You’re doing the hard work of getting in and through law school and kicking off a sustainable career in your field. Now, how are you handling repaying the debt you may have accrued along the way?
The average young attorney’s salary in the United States is a generous $176,000, according to 2023 data from the American Bar Association (ABA). While attorneys may earn a significantly higher salary than many other professions, law school is also more expensive than many other programs. ABA data points to a median student loan balance of $137,500 among young attorneys, with additional bar loans totalling around $7,500.
High monthly payments and hefty interest costs can make it difficult to keep up with your law school debt. But fortunately, these strategies might help reduce your burden.
Five Ways to Repay Student Loans from Law School
Follow this guidance to help reduce your law school debt burden, repay your balances faster, or lower your monthly payments.
1. Start paying down your loans while in school
Many federal student loans (and some private student loans) let you defer payments while you’re enrolled in school at least half-time, and for six months after graduation. While this can provide some temporary relief as you’re doing your coursework, consider making payments while in school.
Getting started with repayment early could help you save on interest costs in the long run. For example, if you have Direct Unsubsidized or Direct PLUS Graduate loans, both start accruing interest upon disbursement. Making payments early could help you save later.
2. Consider publis service loan forgiveness (PSLF)
Attorneys working for the government or nonprofit law firms might also be eligible for PSLF enrollment. To be eligible for PSLF, you’ll need to work for a qualifying employer, complete your form, and request that your employer certify and sign it. You may be able to get get eligible student loans forgiven through PSLF after making 120 qualifying monthly payments.
3. Research loan repayment programs
Just as with medical school debt, specialized loan repayment programs are available for law school debt. These programs may be available from federal and state agencies, as well as employers. For instance, the U.S. Department of Justice offers the Department of Justice Attorney Student Loan Repayment Program (ASLRP), a program that aims to encourage recruitment and retention of attorneys.
Likewise, 23 U.S. states also offer Loan Repayment Assistance Programs (LRAPs). These programs are available for many civil legal aid lawyers and may also be available to certain public interest attorneys. If you work for a qualifying employer, you could also be eligible for loan repayment assistance. As you apply for jobs, consider asking potential employers if they have law school loan assistance programs available for new attorneys.
4. Consider an income-driven repayment (IDR) plan
If you have federal student loans for law school, you might be eligible for an IDR plan. That said, both online and paper applications for IDR plans are currently closed, as of March 25, 2025. It’s unclear whether they’ll become available again soon.
For future reference, you’ll need to recertify your annual income and family size every year to remain eligible for an IDR plan.
5. See if refinancing your law school debt may help
Borrowers with multiple federal and private student loans could also consider refinancing. You can choose to refinance all or part of your law school loans. So let’s say you’d like to keep your federal loans. In that case, you could decide to only refinance your existing private student loans with a new private lender. Refinancing your loans might help you in a few ways:
- Consolidating several monthly loan payments into one monthly loan payment
- Potentially reducing your interest rates
- Modifying your repayment term
Some borrowers choose to refinance when rates decline in order to save on interest costs over the life of their loans. Others may decide to refinance to change their repayment term. For example, choosing a longer-term loan could help lower your monthly payments. Just keep in mind that you may pay higher costs over time if you go this route.
Learn More: How to Compare Student Loan Refinancing Lenders
You Can Make Law School Loan Debt More Manageable
Attorneys often make a generous salary, but law school debt can still be burdensome. If you’re struggling with (or expect) high payments, you might decide to start paying down loans while in school, enroll in PSLF or an IDR plan, look into repayment assistance, or consider refinancing your loans with a private lender like ELFI.
ELFI offers competitive rates, flexible terms, and no fees. You’ll also get specialized help from a dedicated student loan advisor who can guide you through the process. Try our student loan refinancing calculator to estimate how much you could save.
