Dumb Ways to Die

Have you heard the buzz about a recent PSA released by Metro Trains in Australia? The PSA features cute cartoon characters dying in dumb ways.  From a legal perspective, the PSA is basically a collection of different tort hypos put to song and dance. The advertisement has become Australia’s largest viral hit and the song is even available on iTunes!

With over 36 million views on YouTube, it's obvious that the cute albeit dead dancing figures are a hit. While everyone else laughs, law students and lawyers are probably suffering from flashbacks to hypotheticals posed in their Torts classes or unbelievable but true scenarios recounted in their casebooks.

As a fellow flashback sufferer, my thoughts wandered to Palsgraf v. Long Island Railroad Company. If suffering through Torts once wasn't enough for you either, check out some of the library's resources on Palsgraf here and here! If you've had enough of Torts but like the catchy "Dumb Ways to Die" tune, the karaoke version is now available for your singing pleasure, but please don't use your private parts as piranha bait.

Student Loans: Public Service Loan Forgiveness

With the skyrocketing cost of tuition and the frustrations of an economy trying to turn-around, there should still be a glimmer of hope for many students going into public service jobs.

In 2007 the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF) was created by Congress to encourage full-time employment in public service jobs. New income based payment plans were introduced and, under certain conditions, a borrower may qualify for forgiveness of their loans after 10 years of payments.

Today, the Department of Education further clarified the requirements by releasing the Employment Certification Package to help borrowers track their progress toward PSLF. Materials in the package include;

• Letter to Borrower
• Instructions for the form, and
• Employment Certification for Public Service Loan Forgiveness form

For more information about federal financial aid visit: www.studentaid.ed.gov