On May 15th, The Illinois State Bar Association announced the newest round of Fellows for their Rural Practice Fellowship Program. The program is part of the ISBA's effort to take on what they say is a lawyer shortage in the state.
Looking at the numbers, you find Illinois counties with fiver or less lawyers. Even some with just two or three - including counties in southern Illinois.
The shortage becomes more widespread when comparing the number of lawyers to the number of residents in these counties. The American Bar Association says these areas are "legal deserts". They define legal deserts as areas with less than one attorney per one thousand residents.
To tackle these shortages, the ISBA developed their Rural Practice Fellowship - trying to incentivize law students and lawyers to practice in these underserved counties.
IASB Rural Practice Fellowship - 2025 Fellows
Legal Representation Numbers -
