John R. Justice Info
John R. Justice Student Loan Repayment Program
IPAC is pleased to announce that the Indiana John R. Justice Student Loan Repayment Program will be relaunched in 2024 thanks to increased federal funding. This program was originally established in 2010 to help retain prosecutors and public defenders but was put on pause in recent years due to the lack of federal funding.
Attached is a description of the Indiana John R. Justice Program, as well as a copy of the application form.
Brief Description
In short, prosecuting attorneys, chief deputy prosecuting attorneys, deputy prosecuting attorneys, and public defenders who have been employed a minimum of one year in a qualifying position as of December 31, 2023, and who have an outstanding balance of at least $20,000 due on student loans are eligible to apply.
Those who receive the award must agree to remain employed as a full-time prosecuting attorney, chief deputy prosecuting attorney, deputy prosecuting attorney, or public defender for a minimum of three years following receipt of the award.
There is a total of just over $55,000 available for prosecuting attorneys, chief deputy prosecuting attorneys, and deputy prosecuting attorneys and a separate, roughly $55,000 available for public defenders.
Please read the full details in the attached program description.
Application Process (April 2, 2024 – April 15, 2024)
Applications will be submitted via the Indiana Judicial Branch’s Attorney Services Portal: Indiana Judicial Branch: Secure Document Uploader
The “go live” date for submitting applications through the portal is April 2, 2024. Applications must be submitted by April 15, 2024. Below are the instructions for the portal and uploading documents.
- Go to portal.courts.in.gov, sign in, and click "Upload a document" from the dashboard.
- Choose the document type "2024 Indiana John R. Justice Application."
- Once you choose the document type, instructions will appear, and you'll have the option to browse for your completed application.
- Click "Preview" to take one last look at the document before you submit and to ensure you chose the right file.
- Click "Submit" to send the file.
Selection Process
The Executive Committee of the IPAC Board of Directors will determine the award winners after all applications are received by April 15, 2024. Award amounts may range from a minimum annual amount of $5,000 to a maximum annual amount of $10,000. Thus, there will be anywhere from 5 to 11 award winners working in prosecution based upon how the Executive Committee makes its determinations.
Again, the “go live” date for submitting applications is April 2, 2024. More info here.
Applicants can direct questions to:
Chris Biehl, J.D.
Federal Grants Manager
Indiana Supreme Court
Fiscal, Operations & Personnel