Law school students in the class of 2009 will graduate with nearly $73,000 in debt, according to an Oct. 20 National Law Journal article.
    For many graduates, entering the public sector is not possible given existing debt. But some law schools are beginning  actions to ensure their students can enter the public sector.
    Jim Mosimann, a 2008 K-State graduate and current law student at the University of Iowa, said providing financial incentives to enter the public sector is an exciting and worthwhile idea.
    "While the private sector offers young lawyers an array of opportunities," he said in an e-mail interview, "we are a country in need of more individuals willing to commit themselves to the greater good through some form of public service."
    An article in the fall 2008 edition of Pre-Law magazine noted more students want to work in the public-interest field than in the last 15 years.
    Daralyn Gordon Arata, pre-law adviser at K-State, said she believes public interest has become a bigger field.
    "I think there are going to be more and more of these opportunities for people to give back to the world and to make it a better place to live," she said.
    A sampling of schools shows a variety of approaches at putting law students in the public sector.
    In March, Harvard Law School enacted a plan to waive the third-year tuition of graduates who enter the public sector and remain there for five years.
    The University of Chicago Law School offers $10,000 a year for seven years after graduation to students who enter a public service job. Students at Columbia University's Law School can receive fellowships for internships after their first summer in law.
    More locally, the law school at the University of Kansas also is making efforts to remain affordable.
    Gail Agrawal, dean of the law school, said programs similar to those at Harvard and Columbia are a long-term goal that would require raising private funds in creating a large endowment.
    KU's law school has taken initial steps toward providing more support for students in the public sector by establishing a summer stipend program. Last year, the school was able to fund 19 students through donations from the school's board of governors, faculty members and alumni. Agrawal said the implementation process would be a long one.
    "To establish a loan-repayment program, we would have to raise private dollars, presumably from alumni and other friends of the law school, to create an endowment dedicated to this purpose," she said in an e-mail interview. "Because we are able to spend only a percentage of the value of the endowment, we would need a sizable amount of money to implement a meaningful program."   
    Jacqlene Nance, director of admissions for the law school, said 53 percent of current students have received some sort of scholarship.
    She also said KU was ranked high in terms of graduates who entered the public sector in a recent article of National Jurist, a magazine for law students.
    Nance said the school offers competitive scholarships and is thankful to legislators and the Board of Regents among others for keeping tuition low.
    Jessica Bradford, sophomore in political science and pre-law, said financial assistance makes potential law schools more attractive for her.
    "I would definitely consider a university that would give those sort of options," she said referring to the programs at Harvard, Columbia and the University of Chicago, "because there's a lot more incentive, so it would definitely be more attractive to me."