Government & Public Interest Blog

Thursday, July 08, 2010

Five million dollars is now available for distribution to qualified civil legal assistance attorneys. The online application is accessible here: http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/attachments/siteresources/CLAARPapp.pdf

Applying as soon as possible is critical because the Department of Education will commit these funds to eligible civil legal assistance attorneys on a first-come, first-served basis.

Completed and signed applications can be returned to the Department of Education as follows:

• Fax Number: 1-315-738-6674

• Mail: U.S. Department of Education
Civil Legal Assistance Attorney
Student Loan Repayment Program
PO Box 4399
Utica, NY 13504

• Overnight mail: Call 1-877-699-1834 for courier/overnight address

Complete and signed applications will be date and time stamped and processed in the order they are received. Do not submit an incomplete application-- if the application is denied because it is incomplete, the Department of Education will send a letter explaining the reason it was denied, and a resubmitted request will receive a new date and time stamp.

What Is Government & Public Interest Work?

In 2008, approximately 33% of Florida Coastal's graduating class entered into a government or public interest position. The broad categories of public interest and government encompass a large spectrum of positions on the local, city, state, and national arenas. Positions can range from work in a public defender's office, the ACLU, or Earthjustice to opportunities at the U.S. Attorney's Office, the National Women's Law Center, or the World Organization for Human Rights. The career possibilities within the government or public interest entity are endless and should be considered by anyone looking for meaningful work and the opportunity to make a difference.