UCI Law Enriches Loan Repayment Assistance Program
IRVINE, Calif. (July 25, 2022) The University of California, Irvine School of Law is pleased to announce that starting January 2023, a greater number of alumni will be eligible to receive financial assistance as the law school enhances its Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP).
One of the key missions of UCI Law is to encourage and support J.D. students and graduates who wish to pursue careers in public service. To help achieve this goal, the Law School created LRAP, which helps support UCI Law J.D. graduates who have chosen public interest careers by reducing the financial burden of federal education loans, including undergraduate and law school loans. UCI Law has a deeply embedded culture of public service, instilling in students the importance of using their legal skills to help underrepresented communities and champion social justice for all. Since 2009 our students have provided more than 135,000 hours of legal services for the underserved through our pro bono programs. UCI Law students have provided tens of thousands of additional hours through our clinic and externship programs. Our graduates remain committed to making the world a better place, either as public interest attorneys or through pro bono service in their private practice.
“UCI LRAP has been vital to my ability to pursue a public interest career,” stated Viridiana Sarahi Chabolla, UCI Law ’20 and Staff Attorney at Immigrant Defenders Law Center. “It has allowed me to worry about one less thing, focus on my work, and plan out my career in a meaningful way.”
Beginning with the Class of 2020 and beyond, alumni with incomes up to $65,000 will be eligible for full repayment assistance of their federal student loan payments under the Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) options: Income-Based Repayment (IBR) or Pay As You Earn (PAYE). The school has increased the eligibility threshold from the current threshold of $60,000. Graduates earning between $65,000 and $90,000 are eligible for prorated assistance, up from the current threshold of $80,000.
“Since our founding, UCI Law has provided tremendous training and support for students committed to public service,” said Austen Parrish, incoming dean of UCI Law. “I’m pleased that this change to the eligibility guidelines will expand the support we can provide our graduates who have pursued public interest careers.”
LRAP has been instrumental in helping our students and recent graduates. “I went to law school knowing I wanted to do public interest work and finding a law school that would support me while in school and after graduation was important,” said Emily Genzlinger, UCI Law ’20 and Assistant Public Defender at 22nd Judicial District Public Defender. "While in law school, I could focus on pursuing a career in public interest, from classwork to internships. I also had flexibility when selecting where I would go after law school. I currently live and work in a suburban area of Louisiana where there is a desperate need for well-trained, client-centered public defenders. Without LRAP, I would have been limited in where I felt comfortable going.”
“I came to UCI Law knowing I was interested in public interest law, but it was UCI Law's LRAP that assured me it could be a financially viable career path,” said Dylan Bakert, UCI Law ’19 and Staff Attorney at Texas RioGrande Legal Aid. “Thanks to LRAP, I could plan to pursue summer internships and take coursework that would be particularly valuable to public interest employers, which I might not have otherwise taken. Today, UCI Law's LRAP enables me to do the kind of legal advocacy that I believe matters without sacrificing my financial stability.”
“UCI Law's LRAP has been a source of support that has helped me to pursue my passion of working to defend and empower immigrants and immigrant communities,” said Daniel Werner, UCI Law ’18 and Immigration Attorney at Dolores Street Community Services. “I am very grateful to have attended UCI, a law school that has prioritized making it possible for alumni to launch and sustain careers fighting for social justice through programs like LRAP.”
About the University of California, Irvine School of Law
The University of California, Irvine School of Law is a top, visionary law school that provides an innovative and comprehensive curriculum, prioritizes public service, and demonstrates a commitment to diversity within the legal profession. UCI Law students have completed more than 135,000 hours of pro bono work since 2009. Forty-eight percent of UCI Law's J.D. graduates are people of color. At UCI Law, we are driven to improve our local, national, and global communities by grappling with important issues as scholars, as practitioners, and as teachers who are preparing the next generation of leaders. The collaborative and interdisciplinary community at UCI Law includes extraordinary students, world-renowned faculty, dedicated staff, engaged alumni and enthusiastic supporters. More information on UCI Law is available here. Please follow us on Twitter @UCILaw, Facebook @UCIrvineLaw and Instagram @ucilaw.
Media Contact
Stephanie WilnerCommunications and PR Manager
swilner@law.uci.edu