Local 2325 Leads the Charge for Expanded Student Loan Assistance for Public Interest Lawyers in New York

Nearly 40 different legal organizations—including UAW Local 2325, which represents over 3,000 legal services workers—signed an open letter to New York Governor Kathy Hochul last week, urging her to allocate $4 million in her upcoming 2026 executive budget to expand student loan assistance for public interest attorneys.

The proposed $4 million is an estimated cost to enable legislation, introduced by New York State Senator Jessica Ramos, that would increase student loan aid for public interest attorneys from $3,400 to $8,000 annually, for up to eight years, or for a total award eligibility of up to $64,000.

The letter sounds the alarm that the incoming presidential administration could be looking to raid federal loan forgiveness and income-driven repayment plans, which are helping public interest lawyers in New York—thousands of whom are UAW members—make ends meet while working in underserved fields like public defense.

In an interview with the New York Law Journal, Jane Fox, chapter chair of the Legal Aid Society Attorneys union, said reduced federal assistance would mean that some members who are currently repaying loans at $200-300 per month would instead face drastic increases up to $800 or $900 per month. "People are very afraid, and rightly so, because it feels like some of these programs could be taken away," she said.

Fox, who helped craft the legislation, explained to Amsterdam News that the combination of student loan payments, high cost of living, and low wages hits the hardest when public defenders reach mid-career. She said law school debt is usually their second- or third-highest monthly expense. “From the union’s perspective, I could bargain a great contract and win a huge salary increase for my members, but if almost 100% of my members have this huge student loan bill every month, how much does the salary increase get them?” she said.

For many attorneys, Fox told the Queens Eagle, a few hundred dollars increase in monthly student loan payments could be the tipping point that drives them out of the field altogether. “This bill is to avoid a potential crisis situation,” she said.

In the News:

• New York Law Journal: Public Interest Lawyers in NY Fear Rollback of Federal Loan Assistance in '25, Ask Gov. to Add $4M to State Program (Dec. 3)
• Queens Eagle: DAs and attorneys call on gov to expand atty loan forgiveness program (Dec. 5)
• Amsterdam News: Expanding student debt forgiveness program aims to stop the bleeding in public defense, district attorney’s office (Dec. 12)
• Chief Leader: Lawyers petition for expansion of loan forgiveness program (Dec. 20)