The Legislature finds that many attorneys graduate from law school with substantial educational debt that prohibits many from considering public legal service work or work in less-populated rural areas of Nebraska. A need exists for public legal service entities and rural clients to hire competent attorneys. The public is better served by competent and qualified attorneys working in the area of public legal service and serving underserved rural areas. Programs providing educational loan repayment assistance will encourage law students and other attorneys to seek employment in the area of public legal service and in designated legal profession shortage areas in rural Nebraska and will enable public legal service entities and rural communities to attract and retain qualified attorneys.
Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 7-202