Florida FY23 John R. Justice Student Loan Repayment Program

The goal and objective is to effectively recruit and retain qualified prosecutors and public defenders. Student loan debt is a major reason why attorneys decline, leave positions as public defenders, or become prosecutors for more lucrative public sector jobs.  Florida’s John R. Justice (JRJ) loan repayment program will target those attorneys with the least ability to pay their student loans in all agencies with qualifying attorneys.

The state of Florida formed a working group of all qualified entities: State Attorney Offices, Office of the Attorney General, Office of Statewide Prosecution, Public Defender Offices, Public Defender Appellate Offices, Regional Conflict Council Offices, Capital Collateral Regional Council Offices, and Federal Public Defender Offices. Each of these entities will be directly involved in the outreach to all eligible applicants.  

In 2009, prior to JRJ funds being awarded, Florida employed 1,979 Prosecutors, 1,507 Public Defenders and 79 Federal Public Defenders. Currently, approximately 1,524 Prosecutors, 1,501 Public Defenders and 69 Federal Public Defenders are employed. An allocation to each qualified entity will be based primarily on applicant’s ability to pay. Florida’s funding formula also maintains distribution based on geographic and demographic representation. The Department of Education will minimize administrative costs while maximizing awards. The Department of Education will collect data to measure the performance of the program.