STATE OF NEW JERSEY
214th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2010 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator JOHN A. GIRGENTI
District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes scholarship program for law students to reward public service in the area of criminal reentry.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act establishing a scholarship program for certain law students and supplementing chapter 71B of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Higher Education Student Assistance Authority, established pursuant to N.J.S.18A:71A-3, shall administer a scholarship program for law students enrolled in Rutgers School of Law-Newark, Rutgers School of Law-Camden, and Seton Hall University School of Law in order to reward students with exceptional records of public service in the area of criminal reentry. Under the program, the authority shall award scholarships in the amount of $250 to qualified recipients in the fall and spring semesters of the academic year.
b. In order to be eligible for the scholarship, a student shall be enrolled in a course of study leading to a Juris Doctorate degree at a participating school of law. The student shall also provide a minimum of 25 hours in a semester of free legal assistance to former criminal offenders. The assistance shall be limited to issues that former offenders face upon reentry into the general population.
c. Each of the participating law schools shall select up to 25 scholarship recipients in each of the fall and spring semesters of the academic year.
d. There shall be annually appropriated to the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority such sums as shall be necessary to administer the provisions of this act.
2. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2009.
STATEMENT
This bill provides for the establishment of a new scholarship program that will reward law students with exceptional records of public service in the area of criminal reentry. Under the bill, the program will be administered by the New Jersey Higher Education Student Assistance Authority, which will award scholarships in the fall and spring semesters of the academic year in the amount of $250 to 25 students enrolled at each of the following schools: Rutgers School of Law-Newark, Rutgers School of Law-Camden, and Seton Hall University School of Law.
The bill provides that in order to be eligible for the scholarship, the student must be enrolled in a course of study leading to a Juris Doctorate degree at a participating school of law. The student must also provide a minimum of 25 hours in a semester of free legal assistance to former criminal offenders. The assistance will be limited to issues that former offenders face upon reentry into the general population. The participating law schools will select the recipients.