Recruitment Strategies: Educational Pipelines and Financial Incentives

Table of Contents

A basic tenet of American liberty is that no one is jailed without access to the courts and a lawyer to represent them. But there are many political and practical obstacles to realizing it. Across rural America, one problem lies at the heart of these obstacles: there are no lawyers.

In 2020, there were roughly four lawyers of any kind for every 1,000 people in America.[i] But lawyers were concentrated in cities, so that, in about 40% of all counties, there was not even one lawyer per 1,000 people.[ii] In 54 counties there were no lawyers at all.[iii] Rural populations are getting smaller and older,[iv] and when their lawyers retire, they are finding there is no one to replace them.[v]

In these “legal deserts,” it is difficult for people to get help with everyday issues like reviewing a contract or crises like keeping their home. In criminal legal deserts, the effects are severe and far-reaching; When no lawyer is available to prosecute or defend a case, people stay in jail without legal recourse or are released without consequences. Communities lose trust in the courts.

Fortunately, the medical and educational fields provide proven models for greening criminal legal deserts. To attract criminal lawyers to rural areas, states and their partners should build educational pipelines, starting in high school, or earlier, and offer compelling economic incentives that make rural practice a straightforward choice.

 

A rural upbringing is among the strongest predictors of rural professional practice.[i] Yet, a peculiar paradox decreases the likelihood that people from rural areas will become doctors, lawyers, or even college graduates. On the one hand, rural public high school graduation rates are roughly comparable to suburban rates (89%) and noticeably higher than urban rates (82%).[ii]  On the other hand, rural students are less likely to attend college than students from other areas. Only 71% of rural students enroll in college, as compared to 76% of suburban students, and 73% of urban students.[iii] 

Absent some intervention, this higher-education gap is likely to grow. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2019, only 25% of rural residents and 22% of “town” residents had a bachelor’s degree, as compared to 37% of urban and suburban residents.[iv] This gap is even larger for younger adults—25% of rural adults between 25 and 34 years old have a bachelor’s degree, compared to 44% among the urban young adults.[v] [HC1] 

No single factor accounts for this rural education gap. Sheer access is one factor. Rural students are often geographically isolated from, or entirely deprived of, programs that give them postsecondary credit.[vi] Availing themselves of courses farther afield means contending with a dearth of transportation options[vii] and uncertain access to high-speed internet.[viii] College-readiness is another hurdle. Rural students are less likely to have college-educated parents to guide them through application and attendance.[ix] Their schools may also have fewer resources to help prepare them to apply. For example, a 2016 report found that access to even one counselor can increase four-year college enrollment by 10%,[x] but 14% of rural schools lacked a school counselor (compared to 6% of urban schools),[xi] Besides counselors, rural schools’ smaller budgets may mean more difficulties in recruiting and retaining high quality teachers who can assist their students in making the transition to college.[xii]

Rural students who are reluctant to move from their close-knit communities may have to choose between staying close to home or attending college.[xiii] Rural areas tend to be both physical and online educational deserts.” (Physical education deserts have no college or university, or only one public broad-access community college, within 25 miles. Online education deserts have no broadband access.)[xiv] Indeed, rural residents account for 82% of people who live in the United States’ education deserts.[xv] So, rural students who commit to retaining their rural residence may have to forego a college education.

Rural students can also be priced out of higher education. Higher education costs have grown considerably, such that students borrow, on average, over $35,000 for college[xvi] and over $100,000 for law school.[xvii] These costs may be daunting for rural students. Rural areas, on average, have higher rates of poverty than urban areas, [xviii] and first-time rural college students use financial aid at a higher rate than their urban peers.[xix]

Introduction

A basic tenet of American liberty is that no one is jailed without access to the courts and a lawyer to represent them. But there are many political and practical obstacles to realizing it. Across rural America, one problem lies at the heart of these obstacles: there are no lawyers.

In 2020, there were roughly four lawyers of any kind for every 1,000 people in America.[i] But lawyers were concentrated in cities, so that, in about 40% of all counties, there was not even one lawyer per 1,000 people.[ii] In 54 counties there were no lawyers at all.[iii] Rural populations are getting smaller and older,[iv] and when their lawyers retire, they are finding there is no one to replace them.[v]

In these “legal deserts,” it is difficult for people to get help with everyday issues like reviewing a contract or crises like keeping their home. In criminal legal deserts, the effects are severe and far-reaching; When no lawyer is available to prosecute or defend a case, people stay in jail without legal recourse or are released without consequences. Communities lose trust in the courts.

Fortunately, the medical and educational fields provide proven models for greening criminal legal deserts. To attract criminal lawyers to rural areas, states and their partners should build educational pipelines, starting in high school, or earlier, and offer compelling economic incentives that make rural practice a straightforward choice.

 
 

The Rural Higher Education Gap

A rural upbringing is among the strongest predictors of rural professional practice.[i] Yet, a peculiar paradox decreases the likelihood that people from rural areas will become doctors, lawyers, or even college graduates. On the one hand, rural public high school graduation rates are roughly comparable to suburban rates (89%) and noticeably higher than urban rates (82%).[ii]  On the other hand, rural students are less likely to attend college than students from other areas. Only 71% of rural students enroll in college, as compared to 76% of suburban students, and 73% of urban students.[iii] 

Absent some intervention, this higher-education gap is likely to grow. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2019, only 25% of rural residents and 22% of “town” residents had a bachelor’s degree, as compared to 37% of urban and suburban residents.[iv] This gap is even larger for younger adults—25% of rural adults between 25 and 34 years old have a bachelor’s degree, compared to 44% among the urban young adults.[v] [HC1] 

No single factor accounts for this rural education gap. Sheer access is one factor. Rural students are often geographically isolated from, or entirely deprived of, programs that give them postsecondary credit.[vi] Availing themselves of courses farther afield means contending with a dearth of transportation options[vii] and uncertain access to high-speed internet.[viii] College-readiness is another hurdle. Rural students are less likely to have college-educated parents to guide them through application and attendance.[ix] Their schools may also have fewer resources to help prepare them to apply. For example, a 2016 report found that access to even one counselor can increase four-year college enrollment by 10%,[x] but 14% of rural schools lacked a school counselor (compared to 6% of urban schools),[xi] Besides counselors, rural schools’ smaller budgets may mean more difficulties in recruiting and retaining high quality teachers who can assist their students in making the transition to college.[xii]

Rural students who are reluctant to move from their close-knit communities may have to choose between staying close to home or attending college.[xiii] Rural areas tend to be both physical and online educational deserts.” (Physical education deserts have no college or university, or only one public broad-access community college, within 25 miles. Online education deserts have no broadband access.)[xiv] Indeed, rural residents account for 82% of people who live in the United States’ education deserts.[xv] So, rural students who commit to retaining their rural residence may have to forego a college education.

Rural students can also be priced out of higher education. Higher education costs have grown considerably, such that students borrow, on average, over $35,000 for college[xvi] and over $100,000 for law school.[xvii] These costs may be daunting for rural students. Rural areas, on average, have higher rates of poverty than urban areas, [xviii] and first-time rural college students use financial aid at a higher rate than their urban peers.[xix]