The lack of lawyers in rural areas has attracted much attention lately. Rural pockets with few or no lawyers living there, the so-called legal deserts, are on the upswing.
According to some surveys, 14% of the population lives in rural areas, but only 2% of lawyers do. A 2020 ABA study found that 40% of all counties in the US have fewer than one lawyer for every 1000 residents. Fifty-two counties have no lawyers, and another 182 have only one or two.
There are multiple reasons for the dearth of rural lawyers. Many young lawyers simply want to live in more urban areas. They value the quality of life, cultural opportunities, and better access to health care that urban areas offer. Many have professional spouses who also want and need to work. Instead of one job, deciding to be a rural lawyer requires finding two jobs in areas where job opportunities may not be as plentiful as in urban areas.
Lawyers also fear they will be unable to make as much money working in rural areas. It’s not just greed: most young lawyers have significant student loans that must be paid. Young lawyers worry about a lack of training and mentorships that would be available to them if they choose to practice in a legal desert.
Add to this the fact that many older rural lawyers are reaching retirement age. This reduces the number of lawyers serving rural populations. And it also means fewer opportunities for younger lawyers to work with older lawyers in those areas and gain experience.
These declining numbers are bad for the profession and society for many reasons. First and foremost, it means that people living in rural areas will be deprived of access to lawyers, the court system, and justice itself. The legal problems
