AccessLex Institute® Receives American Bar Association Grassroots Award

WEST CHESTER, Pa., March 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- AccessLex Institute®, the largest nonprofit organization dedicated to legal education, has received the 2026 American Bar Association Grassroots Award, recognizing the Company's sustained advocacy for Public Service Loan Forgiveness, research on the impacts of student debt, and partnership with the Young Lawyers Division.

The award highlights AccessLex Institute's leadership in advancing empirical research that elevates the voices and lived experiences of young lawyers navigating student loan debt. In particular, the American Bar Association recognized the widespread influence of two Young Lawyers Division reports developed in collaboration with AccessLex Institute — Student Debt: The Holistic Impact on Today's Young Lawyer and Student Debt, COVID‑19 Relief and Loan Forgiveness: Perspectives from Today's Young Lawyers — that have bolstered AccessLex Institute's steadfast advocacy for Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

Both reports are among the most highly utilized resources on student debt within the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division (ABA YLD), informing policymakers, legal educators, and practitioners nationwide. Together, the reports address the challenges of student loan debt facing young attorneys and outline potential interventions and policy solutions that may help alleviate financial stress for early-career lawyers and the broader population of Americans with education debt.

"We are deeply grateful to the American Bar Association for this honor," said Tiffane Cochran, Vice President of Research. "This recognition affirms our commitment to advancing data-informed advocacy and elevating the empirical evidence needed to inform and shape policies that expand opportunity for the next generation of lawyers. We're proud to partner with the ABA YLD to ensure the lived experiences of young attorneys — and the realities of student debt — are reflected in the solutions that move the legal profession forward."

AccessLex Institute's research agenda is rooted in a commitment to empirical analysis and impactful advocacy. By collecting and synthesizing data directly from law students and young lawyers, the Company provides a clearer understanding of how educational debt affects career mobility, well‑being, and long‑term participation in the profession.

The ABA Grassroots Award further affirms AccessLex Institute's mission to improve access, affordability, and value in legal education. Through research, policy advocacy, and financial education tools, AccessLex continues to work toward a more inclusive, transparent, and financially sustainable path to the legal profession.

About AccessLex Institute:

AccessLex Institute® is the largest nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering the next generation of lawyers by improving access, affordability, and value in legal education. In partnership with its nearly 200 nonprofit and state-affiliated ABA-approved member law schools, increasing diversity, expanding access, and positively influencing legal education have been at the heart of the Company's mission since 1983. AccessLex devotes substantial resources to financial education, research, policy advocacy, grantmaking, data analysis, student success, and beyond. Learn more about AccessLex Institute's commitment and contributions to the future of legal education at AccessLex.org.

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SOURCE AccessLex Institute