State of New Hampshire JRJ Program

The goal of this program is to encourage attorneys to choose careers in the public sector; thereby increasing the force of talented prosecutors and public defenders in the state. This program aims to help employers recruit and retain attorneys struggling to balance large amounts of student debt and modest salaries associated with public service.

            The New Hampshire strategy will be to disburse John R. Justice award amounts to lending institutions on behalf of approximately 10 attorneys who meet the program qualifications, thereby easing the financial burden of their student debt and encouraging them to remain in their chosen field providing necessary services that support the general good.

            New Hampshire will institute a program whereby 50% of the available funding will be dedicated to prosecutors and 50% to public defenders. New Hampshire’s program will also include the use of a selection committee to help determine eligible applicants. Individual applications will be scored based upon a set of criteria that includes applicant and/or household student debt, overall debt, income and number of dependents.

            The New Hampshire Public Defender currently employs more than 120 public defenders throughout the state. New Hampshire does not maintain records of the total number of prosecutors employed in the state; however, an estimate based on e-mail lists puts the number of prosecutors at or around 190.