Surkiewicz, Joe

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SCHOOL OF LAWANNOUNCES FIRSTRECIPIENTS OFLOAN REPAYMENTSJOE SURKIEWICZDelivering on a promise to help graduateswith substantial loan burdens pursuecareers in public interest law, theUniversity of Maryland School of Lawrecently announced the first recipients ofits Public Interest Loan RepaymentAssistance Program (LRAP)."It became clear to us that if studentswant to follow their dreams, we had to doour part and develop a loan forgivenessprogram," said Dean Karen Rothenberg.Rothenberg explained that withoutfinancial assistance, many students can-not afford to pursue careers at publicinterest law firms, which pay startingsalaries that are significantly lower thanentry-level positions in private law firms.Most students graduate from lawschool with about $60,000 in debt on topof $20,000 to $30,000 of undergraduatedebt, Rothenberg noted. Many publicinterest firms pay in the $30,000-a-yearrange, while private firms starting salariesrange from $60,000 to more than$100,000.The first recipients of LRAP awardsare Maro Constantinou '01, Mobilizationfor Youth Legal Services, New York City;Kemie King '02, Office of the PublicDefender In Florida; Kelly RuarkKrupinsky '01, Legal Aid Bureau,Baltimore; Rachel Markowitz '99, LegalAid Bureau, Baltimore; Kate Marvel-Lewis '01, Center Against Rape andDomestic Violence, Corvallis, Ore.;Khalilah Nugent '01, Community Lawin Action, Baltimore; Pamela Smith '99,Legal Aid Bureau, Annapolis; and LatinaWilson '98, Legal Aid Bureau, Baltimore.At a ceremony announcing the awards,Wilhelm H. Joseph Jr., executive director ofthe Legal Aid Bureau, praised the loan for-giveness program, pointing out that it aidsthe state'smost vulnerable population."Thank you for great leadership andfor making this program happen," Josephtold the crowd. "You're lucky to have adean like this who helps us help peoplewith a great need."On hand at the ceremony was a panelof students who shared their experiences assummer interns for various public interestlaw firms. Second-year student GeorgeFaraday worked at CASA of Maryland,where he investigated employers accusedof cheating Hispanic day laborers."The most interesting aspect of thework was tracking down employers, whofrequently take advantage of workers whoaren't aware of their rights and may notspeak English," Faraday said. "So it was'in-the-trenches'Taw."Hilary Heslep '02 called her summerinternship at the Maryland Disability LawCenter (MDLC) "a reallygood experience.""You work with attorneys in a way youcan't in a law school clinic," explainedHeslep, a JD/Masters of Social Work can-didate who completed a spring AsperFellowship at MDLC. "You work directlywith clients, plus you get to do systemicadvocacy. It was a really good experiencebecause I combined both. I learned a lotfrom the attorneys, plus it was a greatnetworking experience."The loan repayment program is fundedby the George McManus LRAP Fund; theKieron F. Quinn LRAP Fund; the Samuel1. Rosenberg Loan Assistance Fund; andthe Loan Repayment Assistance ProgramFund. The McManus and Quinn fundsurge graduates to work at the Legal AidBureau or similar public interest law firmsaround the country.Rothenberg praised Rosenberg, a long-time member of the General Assembly,and Quinn, a leading trial attorney inBaltimore, for their generosity."Delegate Rosenberg has been a leaderin the legislature on this issue,"Rothenberg noted. "Keiron has made asignificant commitment and has beeninstrumental in getting it started."For more information about theSchool of Law's loan forgiveness program,contact M. Teresa Schmiedeler, Esq.,director, judicial clerkships and publicinterest programs, at 410-706-2080 .•Pictured teio« (left) Kelly Ruark Krupinsky '01 andWilhelm Joseph, executive director of the Legal AidBureau; (right) Dean Karen Rothenberg and DelegateSandy Rosenberg flank LRAP recipients Khalilah Nugent'01, Pamela Smith '99, Kelly Ruark Krupinsky and MaroConstantinou '01.WWWLAWUMARYLAND.EDU 32

School of Law Announces First Recipients of Loan Payments

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