What Small Law Firms Contribute to Rural Communities

With the rural lawyer shortage becoming more of an issue each year, attempts to find solutions have received a lot of attention. The American Bar Association (ABA) has provided data on lawyer shortages and has published stories about incentive programs and the rural lawyers themselves. But, in my mind, one discussion point has been missing: showing how solo and small firm practitioners contribute to their rural communities. More wide-ranging analysis appears in my newly-released book The Rural Lawyer: How To Incentivize Rural Law Practice and Help Small Communities Thrive, but I want to share a few thoughts here about how lawyers contribute to rural communities.

Why Lawyers Matter to Rural Communities

If you’re a small firm lawyer, you already know the essence of what I’m going to say: Lawyers do a lot of volunteer work. This is true in all types of communities across the United States—from the most urban to the most rural. The difference in rural communities is that there are fewer lawyers to do this volunteer work.

And it is not just an issue of raw numbers. The 2020 ABA Profile of the Legal Profession provides data showing that there are more lawyers in bigger cities. Of course, that makes sense. But that report shows that the ratio of lawyers to people is also higher in those cities. This means that in rural areas, there are not only fewer lawyers but also fewer lawyers per person. In turn, this means there are fewer lawyers per nonprofit, per school board, and per community development organization.

There are many reasons why lawyers are so good at community service. Most people who choose to enter law school do so because they want to help others. Plus, the profession itself encourages volunteering, both through pro bono legal work and nonlegal volunteer work. But another reason is that organizations really want lawyers involved—not necessarily to serve as counsel, but just to serve as a voice of understanding and reason. Lawyers can help navigate complicated rules and difficult situations.

It is no secret that rural America is struggling. Small towns face uphill battles to keep their populations and institutions. When local lawyers are available to be engaged citizens, those local institutions and organizations fare better. Plus, spending and taxes can stay local when business is done locally.

Why We Can’t Rely on Remote Legal Services

I am often in discussions about how to solve the access-to-justice crisis in rural America. There is no single answer to that question, though I am often frustrated at how quickly conversations turn to using technology. Technology is not a silver bullet, but too many people think it is. In their view, it doesn’t matter if there is a small firm on Main Street because we can just connect rural clients with lawyers in bigger communities.

The first problem here is that technology is not yet advanced enough. Despite our increased comfort with long-distance communication and meetings, there are structural challenges in rural America that limit the utility of technology. Broadband access is significantly lower in rural areas, meaning that the Internet may not be good enough to allow videoconferencing. Moreover, the high rates of poverty in rural areas mean that many potential clients will not have access to devices that allow for full communication with distant lawyers.

The second problem is that there is still value in face-to-face communication. Lawyers often help clients through the most difficult parts of their lives. Having the in-person connection is valuable, and it’s even better when there is a long-term relationship created by living and working in the same small community.

The third problem, and the one that I think is easiest to miss, is that if legal work is provided remotely from cities, all the other benefits of having a local lawyer are missing. Perhaps we can get enough city lawyers to take on rural clients, but those city lawyers will be doing community service work in their own communities. Small towns will, once again, be left behind.

This isn’t to say that no remote services should be provided. In fact, if you’re in a city and willing to help bridge the justice gap in a nearby rural area, I strongly encourage you to do so. There are not enough local lawyers, and they need help to serve all clients. But even with an increase in remote services from urban centers, there will still be the danger of letting the rural lawyer shortage get so bad that no rural lawyers remain.

How You Can Help

If you are a rural lawyer, keep up the good work. If you work in a larger market, consider how you can help. An easy step is to take on a few rural clients to help cover the rural justice gap. A more ambitious task would be to take on law students as interns and teach them how a small firm operates. When new lawyers move to rural areas, they do a lot better with some small firm experience. An internship at your firm might make it possible for a new lawyer to launch a career in rural practice—especially if you stay available as a long-term mentor. You’ll be helping lawyers, clients, and rural America.