Loan Repayment Assistance Program Helps 3 Alumni

February 29, 2008

As the cost of law school continuously increases, the salaries of public interest and public sector jobs remains the same. Recognizing our graduates' commitment to public service, Capital University Law School created a Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) to support those alumni choosing public service. Michelle Sposito Atkinson, L’05; Amelia Woodward, L’04; and Tasha Ruth, L’05, recipient of the Max Kravitz Loan Repayment Award, are the first recipients of Capital’s newly created Loan Repayment Assistance Program.

While the rewards of public service can prove immeasurable, the salaries are easily quantified. On average, approximately 30 percent of Capital law graduates enter the public sector, many with a starting salary of $45,000 or less and carrying more than $70,000 in law school student loan debt.

The next round of applications will be accepted in fall 2008 for 2009 awards.

For more information about the program, visit www.law.capital.edu/alumni/lrap/index.asp.

Michelle Sposito Atkinson, L’05, works for the Ohio Legal Rights Service (OLRS). The mission of OLRS is to protect and advocate, in partnership with people with disabilities, for their human, civil and legal rights.

“I am so excited that Capital has started the Loan Repayment Assistance Program. It really recognizes commitment to public interest work. As a recipient of the award, I am able to pursue my passion and worry less about repaying my loans.” ~ Michelle Sposito Atkinson, L’05

Tasha Ruth, L’05, is a Franklin County Public Defender. She is the recipient of the Max Kravitz Memorial Loan Repayment Assistance Award.

“I am thrilled to be a Max Kravitz LRAP recipient. Choosing a career in public interest law as a public defender was one of the best choices I have made. The only drawback to this field is that while the personal rewards are high, the salary is not. This makes student loan repayment a daunting task. This award makes criminal justice careers more feasible and hopefully will attract more qualified attorneys to this field.” ~ Tasha Ruth, L’05

Amelia Woodward, L’04, is an AmeriCorps attorney and works for Legal Aid of Western Ohio, which represents low-income clients in court and at administrative hearings on such issues as evictions and landlord/tenant disputes, public benefits work and unemployment cases. She also conducts outreach to the community through county wide informational and educational events.

“I want to express my gratitude to Capital for recognizing the importance of public interest law and for developing a financial assistance program that gives back to those who give back. Almost every law student bears a significant financial burden trying to repay student loans after graduation. Hopefully, this program will encourage more law students to consider public interest law as a career.” ~ Amelia Woodward, L'04