Attorneys In Public Service

Team Leaders:
Juan Carlos Arias, Friends of Florida Assistant State Attorneys (FFASA), #954.326.3076 

Team Members:
Cindy Guerra, Regional Deputy Attorney General for South Florida; Gregg Rossman, State Attorney Office 17th Judicial Circuit; Professor Mark Dobson, Nova Southeastern University; Chris Brown, League of Prosecutors; Ileana Almeida, Broward County Hispanic Bar Association; Alan Pascal, Friends of Florida Assistant State Attorneys; Natalia Costea, Florida Trial Court Staff Attorneys Association (FTCSAA) 

Mission:
It is the mission of this team to raise awareness of the importance of attracting and retaining legal professional talent in public service. 

Issues:
High student loan debt and high cost of living in Broward County make it extremely difficult for the new generation of legal professionals to consider employment in public service.  Major cities across the state face the same problem.  Florida’s quality of life is detrimentally affected by its inability to attract and retain legal professional talent in public service. 

According to the American Bar Association, most of today’s law graduates are faced with combined debt from undergraduate and graduate studies in excess of $80,000, or loan payments of more than $1,100 a month.  With the median starting public interest salary at $36,000, these mortgage-size debts bar most graduates from pursuing public service legal jobs.  Presently, five states have enacted legislation to create a statewide loan repayment assistance program – California, Georgia, Maryland, New Mexico, and Texas.

•  Florida must join these progressive states that understand the benefit of attracting and retaining qualified attorneys in public service.
•  The team will advocate for comprehensive student loan repayment legislation that would provide relief and incentives to lawyers who want to serve their communities through public service careers.

Date Submitted: 02/16/07