BJA FY25 Capital Case Litigation Initiative: Improving the Quality of Legal Representation in State Capital Cases
Closed Posted
- Opportunity number
- O-BJA-2025-172492
- Agency
-
Bureau of Justice Assistance
Office of Justice Programs, Department of Justice
- Applications due
- Award size
- Up to $450,000
Opportunity facts
- Assistance listings
- Funding instrument
- Grant
- Category
-
- Law, Justice and Legal Services
- Eligible applicants
-
- State Governments
- Points of contact
- Full announcement
Opportunity details come from Grants.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), operating under the Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs, seeks applications to enhance the quality of legal representation in state capital cases through the Capital Case Litigation Initiative (CFDA 16.746). This opportunity targets improvements in prosecutors' effectiveness in capital proceedings, quality representation for indigent defendants, and the capacity of conviction integrity units (CIUs) and wrongful conviction review (WCR) entities to identify and manage post-conviction innocence claims. Eligible applicants include state governments, non-profit organizations, and higher education institutions with demonstrated expertise in capital case litigation or criminal justice reform. Applications will be evaluated based on eligibility, responsiveness, merit, programmatic considerations, budget adequacy, and organizational risk factors, with final award decisions made by the Assistant Attorney General. The application deadline is May 27, 2026, with the deadline extended to encourage additional submissions; authorized representatives must accept or decline awards within 45 days of notification.
Awards are anticipated to range from approximately $286,000 to $600,000 for project grants and $1.4 million to $2.6 million for cooperative agreements, with performance periods spanning two to three years and budget periods of 12 to 24 months. All records must be retained for three years from the date of final expenditure report submission in compliance with federal audit and examination requirements. Places of performance will span multiple states where capital punishment is authorized or where wrongful conviction review entities operate, with concentrated activity anticipated in jurisdictions such as Michigan, Pennsylvania, California, Texas, Florida, and Louisiana.
Synopsis
This NOFO will enhance prosecutors' ability to effectively represent the public in state capital proceedings and to improve the quality of legal representation for indigent defendants in State capital cases.
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