiscal year 2012 federal budget request proposes eliminating this program, and many other discretionary spending programs. First funded in fiscal year 2010, CLAAP is authorized by the Higher Education Opportunity Act to provide up to $40,000 in loan forgiveness to civil legal aid lawyers. In its budget request, the administration indicates that because civil legal service attorneys already qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness benefits, the Civil Legal Assistance Attorney Repayment Program is unnecessary.
Well, OK. But not exactly. Granted, full-time paid employment at a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (like most civil legal aid offices) is qualifying employment for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). The problem is that some civil legal aid lawyers get no help from PSLF, and experienced lawyers benefit the least. Only Federal Direct Loans are eligible for PSLF, and private student loans are completely ineligible. Civil legal aid lawyers who have been out of school for a while are likely to have less eligible debt (since they didn’t have access to an important federal loan, GradPLUS) and more ineligible private debt.
In the first and probably only CLAAP award cycle, the Department of Ed recently committed $6,000 awards to around 800 civil legal assistance attorneys. Those lawyers are subject to a three-year service commitment and must document their first year of employment before receiving the award. 
