Why an LRAP Fee

All Lewis & Clark law students pay a mandatory fee of $25 per semester to help the LRAP.  This fee has made reliable funding available for the LRAP.

During the 2006-2007 school year, two important things happened to help the LRAP.  First, the faculty voted to dedicate a portion of interest from the school’s rainy-day fund to the LRAP.  Second, PILP students organized a vote to recommend to the faculty that there be a mandatory fee levied on every JD student to help support the LRAP.

Students were presented with an opportunity to vote on whether a fee should be added, and the amount of that fee. Overwhelmingly, students voted in favor of a fee and chose the highest amount suggested—$25 per semester.  PILP students presented the results to the faculty and the faculty recommended the fee to the school’s board of trustees, which approved it.

The initial vote called for the fee to be levied for two years only, with a later re-vote by the students. In the re-vote, students again recommended that the fee remain for another two years, and a final vote made the fee permanent. The student body, with every opportunity to vote, overwhelmingly supported the LRAP fee. Although the fee has not increased from its $25 per semester starting point, in the most recent student vote, students recommended that the school consider an increase.

Why a Separate Fee is Important
The LRAP fee is different from funds coming from the school’s general budget.  

• Because the fee is a line item on a student’s fee statement, the money is dedicated from the start and is not subject to the budgeting process.  
• Because the fee is visible, students are aware of the contribution they are making to support public interest work priming them for the duty to support equal access to justice as attorneys.
• Because the fee was a student idea endorsed by the student body, it inspires our students and demonstrates that they can make a difference.