03.28.23

Durbin Meets With Representatives From The Illinois State Bar Association, Chicago Bar Association

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today met with representatives from the Chicago Bar Association (CBA), Chicago Bar Foundation (CBF), Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA), and American Bar Association (ABA).  During the meeting, they discussed Legal Services Corporation (LSC) funding and the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, which Durbin supports to help our legal community.  They also discussed the bar associations’ support for passing the Dream Act. 

“The high cost of law school has deterred students from pursing a degree, and those who go are often stuck with a crushing financial burden for years,” said Durbin.  “Today’s discussion highlighted the need to ensure that those who need legal services can access them and to equip the legal community with the tools to succeed—including helping law students and graduates manage their student debt.  As Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and a law school graduate, I have continuously supported programs such as LSC and PSLF that help advance these goals.” 

LSC is the largest funder of civil legal assistance in the country, supporting 132 local legal aid organizations that provide free assistance to low-income Americans.  With Durbin’s support, LSC was funded at $560 million in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 omnibus, representing a 14.5 percent increase over FY2022 and the largest increase in LSC funding since 1979. 

Durbin is also supportive of PSLF, which was created by Congress in 2007 and provides federal debt relief for those who work for 10 years in public service jobs.   

A photo of the meeting is available here.

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