Updated July 19, 2004

Dear Student Leader:

I encourage you to become a member of the ABA's Grassroots Action Team. In his online letter to ABA members, last fall President Dennis W. Archer asked ABA members to join the ABA Grassroots Action Team to lend your support from time to time in letting Congress, the Executive Branch and other policy makers know the views of the ABA and its members on matters of great importance to the legal profession.

We want to connect our 50,000 Law Student Division members with those in Congress who can address issues facing the nation's law students.

President Archer's message referred to just two issues of the 100+ issues the ABA is currently working on that are vital to ensuring the integrity of the justice system and the independence of the legal profession.

Of particular concern to the Law Student Division is the upcoming reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. Issues such as caps on federal student loans and the creation of loan forgiveness and loan repayment assistance programs will be addressed in this legislation.

As you may know, the ABA is actively working to seek ways to eliminate the debt burden on law graduates, particularly those who seek to enter public service. To further this goal, the ABA will be focusing on raising the Stafford loan cap for graduate and professional students and making necessary changes in the Income Contingent Repayment Program.

Our Division was a co-sponsor of those policies, as well as of the loan repayment assistance and forgiveness policy adopted by the ABA House of Delegates' during the August 2003 Annual Meeting. It's now time for our Division to lead the ABA-wide grassroots effort to ensure that Congress addresses these issues in the reauthorization process.

I urge you to respond to President Archer's request that you join the Grassroots Action Team. We hope you will join the ABA Team and become involved in communicating the ABA's views and concerns on issues affecting the legal profession that are important to you.

Michael J. Pellicciotti
Chair, ABA Law Student Division