Utah John R. Justice 2024-25

The average student loan debt for law students ranges from $100,000 to $200,000, with even higher amounts being common. The salaries offered to new prosecutors and public defenders make it challenging for young lawyers to manage this debt while maintaining a modest standard of living. As a result, many lawyers who would prefer to work as public defenders or prosecutors are forced to seek higher-paying positions in the private sector. This often leads to attorneys leaving public service just as they gain enough training and experience to be of significant value.

The goals of the project are to: (1) provide law school loan repayment assistance to the widest possible number of prosecutors and public defenders, in line with grant guidelines; (2) ensure all eligible prosecutors and public defenders are aware of this benefit and submit applications; and (3) use grant funds to help retain prosecutors and public defenders in the public sector.

The project strategy involves using John R. Justice funds to make direct payments to financial institutions holding the student loans of Utah public defenders and prosecutors, reducing their outstanding balances and, ideally, their monthly payments.

Significant partnerships include collaboration with all prosecutor offices, the Utah Prosecution Council, the state's three public defender offices, and indigent defense services to ensure all eligible public defenders are informed about the program. Two prosecutors and two public defenders sit on the application review committee, which also includes a senior official from the State Board of Education.

Several factors have impacted this program in Utah. First, Utah historically received low award amounts, which were divided evenly between prosecutors and public defenders. With fewer public defenders applying, the individual awards to prosecutors were minimal, discouraging many from applying. This year, however, Utah received nearly triple the usual amount. The Utah Prosecution Council announced the increase to encourage past non-applicants to reapply, with moderate success. If award amounts remain higher, we expect a further increase in applications. Additionally, with the state funding more public defender offices (as opposed to relying on contract attorneys), more public defenders will be eligible to apply. However, private law firms continue to offer higher salaries, leading many prosecutors to leave government practice, making it increasingly difficult to hire and retain new prosecutors.

In 2009, Utah employed 225 prosecutors, 100 public defenders, and 14 federal defenders. By 2024, these numbers have grown to 492 prosecutors, 150 public defenders, and 25 federal defenders.