John R. Justice (JRJ) Student Loan Repayment Program

 

Student Loan Repayment Assistance for Public Defenders and Prosecutors

JRJ Overview

The purpose of the John R. Justice (JRJ) Grant Program is to encourage qualified individuals to enter and continue employment as local and state prosecutors and local, state, or federal public defenders.

Background

Named for the late John Reid Justice of South Carolina, the US Congress enacted the ‘John R. Justice Prosecutors and Defenders Incentive Act of 2008,” to encourage qualified attorneys to choose careers as prosecutors and public defenders and to continue in that service. The John R. Justice Program provides loan repayment assistance for state and federal public defenders and state prosecutors who agree to remain employed as public defenders and prosecutors for at least three years.
As the administering agency for Oregon, CVSSD will award up to $153,000 in JRJ funding in 2024 to eligible applicants, based on their least ability to pay loan obligations. The maximum annual JRJ award is $10,000 per person. Awards are renewable annually, up to a lifetime benefit amount of $60,000. All awards are subject to the availability of Federal funding of the JRJ program. In order to maximize the dispersal of JRJ benefits across Oregon, individual awards may be less than $10,000 per recipient. CVSSD anticipates being able to make awards between $5,000 and $10,000 equally among the anticipated number of eligible applications submitted.
Award monies are paid directly to the loan servicer, upon execution of the service agreement required for participation in the JRJ program. JRJ awards are intended to supplement, not substitute, the recipient’s personal loan obligation.

Eligibility

A qualified applicant must be an attorney continually licensed to practice law and shall:

  • be a full-time employee of the State of Oregon or unit of local government (including tribal government) who prosecutes criminal or juvenile delinquency cases at the state or local government level (including supervision, education, or training of other persons prosecuting such cases); prosecutors who are employees of the federal government are not eligible; or
  • be a full-time employee of the State of Oregon or unit of local government (including tribal government) who provides legal representation to indigent persons in criminal or juvenile delinquency cases, including supervision, education, or training of other persons providing such representation; or
  • be a full-time employee of a nonprofit organization operating under a contract with the State of Oregon or unit of local government who devotes substantially all the employee’s full-time employment to provide legal representation to indigent persons in criminal or juvenile delinquency cases including supervision, education, or training of other personnel providing such representations; or
  • be employed in Oregon as a full-time federal defender attorney in a defender organization pursuant to subsection (g) of section 3006A of Title 18, United States Code, that provides legal representation to indigent persons in criminal or juvenile delinquency cases.

Applications and Resources

The grant application period for 2024 JRJ funds will open in Spring 2024.

CVSSD E-Grants

CVSSD uses a secure online grant management system for all grant-related activities. Known as CVSSD E-Grants, this system provides a streamlined and accessible grant process from application through payment.  It is free for applicants to use.  To create an account, go to https://www.cvssdegrants.com and click the link for New User.  Once an account is created, the option to begin a JRJ application will be available.

For more information about CVSSD E-grants, visit CVSSD’s E-Grants webpage

Application:

E-Grants will walk applicants through a short application process to gather necessary eligibility information.  Information completed or attached in E-Grants includes a JRJ Service Agreement, eligible loan verification, NSLDS loan history, a current payment coupon or account statement, and employment and income verification.

The application process will open in Spring 2024.

Resources

This is a Request for Applications (RFQ) for the 2024 JRJ grant. The RFA includes information about completing the JRJ application.  Applicants may access this now in order to prepare for when the application itself opens.

Visit the  BJA JRJ Webpage FAQ  for guidance from the Bureau of Justice Assistance regarding PSLF, taxability, leaving public service before the service commitment ends, and more.

Contact Information

For general information regarding the JRJ Grant Program, visit the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance website ».

For questions regarding the program, please contact Mike Maryanov at Mike.V.Maryanov@doj.oregon.gov or 503-269-9628.