Vincent G. Rinn Law Library

Considering A Rural Legal Practice ? - Read This Book

The recent article in the New York Times, "No Lawyer for Miles, So One Rural State Offers Pay", put a spotlight on the ironic situation that in some parts of the U.S. there are many unemployed new attorneys while in many of our rural areas, lawyers are in very short supply. The article looks at how South Dakota is trying to recruit more rural lawyers by passing a law with incentives.

As the article points out,  "Just 2 percent of small law practices are in rural areas, where nearly a fifth of the country lives, recent data show." Its a wide spread problem but the jobs are there, as many older small town attorneys retire or die.

Most law school grads are attracted to the urban areas in these mostly rural states. "In South Dakota, 65 percent of the lawyers live in four urban areas. In Georgia, 70 percent are in the Atlanta area. In Arizona, 94 percent are in the two largest counties, and in Texas, 83 percent are around Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio."

Besides state legislatures, state bar associations and law schools are attempting to attract  some of these law grads who may still be unemployed, to give small town legal practice another look.

In Kansas, the state bar association is teaming with the University of Kansas and Washburn law schools to promote rural opportunities for law grads,reports the Kansas City Star .

The Times story point out that "Last year, the Iowa State Bar Association began encouraging law students to spend summers in rural areas in the hope they might put down roots. In Nebraska, the bar association organized rural bus tours for law students for the first time this year."

To help any prospective recruits to decide about opening a small town or rural practice, Bruce Cameron, a Minnesota-based solo practitioner and popular law blogger (rurallawyer.com), has written just the book they need.

"Becoming a Rural Lawyer" looks at the myths of practicing in small towns, discusses emerging areas of rural practice, talks about the rhythms and (unwritten) rules of small town life, and  includes advice, tips, and words of wisdom from rural lawyers from across the US."

Becoming a Rural Lawyer is available through Amazon.com

Also check out blog posting: "5 Reasons You Shouldn't Rule Out Rural Law Practice",  By Andrew Chow, JD

 

 

 

Kansas 2011 Rural Recruitment Law Takes Broader Approach

A recent New York Times article highlighted the passage of a law in South Dakota aimed at recruiting new lawyers to the rural areas of the state. Many states in the West and the South are seeing the retirement or death of their town lawyers with no one in the pipeline to replace them.

The situation in Kansas is not much different. A study by Wichita State University’s Center for Economic Development and Business Research, indicates that "Without migration, Wichita State projected that 37 counties — 22 in the western Kansas — would lose population. The main reason for the decline is a relatively low concentration of women of child-bearing age." "With migration, the study projected that 83 counties, including 51 of the 54 from Reno County west to the Colorado border, would continue to lose population through 2040. "

Kansas passed its own broader rural recruitment legislation back in March 2011. While the South Dakota law deals specifically with recruiting new law grads, the 2012 Kansas law has taken a broader approach to recruiting not only lawyers but also professions like veterinarian, programmer, pharmacist, welder, engineer and many more marketable skills.

The bill creates a state and county partnership with 50 Kansas counties being designated Rural Opportunity Zones. The bill was introduced by the Governor and supported by the Secretary of Revenue and the Secretary of Commerce. Other proponents included the Kansas Dental Association and the Kansas Hospital Association.

Unlike the South Dakota law which is only looking for graduates from law schools. The Kansas law covers a 20% of loans  for attendance at an institution of higher education where such resident individual earned an associate, bachelor or post-graduate degree, up to $15,000.

A five year commitment is required from accepted candidates. The repayment program is available to all individuals regardless of prior residency, Kansas source income, or where they may have received their higher education degrees.

The Kansas law provides tax incentives for those who agree to work in a designated Rural Opportunity Zone (ROZ) for five years. These workers will be "...allowed as a credit against the tax liability of a resident individual taxpayer an amount equal to the resident individual’s income tax liability under the provisions of the Kansas income tax act."

Commentator, Mary Sanchez of The Kansas City Star, puts the aims of such legisaltion in a hopeful perspective, "For now, just view these relatively small population gains this way: If a company expands and hires 10 new workers, all from outside the existing community, they often don’t arrive as a single person. They might bring a spouse, or a child, or marry and start a family, putting down roots to stay."

Two New Books on The Changing Landscape For Lawyers & Law Students

These two books published by Oxford University Press, in February, merit the attention and close reading by practicing attorneys, legal educators and current law students.

The American Legal Profession in Crisis, Resistance and Responses to Change

By James E. Moliterno, Vincent Bradford Professor of Law at Washington and Lee University School of Law. Professor Moliterno is a member of the American Law Institute, and he has held committee leadership roles in both AALS and the ABA.

"Throughout history, the American legal profession has tried to hold tight to its identity by retreating into its traditional values and structure during times of self-perceived crisis. The American Legal Profession in Crisis: Resistance and Responses to Change analyzes the efforts of the legal profession to protect and maintain the status quo even as the world around it changed. James E. Moliterno argues that with striking consistency, the profession has resisted societal change and sought to ban or discourage new models of legal representation created by such change. In response to every crisis, lawyers asked: "How can we stay even more 'the same' than we already are?" ( From Publishers web page)

 

 

Tomorrow's Lawyers, An Introduction to Your Future

By Richard Susskind, holds professorships at Oxford University, University College London, and elsewhere. He  is an author, speaker, and independent adviser to international professional firms and national governments. Previous best-selling books by Mr. Suskind include "The End of Lawyers?" and "The Future of Law".

"Tomorrow's Lawyers is a definitive guide to this future--for young and aspiring lawyers, and for all who want to modernize our legal and justice systems. It introduces the new legal landscape and offers practical guidance for those who intend to build careers and businesses in law. Susskind identifies the key drivers of change, such as the economic downturn, and considers how these will shape the legal marketplace. He then sketches out the new legal landscape as he envisions it..." ( From Publisher's web page)