INDIANAPOLIS — Legislation has been filed that would address our state’s Attorney Shortage, a growing problem exposed by WRTV Investigates.
House Bill 1049 would create a state fund to provide scholarships to law students who commit to working as a deputy prosecutor or public defender in Indiana for at least five years.
Eligible students could receive $20,000 a year for three years — a maximum scholarship of $60,000 per student.
Rep. Greg Steuerwald, R-Danville, said he filed the bill after serving on a state panel aimed at fixing the growing attorney shortage.
“I don’t think the public is aware that we truly do have an attorney shortage here in Indiana, especially the public sector,” said Steuerwald. “We don’t have enough prosecutors and public defenders.”
Steuerwald’s goal is to incentivize law students to work in the criminal justice system where public sector jobs often pay less than private law firms.
The typical law school graduate carries $130,000 in education debt.
Meanwhile, the average salary (not starting) for a deputy prosecutor in Indiana is $69,777, according to the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council (IPAC).
“Indiana needs great people to be great prosecutors,” said Courtney Curtis, assistant executive director at IPAC. “What this bill does is draw people in who want to be a part of this profession and allow them to stay in it because they’re not saddled with law school debt."
On IPAC’s website, 26 counties have job openings posted for deputy prosecutors — positions many are struggling to fill.
49 counties in Indiana are considered a “legal desert,” which is when a county has less than 1 lawyer for every 1,000 residents.
Indiana ranks in the bottom 10 states when it comes to access to attorneys per resident.
The shortage means victims and people accused of crimes are waiting longer for their cases to be resolved.
"Courts that are crippled by this shortage can’t deliver justice,” said Justin Forkner, Chief Administrative Officer for the Indiana Supreme Court. “They can’t deliver justice to victims, to those accused of crimes and to our community."
The Indiana House Education Committee heard a lot of support for HB 1049 and no one testified in opposition.
"It's been an honor of my lifetime, but honor doesn't pay the mortgage,” said Zach Stock with the Indiana Public Defender Council.
“Without enough public defenders, constitutional rights cannot be fulfilled and what we have is people released from our jails and prisons because we don’t have a lawyer to represent them as constitutionally required,” said Andrew Cullen with the Commission on Court Appointed Attorneys.
HB 1049 passed unanimously and will now head to the Ways and Means Committee.
Rep. Steuerwald is hoping for at least a million dollars to establish at least 50 scholarships a year.
The scholarships would be available during the 2026-2027 school year and applicants would have to attend an Indiana-based accredited law school, submit a written essay, and meet certain GPA and LSAT requirements to qualify.
The Indiana Commission for Higher Education would administer the funds and scholarships.
If a recipient fails to complete five consecutive years of public service, they would have to repay the scholarship, according to Steuerwald.
“The criminal justice system affects everybody,” said Steuerwald. “That’s the greatest area of need.”
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