What is NCLEAF?
In 1989, students and deans at North Carolina's law schools formed NCLEAF as the nation's first statewide loan repayment assistance program for attorneys working in public service careers.
Since the first funding cycle in 1991, NCLEAF has provided over three million dollars in loan repayment assistance to over 300 public service attorneys. NCLEAF, the North Carolina Legal Education Assistance Foundation, helps North Carolina lawyers pursue careers in public service through our educational loan repayment assistance program.
Participating lawyers have accepted positions in which they aid the traditionally underserved populations of North Carolina. They do so at salaries which are often a fraction of those of their counterparts who work at private law firms. Yet they face the same educational debt as their colleagues who enter private practice.

Did you know?
• High educational debt can deter law school graduates from pursuing careers in public interest or government service
• Law school tuitions have increased dramatically, over 200% in the last 20 years
• Students graduate from law school with debts of up to $150,000
• The starting salary for law school graduates who work at one of North Carolina's larger private firms can be over $100,000
• Many attorneys working for legal services still earn less than $35,000 a year, even after several years of employment.
• Average starting salaries for Assistant District Attorneys and Public Defenders are also in the mid-$30,000’s.

Who is eligible for NCLEAF assistance?
The NCLEAF Loan Repayment Assistance Program serves attorneys who:
• Have graduated from an ABA accredited law school
• Are employed full time in a law-related public service position within North Carolina.
Examples of qualifying employment include an organization providing legal services to the poor, a Section 501 (c) (3) nonprofit, a public defender's or district attorney's office, or a federal, state, or local government agency:
• Have current law school educational debt obligation and are not in default on any loan
• Have an Eligibility Income below these qualifying levels:
     $42,000 in the first year of practice,
     $46,000 in the second year of practice, and
     $51,000 in each subsequent year of practice

*Note- Income eligibility is not automatically based on salary. Deductions are given for dependents and contributions toward retirement plans and health insurance. Don't assume you're ineligible for NCLEAF assistance until you read our Program Guidelines.

Each participant contributes a percentage of his/her income towards debt repayment, and NCLEAF pays the remainder, up to $9,000 per year per participant when sufficient funds are available.
Money provided during the first three years of eligible employment is an interest-free loan that must be paid back over time if the participant leaves eligible employment. If he/she remains in eligible employment through the end of the third year, the loans extended under the program will begin to be forgiven. Participants may continue to receive forgivable loans, so long as they remain in eligible employment and continue to meet eligibility requirements as detailed in the Program Guidelines.

Does NCLEAF make a difference?
Here’s what some NCLEAF participants and their employers say:

" Each month, student loan repayment obligations account for almost one half of my monthly income…NCLEAF is, quite simply, essential to my continued ability to work in public interest law."
-Legal Services Attorney, Winston-Salem

" In 1997, I graduated from the University of North Carolina School of Law near the top of my class. I accepted a position with the Office of the Appellate Defender at a starting salary approximately equal to my total indebtedness. NCLEAF’s assistance was invaluable to me. Without it, I simply could not have afforded to live alone, pay my bills, and still have some semblance of a life."
-Appellate Defender, Raleigh

"Our office has been trying to hire an attorney for about five months and unfortunately, we have been unable to fill the position…applicants will not take the job without NCLEAF funds. And unfortunately, NCLEAF always has far fewer funds than needed to meet the demand…NCLEAF is absolutely essential to the retention and hiring of talented individuals in public interest law."
-Legal Services Director, Wilmington

"As an employer, I rely on NCLEAF to help me recruit and retain Assistant District Attorneys. It is very frustrating to see many of my assistants lured away from my office to higher salaries in the private sector. In fact, I have lost 18 attorneys in the past 12 months, most of them forced to seek higher salaries elsewhere…Many prospective employees tell me that they cannot accept a position at my office without assistance from NCLEAF."
-District Attorney, Charlotte

" I am married with three children…The money I receive from NCLEAF allows me to continue to work as an Assistant Public Defender and provide legal defense to the indigent of Buncombe County. Without this money I would be unable to continue to do the work I love."
-Assistant Public Defender, Asheville