About This Initiative
The ABA YLD’s Student Loans and Financial Wellness advocates for reduced loan burdens while providing practical resources for managing debt.
Student Loans and Finances
Providing research and solutions to help understand the impact of student loan debt on the personal and professional lives of relatively new lawyers
Student Debt Surveys
YLD Debt Surveys
Infographics and links to articles from media outlets about the ABA YLD Debt Surveys.
Video: Recapping the 2021 Results
The 2021 report aims to answer questions and provide more nuanced understanding of the impact of student loan borrowing on the career trajectory of young lawyers.
The ABA YLD Supports...
Student Loan Articles
How to Prepare for the End of the Student Loan Payment Pause
Here’s what borrowers should do now to get ready for when their student loan payments resume this fall.
How to Shift Your View of Your Student Loan Debt and Learn How to Manage It
Many lawyers feel shame about their debt and are overwhelmed just thinking about it. That’s unsurprising, considering that our society has conditioned us to believe that debt is bad and that you’re somehow a bad person if you have it. It’s not true.
The Student Loan Debt Fire Burning Around Us
The cost of attending law school has increased significantly, and tuition costs for law students far outpace lawyer salaries at large firms and even the costs of housing.
10 Tips to Help You Pay Off Your Student Loans and Save for Retirement
So how do you tackle both paying off your debt and saving for retirement? By making the right choices early on in your career and by having a clear financial plan.
15 Considerations for When You’re Planning Your Student Loan Repayment
The best student loan strategy will be one that can adapt as circumstances change. Consider how changes in living situation, employer, and salary might impact your plans.
Your Financial Troubles May Affect More Than Just Your Wallet
Research indicates that debtors report significantly higher rates of depression, anxiety, and anger than individuals living without the burden of debt.
Student Loan Videos and CLE
Understanding and Navigating the Student Debt Crisis
The ABA dives into the 2020 Student Loan Debt report’s findings and discuss proposed solutions – on both the practical, personal level and the systemic, policy level – to address these critical issues.
CLE: Financial Fitness: How Your Finances Affect Your Well-Being
This program will educate attendees about the ways poor financial fitness can affect their lives and practice and will provide practical solutions to these financial issues by a Certified Financial Advisor.
Key Strategies for Managing Student Loans and Other Debt
Debt and Credit Strategist Jen Lee and Creative Joy Director Samorn Selim, both lawyers, will share their expertise on how law students and lawyers can navigate the waters of debt and careers.
More Resources
Prepare for Student Loan Payments To Restart
Don’t wait for your bill to arrive. Start preparing now with these resources from the U.S. Department of Education.