A lack of attorneys leaves rural Nebraskans without representation; 12 counties have no attorneys

Twelve Nebraskan counties don't have an active
attorney. (Photo by Irene North, Flatwater Free Press)

 

As many older lawyers retire from rural-serving practices and fewer graduating law students opt to replace them, many rural Americans have found securing legal representation almost impossible. In rural Nebraska, the lack of attorneys has some residents navigating legal paperwork and proceedings alone while their lack of representation causes a domino effect of stressors for courts.

"About a third of Nebraska’s 93 counties have three or fewer active attorneys residing and practicing in them. Twelve counties don’t have a single one, according to the Nebraska State Bar Association," reports Shelby Rickert for the Flatwater Free Press. "For attorneys, this means heavier caseloads and longer travel times. Judges must take on extra duties to streamline an already complicated process."

Even as advocates work to solve the problem, law training takes time. "Nonprofits and other programs are trying to fill the gaps," Rickert writes. "The state bar has several incentive programs, and a newly approved program at the University of Nebraska College of Law is working to train future attorneys in juvenile law, an area with a dire shortage of attorneys in rural Nebraska."

Criminal or child/minor proceedings often require legal representation, so the lawyer shortage leaves practicing attorneys shouldering heavy caseloads with extensive travel. Rickert explains, "Heavy workloads for the few attorneys in an area can affect the quality of representation in court, especially when defendants are entitled to legal representation."

Madeline Smith, an attorney in Broken Bow, Nebraska, is a court-appointed child advocate who struggles to stay on top of cases that are hours from her home base. Rickert writes, "Cherry County, where Smith has cases, is more than 100 miles from Broken Bow. In one of those cases, children were placed in Douglas County, nearly 200 miles from Broken Bow. The extended days add to her struggles balancing work and life balance. . . . Attorneys in smaller communities also struggle to access the same services their clients may seek, such as mental health care."