Dear Attorneys and Advocates for Domestic Violence Survivors:

We would like to invite you to join us for a free teleconference training entitled "Student Loan Advocacy for Survivors of Domestic Violence," scheduled for Thursday, January 15, 2009 from 1pm to 2:30pm Eastern Time.

Unafforable payments on student loans can prevent a survivor from regaining financial security independent of the abuser. In addition, further education is often critical to the long-term economic security of survivors, yet previously incurred student loan debt may stand in the survivor's way. This session will stress steps that survivors can take to reduce their payment obligations on student loans and restore eligibility for student loans so that they can further their education as a way of improving employability and financial independence. The session will be similar to that presented at the National Consumer Law Center's October 2008 Consumer Rights Conference in Portland, Oregon.

Faculty for this teleconference will be Deanne Loonin, Esq. Ms.
Loonin is a staff attorney and the Director of NCLC's Student Loan Borrower Assistance Project, a resource for borrowers, their families, and advocates representing student loan borrowers. She focuses on consumer credit issues generally and more specifically on student loans, credit counseling, and credit discrimination. She assists attorneys representing low-income, immigrant, and elderly consumers, and teaches consumer law to legal services, private consumer attorneys, and other advocates. Ms. Loonin is the co-author of NCLC's publications Student Loan Law (3rd ed. 2006), Guide to Surviving Debt (2008), and Credit Discrimination (4th ed. 2005), as well as recent reports on credit counseling, debt settlement, student loan policy, and older consumers and debt.

To register for this training, please submit the electronic registration form no later than January 11th. Registration is limited, so please register early. To link to the registration form, go to:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=Of9rYwmtzOFt_2bon0xrH62A_3d_3d. We will email you a confirmation of your registration, along with materials and information about dialing in by January 13th.

If you have any questions about the teleconference, the Initiative, or are interested in receiving technical assistance on a consumer issue impacting a domestic violence survivor, please do not hesitate to contact the Center for Survivor Agency and Justice at 202.552.8304 or erika.csaj@gmail.com or the National Consumer Law Center at 617.542.8010 or ccarter@nclc.org.