The opportunity to get legal help is an imperative part of our justice system. It is something many of us may take for granted, especially if we live in big cities or other highly populated areas. However, many in America don’t have access to lawyers simply due to where they live.

 

Legal deserts are geographical locations with very few to no lawyers at all. These are typically rural areas with small populations. Though the issue of legal deserts isn’t well known or talked about, they are something that needs to be addressed. 

 

In this episode, we’re starting the conversation. We’re bringing awareness to this issue as best as we can in one episode. Tune in for a more thorough explanation of exactly what legal deserts are and what can be done about them.

 

Show Highlights:

• How ABA first made the public aware of legal deserts.
• How this issue plays out across our nation.
• The challenges in defining “rural” and “legal desert.”
• Why we are so concerned about legal deserts.
• What is being done to address this issue.
• What limited scope representation services are.
• Why we need to educate the public on when to hire a lawyer.

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Supporting Resources:

streamlined.legal/videos

https://harvardlpr.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2019/04/4.-Legal-Deserts.pdf

https://www.2civility.org/the-disappearing-rural-lawyer/

https://www.2civility.org/the-disappearing-rural-lawyer-part-ii/

https://www.2civility.org/the-disappearing-rural-lawyer-part-iii/

http://chicagobarfoundation.org/pdf/resources/limited-scope-representation/toolkit.pdf

https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2020/08/legal-deserts-threaten-justice/

https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2020/07/webinar-video---legal-deserts-in-america--a-threat-to-justice-fo/

https://www.usda.gov/broadband#:~:text=Unfortunately%2C%2022.3%20percent%20of%20Americans,by%20the%20Federal%20Communications%20Commission.

https://calawyers.org/california-lawyers-association/practicing-law-in-a-rural-legal-desert/

https://www.statebarofsouthdakota.com/project-rural-practice/

https://ujs.sd.gov/Attorneys/RuralRecruitment.aspx

https://ujs.sd.gov/uploads/RARPreport.pdf

https://www.equaljusticeworks.org/law-students/part-time-summer/rural-summer-legal-corps/

https://chicagobarfoundation.org/blog/bobservations/1-reason-people-dont-lawyer-need-one/

https://www.americanbarfoundation.org/uploads/cms/documents/sandefur_accessing_justice_in_the_contemporary_usa._aug._2014.pdf

Action Steps:

1. If this topic has piqued your interest, please don’t stop here. Check out our show notes where we have a slew of links to help you explore these ideas further.  Pick one article or paper to read to get a better understanding of the issues at play here. 
2. Take a little time to think about how your firm is offering its services. Is there an option for you to offer a service that is unbundled or limited in scope? This is not just an altruistic gesture. This can be a win-win scenario when you can reach a market that will not only be helped by your new service offering but also wouldn’t have otherwise hired you.
3. Figure out one thing that you can do to help educate the public on the types of problems you help to solve. Again, this can be a win-win scenario when you’re not only raising awareness about the issues but also positioning yourself as the expert in the area so that they are seeking you out when they encounter these issues.

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Episode Credits

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know I sent you.