A coalition of 35 district attorney offices, public defender offices, civil legal services providers, unions, and others have signed a letter calling on Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature to ensure the upcoming budget bolsters the District Attorney and Indigent Legal Services Attorney Loan Forgiveness (DALF) program.

“Increasing student loan relief for attorneys — who, on average, carry $130,000 of student loan debt — will help ease the financial burdens driving attorneys out of our organizations and into the private sector, impeding low-income New Yorkers’ access to justice,” said Twyla Carter, Attorney-in-Chief and Chief Executive Officer of The Legal Aid Society. “Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature must prioritize this legislation in the upcoming budget to ensure that public interest lawyers can continue providing vital legal services for our clients without undue financial strain created by exorbitant student loan debt.”

“District Attorney’s Office across the state are experiencing high attrition rates. Unfortunately, the combination of lower public service salaries and a constantly increasing cost of living often leads to talented practitioners leaving our offices for the private sector,” said John J. Flynn, Erie County District Attorney and President of the District Attorneys Association of the State of New York. “Increasing the amount of student loan repayment assistance provided by DALF until attorneys can qualify for federal loan forgiveness will make a big impact on incentivizing assistant district attorneys to continue using their talents to serve the public interest.”