Derek Brainard

Derek Brainard, MBA, CFP, AFC, CRPC, is the director of financial education at AccessLex Institute, the largest nonprofit organization serving law students. Brainard has worked in both the private financial services sector as a licensed financial advisor, and in higher education as financial literacy coordinator at Syracuse University, where he obtained his MBA.

Legal News

Preparing for change: Actions borrowers can take amid student loan uncertainty

With more than eight million federal student loan borrowers currently enrolled in seemingly defunct income-driven repayment (IDR)...

Legal News

The impact of student loans on life milestones post law-school

Student loans are always in the spotlight, especially during times of increasing or high inflation when the...

Legal News

A framework for determining your law school return on investment

As a former financial advisor, I used to tell clients that it was important to understand any...

Legal News

Juggling financial priorities while working at a small to mid-sized firm

Whether you’re pursuing private practice in bankruptcy, business, intellectual property, tax law – or another of the many possible fields – you’ll likely have money on the mind when faced with making every dollar stretch while working at a small to mid-sized firm.

Legal News

How to leverage public loan forgiveness while balancing financial priorities in a public interest career

With median entry-level salaries for legal services attorneys, public defenders and lawyers at public interest organizations hovering between $57,500 to $63,200, many public interest lawyers are caught in the balancing act of keeping debt-to-income ratios in a manageable range, servicing student loans and saving for the future.

Legal News

How to balance investing and paying off student loans as a new Big Law associate

If you want to pay off student loans as fast as possible and begin building your wealth by investing for retirement, the good news is that you may have the money to accomplish these goals simultaneously, with a few simple moves.

- Advertisement -

Legal News

The Law Student Tax Toolbox

Updated and adapted for November 2023. Navigating tax-time as a law student can be … complicated. Some of...