Hi Heather,

I have accepted a federal judicial clerkship following my law school graduation in May 2012. This position, though a full clerkship, is unpaid. I am wondering A) if there is any type of federal loan forgiveness that might apply for working for the federal government without compensation for a year? and B) what my best course of action would be for this year post graduation when I will have no income, but will be expected to start paying back my loans.

Thanks!

Some federal government employers have their own loan repayment assistance programs, it varies from agency to agency. Have you checked with the court?It sounds like you know that Public Service Loan Forgiveness requires full-time paid employment.

Income-Based Repayment is a good option for people with low incomes. Assuming you don’t have a lot of private student loans, that’s likely to be a good option for you.