Welcome back to Ahead of the Curve. I'm Karen Sloan, legal education editor at Law.com, and I'll be your host for this weekly look at innovation and notable developments in legal education.

This week I'm checking in on a trio of elite law schools that have recently improved their Loan Repayment Assistance Programs for graduates in public interest and other low-paying jobs, and what's driving the trend. Next up is a closer look at Syracuse University College of Law's brand new hybrid J.D. program, which takes place mostly online. And I've got a rundown on women and minority law deans taking center stage, with Notre Dame University Law School hiring its first ever non-white dean. Read on.

Please share your thoughts and feedback with me at [email protected] or on Twitter: @KarenSloanNLJ

LRAP Arms Race

Now here's a trend I can get behind. A number of elite law schools have in recent months bolstered their Loan Repayment Assistance Programs for graduates who go into public interest and government law jobs. Harvard Law School, Columbia Law School and New York University School of Law have since the summer announced improvements to their existing programs that expand coverage and options for graduates. (It's possible that even more schools have also upped their programs without my noticing.)