Loan Repayment Assistance Encourages Careers as Prosecutors, Public Defenders
The Michigan Department of Treasury has
received a grant from the U. S. Department of Justice to fund the John R.
Justice Student Loan Repayment Program for eligible public defenders and
prosecuting attorneys in Michigan. Congress enacted the John R. Justice
Prosecutors and Defenders Incentive Act to encourage qualified attorneys
to choose careers as prosecutors and public defenders and to continue in
that service.
The John R. Justice Student Loan Repayment
Program provides loan repayment assistance for local, state, and federal
public defenders and local and state prosecutors who commit to continued
qualified employment for at least three years. Treasury has been awarded
almost $300,000 for the program and has worked with the State Appellate
Defender Office and the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan to
tailor the program to meet Michigan's needs. Priority will be given to
eligible attorneys who demonstrate the least ability to repay their
federal student loans.
According to the Bureau of Justice
Assistance (BJA), within the U.S. Department of Justice, the program
addresses a pressing challenge facing the criminal justice system; the
retention of qualified prosecutors and public defenders. Retaining these
attorneys helps to ensure the right to legal representation, the
administration of justice, and the public's confidence in our justice
system.
The BJA notes that significant student
loan debt is often cited as the reason attorneys decline or leave
positions as prosecutors and public defenders. Salaries for such positions
have failed to keep pace with the escalating cost of education, which
creates challenges to hire and retain capable attorneys for those
positions.
Applications for the Justice Student
Loan Repayment Program, along with all required documentation, must be
submitted to the Department of Treasury's Student Financial Services
Bureau by January 17, 2011. Program information and application
instructions are available at www.michigan.gov/jrj.
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