Loans

I am unbelievably in debt. In the middle of 2L year, I owe $103,000 for my law school education. I know that this is the cost of going to law school, but the fact that I owe this much money even with substantial grant assistance from the school is, in my opinion, totally nuts.

I know that this much debt is typical. I also know that if I went to work for a fancy law firm, I would be able to pay it off. I know that HLS has great loan-assistance programs, and that I'll even get the 3rd year of school free if I commit to working in public service for 5 years.

Still, I don't understand it. Why do they need all that money? What do they do with it? Does anyone else think that this is as crazy as I do? (Because it seems like no one else here is much worried about it . . . ) Doesn't this seem especially crazy given that there were people who were not able to find fancy law firm jobs this year given the economic situation?