Political Quotes

“I rise today to offer the John R. Justice Prosecutors and Defenders Incentive Act as an amendment to the Higher Education Act of 2007. This amendment would create a targeted student loan repayment assistance program that will bolster the ranks of attorneys in the criminal justice system in America. I think the need for this amendment is clear. Prosecutor and public defender offices throughout the country are having serious difficulties recruiting and retaining qualified attorneys. In a recent survey, over a third of prosecutor offices nationwide reported problems with keeping attorneys on staff. Over 60 percent of prosecutor offices that serve populations of 250,000 or more reported serious problems with the retention of attorneys. The story is the same for public defender offices. Another recent survey found that over 60 percent of State and local public defender offices reported difficulty in attorney recruitment and retention. When prosecutor and defender offices cannot attract new lawyers or keep experienced ones, their ability to protect the public is compromised. Caseloads become unmanageable, cases can be delayed or mishandled, crimes may go unprosecuted, and innocent defendants may sit in jail. Why is it that prosecutor and defender offices are struggling to keep attorneys on staff? I will tell you one major reason: student loan debt. Over 80 percent of law students take out loans to finance their legal education.”