NCJ Number
250135
Date Published
July 2016
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This is a performance update of State Administering Agencies' (SAA's) activity through September 30, 2015, under The John R. Justice (JRJ) loan repayment program, which was established by the U.S. Department of Justice to provide financial assistance to individuals who accept positions as public attorneys.
Abstract
The purpose of the JRJ program is to encourage qualified attorneys to apply for and maintain employment as State, local, and Federal public defenders and prosecutors. The loan repayment program is an incentive for law school graduates with student loans to consider these positions. Since the program began in 2010, all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories have received JRJ grants. The amounts vary from State to State, since the formula used to calculate awards is partly dependent on the State/grantee's population. In FY 2015, 59 percent of funded beneficiaries were prosecutors, 40 percent were State/local defenders, and 1 percent were Federal defenders. The Amount of funds distributed in FY2015 was $3,421,589. When selecting applicants, SAAs are required to give priority to those with the least ability to repay their loans. Seventy percent of applicants were awarded funds in FY2015. 6 figures and 2 tables