Why New Lawyers Should Consider Rural Practice
New lawyers having trouble with their job search may want to consider practice in rural America, where they are more likely to see the inside of a courtroom and less likely to be saddled with a big mortgage payment.
Eric Cooperstein, a Minneapolis legal ethics lawyer, began thinking about those benefits after he had a conversation with a lawyer from a small town about two hours outside of his city, he writes at the Lawyerist blog. The lawyer mentioned how difficult it is for law firms to find lawyers willing to practice in rural areas. She also made a prediction that bodes well for future job-hunting lawyers: She opined that about half the lawyers in her quarter of the state were likely to retire in the next 10 years.
Cooperstein lists many benefits to small-town practice. “First off, there is plenty of work to do,” he writes. “All those farms you pass as you drive that two-lane road into the country? That farmland is worth several thousand dollars an acre in many areas. Those farm families need estate plans, contracts, and business advice … The folk in small towns sometimes get divorced, commit the occasional DWI, and get in car accidents. They need local lawyers.”
He lists other benefits. Lawyers in small towns are generalists, and get experience in many areas. They are more likely than big-city associates to get courtroom experience. And the cost of housing is a lot lower. “Your mortgage could be so small that even with your law school debt you would have less overall debt than you would have living in the city,” he says.
One lawyer who decided to try a small-town practice in Minnesota—and succeeded—is Jennifer Knapp. She bought a small-town law practice from a lawyer who advertised on Craigslist. During a yearlong transition, he served as her mentor. “He was able to introduce me to people in town for that whole year we worked together, so there was a real smooth transition,” she said.
Also see:
ABA Journal: “Green Achers: The lure of BigLaw and big cities may stir some. But for a certain solo breed, the small town is the place to be.”
