BP BHEAD INT H

AN ACT Relating to public sector employment for law school graduates; and adding a new chapter to Title 28B RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that there is a shortage of law school graduates entering into public sector employment. This shortage results in a lack of adequate numbers of attorneys for citizens seeking public sector legal representation. Furthermore, many well-qualified graduates are deterred from entering into public sector employment because of the need to seek high-paying employment to liquidate accumulated student loans.

The legislature finds that creating a legal loan assistance program for attorneys who enter into public sector employment will help to increase the number of qualified attorneys employed in the public sector.

It is therefore the purpose of this chapter to:

(1) Provide loan repayment assistance to Washington state law school graduates who are employed in the public sector;

(2) Provide public sector agencies with well-qualified legal counsel; and

(3) Encourage greater participation by law school graduates in public sector employment.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.

(1) "Board" means the higher education coordinating board.

(2) "Public sector job" means employment by the attorney general's office, state agencies, the county prosecutor, public defender, county, municipal or local governmental authorities, the judicial system, or legal services agencies.

(3) "Eligible graduate" means an individual who graduated from a Washington state law school and is employed in Washington as a licensed attorney in a public sector job within eighteen months after graduation from law school.

(4) "Program" means the Washington state legal loan assistance program.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The Washington state legal loan assistance program is established for licensed attorneys who are graduates of Washington law schools and employed in Washington state public sector jobs. The program shall be administered by the board. In administering this program, the board shall:

(1) Select eligible graduates to participate in the loan assistance program;

(2) Adopt rules and develop guidelines to administer the program;

(3) Collect and manage payments to eligible graduates;

(4) Publicize the program, particularly to maximize participation among individuals with substantial student loans; and

(5) Solicit and accept grants and donations from public and private sources for the program.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The board, in consultation with the Washington state bar association, shall establish a planning committee to develop criteria for the screening and selection of recipients of the loan assistance program. These criteria shall emphasize factors demonstrating excellence including but not limited to superior scholastic achievement, leadership ability, public sector employment, and community contributions. Priority shall be given to those students with the greatest loan payment to gross salary ratio. The board shall include on the planning committee, the Washington state bar association, representatives of public sector agencies, practicing attorneys, social service representatives, and law school faculty.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. The board may award loan repayment funds to eligible graduates from the funds appropriated to the board for this purpose, or from any private donations, or any other funds given to the board for this program. The board shall solicit and encourage contribution of funds from legal associations, including but not limited to the Washington state bar association. The amount of the loan assistance award shall be equivalent to the amount of the eligible graduate's monthly loan payments, but in no event shall exceed five hundred dollars per month. Students are eligible to receive loan assistance for the duration of their public sector employment, not to exceed three years.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. Eligible graduates shall provide quarterly proof of continued public sector employment to the higher education coordinating board at the times and in the manner established by the board in their rule-making process. If an eligible graduate fails to provide proof of public sector employment, the board shall cease distribution of the loan assistance payments and terminate the graduate's participation in the program.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. Sections 1 through 6 of this act shall constitute a new chapter in Title 28B RCW.