I’m Nicolas, COO at Juno and a proud (if battle-scarred) grad-school alum who as soon as signed on the dotted line for almost $200,000 in pupil debt. Residing by means of that have—and later serving to hundreds of classmates do the identical—confirmed me simply how lopsided the mortgage market may be for particular person debtors.
That’s why Juno was born: we band college students collectively, use their collective shopping for energy, and negotiate bulk reductions on private-loan charges and perks that no borrower may safe alone. After a number of years of securing the most effective non-public mortgage offers for college kids at prime MBA packages, we now deliver the identical no-cost leverage to regulation college students. Beneath is the playbook I want somebody had handed me earlier than orientation day—a step-by-step recipe for preserving your J.D. reasonably priced.
Step 1. Chase the Cash You By no means Repay
Faculty grants & scholarships
Most law-school “free cash” arrives along with your admit letter:
- Advantage awards – pushed by LSAT / GPA, management résumé, range fellowships (e.g., ABA Authorized Alternative, AccessLex MAX), or practice-area tracks similar to IP or public curiosity.
- Want-based grants – at a rising checklist of faculties (Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Berkeley, Georgetown, NYU).
Exterior funds
Test the AccessLex Scholarship Databank, state-bar foundations, and affinity-bar associations (HNBA, NAPABA, NBLSA, and so on.)—many awards have deadlines as late as July—value a last sweep.
Mortgage-Compensation Help Applications (LRAPs)
~60 ABA-accredited colleges might subsidize or forgive a part of your debt should you enter public-service or authorities roles. Run the maths: LRAP + PSLF can slash your efficient borrowing price.
Step 2. Resolve How A lot Money to Use
- Price range truthfully. Depend on your regulation college’s revealed Price of Attendance (COA), however notice that summer time housing, clinics, moot-court journey, and the 3L bar-study hole typically push precise spending above that quantity.
- Hold an emergency fund—embrace bar-exam and bar-review prices (usually ~$3–$4k).
- Examine returns vs. borrowing price. Think about your alternative price (e.g., potential funding positive factors, emergency financial savings) in opposition to the rate of interest in your loans. Should you can’t reliably out-earn that fee, utilizing some financial savings might make sense. That stated, many graduates from T14 colleges start their careers in Huge Regulation, the place increased beginning salaries can speed up mortgage compensation or qualify for refinancing afterward. If that path is probably going for you, it might justify holding onto more money upfront and utilizing it for longer-term investments.
Step 3. Know Your Mortgage Choices
After ending exploring all of the scholarship choices, and assessing how a lot of your financial savings you’re keen/ready to make use of, Pupil loans are used to fill the hole. U.S. residents and Everlasting Residents have entry to Federal Loans. There are two sorts for Regulation college students: Direct Unsubsidized (extra reasonably priced however restricted to $20.5k a yr) and Grad PLUS (dearer, however can go as much as the price of attendance)
These have mounted phrases, unbiased of your particular credit score profile. The phrases are as follows for the tutorial yr 2025 – 2026
Key factors
- Federal loans carry IDR plans and PSLF eligibility— Most worthy should you’ll keep in public service.
- Grad PLUS charges add 4.228 % to your stability on day one
In case you are not planning to make the most of the Federal protections, it’s value evaluating whether or not you may get a extra reasonably priced mortgage on the non-public aspect.
Step 4. Test Your Charges on Juno (with out impacting your credit score)
We created Juno to make it a no brainer choice should you determine to take a personal mortgage. We negotiate to make sure our offers are higher than going on to the lender, and a few of our offers don’t want a cosigner or revenue so that you can qualify.
- Soft-credit check in ~2 minutes (Does not affect your credit)
- Fixed and variable APRs that beat Federal options for many credit tiers.
- Negotiated Rates and/or Cash Bonuses are available
- Rate Match Program: If you find a better rate from a long list of competitors, we will match it and give you 1% of your loan amount as cash back
Compare your personalized Juno quote against your Federal offers.
Step 5. Bottom-Line Playbook
- Maximize scholarships & LRAP first. Every free dollar is one you never repay.
- Model total cost. Include origination fees, bar-prep expenses, and how quickly you’ll refinance or pursue PSLF.
- Shop with soft checks. Gather real quotes, then decide—without any impact on your credit.
- Decide what combination of Federal and Private loans you are going to use: You can use any combination of Federal and Private loans up to your COA.
- Move early. If you see a rate you like, consider applying early to lock it in. Remember, rates may move at a moment’s notice.
Law school is a major investment, but thoughtful planning can keep your debt in check so you can focus on contracts, criminal, or con-law instead of compounding interest. Juno helps law students access discounted deals through collective bargaining, so you can borrow smarter and stress less. Best of luck in your legal journey!
The information provided in this article is current as of June 4, 2025, and is intended for general informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal, financial, or tax advice. Readers should consult their own advisors before making any decisions. Terms and conditions may apply to the loan products discussed. Federal student loans offer certain borrower protections and benefits—such as income-driven repayment plans and potential forgiveness options—that may be important to consider. To learn more, visit studentaid.gov.
