ALBANY — A STATEWIDE coalition of public defenders, district attorneys and labor unions on March 11 called on Gov. Kathy Hochul and the legislature to include $4 million in the fiscal year 2027 budget to expand the Higher Education Services Corporation and District Attorney and Indigent Legal Services Attorney Loan Forgiveness program.
The existing program caps annual aid at $3,400 — a ceiling unchanged since 2009, according to UAW — while the American Bar Association estimates law school graduates carry an average debt of $130,000. The proposed expansion would raise the annual award to $8,000 for up to eight years, yielding a maximum of $64,000 per attorney. Both the Senate and Assembly one-house budgets have included the measure, marking the first time both chambers have done so simultaneously, according to Legal Aid.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said expanding the program is “a smart, targeted investment in a justice system that treats people fairly.” Budget negotiations between Hochul and legislative leaders are ongoing, with the April 1 deadline approaching.
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