Legal professionals and rural communities across the state developed two initiatives: Rural Pathways and Rural Ready to aid in the shortage of rural lawyers. Both are now well underway across New York's rural counties, including Chenango and Madison Counties. Pictured, the Chenango County Courthouse in Norwich.(Sun file photo)

CHENANGO COUNTY — Across rural New York State, communities face a growing crisis: a shortage of attorneys. In 2020, the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) Task Force on Rural Justice issued a report outlining the varied causes of the shortage and the action items needed to close the gap.

In response, Third Department Presiding Justice Elizabeth A. Garry worked with state court leadership and members of rural legal communities across the state to develop two initiatives: Rural Pathways and Rural Ready. Both are now well underway across New York's rural counties, including Chenango and Madison Counties.

Rural Pathways: A Unique Internship for Law Students

NYSBA's report emphasized the need to build robust professional pipelines between law schools and rural regions. Rural Pathways addresses that need by bringing law students to rural counties for an immersive, eight-week paid internship. Interns experience a wide selection of career tracks across the private and public sectors. But the program is not only about work

— it is also about showing interns that rural regions are great places to live. Local community members volunteer their time to introduce students to everything rural life has to offer.

“To build a successful pipeline, both components of the program are critical,” Presiding Justice Garry explained. “Most law students simply do not know all of the legal job opportunities available in our rural counties. A rotation schedule gives them a more complete picture of their professional options. But the real ‘secret sauce’ of Rural Pathways is the social engagement.

For our interns to picture themselves returning to one of our state's many beautiful rural regions after law school, they have to be able to see themselves living here. Pathways is built to let students make friends, find mentors, and experience the many benefits of rural life.”

Chenango County Court Judge Frank B. Revoir Jr., who assisted in coordinating the program in Chenango and Madison Counties, said: “We were so pleased to have three law school interns who split their time between Chenango and Madison Counties over the past eight weeks. Having spent my entire adult life in upstate New York, I have seen firsthand the steady decline in the number of law school graduates willing to practice law in small rural communities, in both the public and private sector. This trend has resulted in a critical shortage of attorneys and the public’s inability to access basic legal services. I'm proud to be part of an initiative that has a real chance to help turn the tide. Local judges and attorneys worked hard to develop a comprehensive program that has serious potential to convert these law students into future members of our local bar.”

From June 1 to July 24, the program was in twenty counties and made up of almost two dozen interns. To learn more about this program or to get engaged, please email Judd Krasher at jkrasher@nycourts.gov.

Rural Ready: A Roadmap for Attorneys Looking to Relocate

(www.nyruralready.com)

Also launched statewide is Rural Ready, an initiative aimed at practicing attorneys looking to relocate to a rural region or newly admitted attorneys looking for their first job.

“Let's say there's a city-based individual who wants a different pace of life but doesn't have much knowledge of, or many connections in, a rural county — which makes relocating an intimidating prospect,” Presiding Justice Garry explained. “Rural Ready aims to create a seamless transition for that person.”

Rural Ready is an easy-to-use website that offers two key resources. First, it provides county-by county legal job postings. Second, each participating county has at least one Rural Ready “Ambassador.” These ambassadors are members of the local bar who serve as a bridge between a relocating attorney and the broader community. An ambassador can also be a source of valuable information and insight about settling into a county — how the schools are, who is a good realtor to use, and what it is like to live on a particular street or in a neighborhood.

“The second pillar of our mission is to 'advance equal access to justice.'" The New York State Bar Association is committed to ensuring that all New Yorkers have access to justice.

Unfortunately, in most of the rural communities in New York, there are too few lawyers resulting in a justice gap. That is why we wholeheartedly supported Justice Garry’s Rural Pathways and Rural Ready Initiatives. We are so pleased to see that the initiatives are starting to reverse this trend. We thank Justice Garry for her foresight in creating an initiative to introduce lawyers to the opportunities and benefits to practicing in rural New York.”

To learn more about this program, visit www.NYRuralReady.com or email contact@nyruralready.com.

As NYSBA's report details, this crisis is complex and requires multifaceted action. These initiatives are important steps in the right direction as they are means of connecting people with opportunities they might not otherwise have been aware of. Moreover, thanks to these programs, word has quickly spread about the need for additional urgent action.

- Information from the Rural Pathways and Ready programs