Taking the Plunge: A Summer in Rural Practice Through the ISBA Initiative
This summer, I served as a law clerk at Rammelkamp Bradney P.C., a full-service firm in Jacksonville, Illinois. My placement came through the Illinois State Bar Association’s Rural Practice Initiative, a program connecting law students and lawyers with small-town firms across the state. For anyone considering rural practice, I cannot recommend it enough. This experience broadened my understanding of legal work and revealed how impactful a well-supported, community-based practice can be to otherwise underserved communities.
Comfortable roots, new challenges
Although this was my second summer clerkship, it was my first in a rural setting. My family is from Mattoon, a similar-sized city in Coles County. That background made the community setting familiar, but the practice itself was something new. I had worked in a small firm before as a legal assistant, but I had never stepped fully into the role of a law clerk in this context.
Rammelkamp Bradney turned out to be a strong match. The firm struck a balance between professionalism and mentorship that I found invaluable. It was not a “we’re family” culture, but one rooted in mutual care and support. The firm took on three clerks this summer, and each of us received structured exposure to a variety of practice areas while also being encouraged to pursue individual interests. I was welcomed into client meetings, given substantive drafting and research assignments, and offered clear, constructive feedback throughout.
Lessons beyond the law school walls
My clerkship lasted nine weeks and followed a standard office schedule. Over that time, I conducted document review, drafted legal documents, researched across multiple areas of law, and observed court proceedings. What surprised me most was how often agricultural issues surfaced, even in areas I would not have expected. Though I am from a community like Jacksonville, I had little experience with farming. I quickly came to appreciate how central it is to family life, local economies, and legal disputes in rural Illinois.
I also saw firsthand the realities rural attorneys navigate: client needs that span practice areas, limited options for referrals due to potential conflicts, and a real scarcity of legal services in some regions. Those insights helped me better understand both the challenge and value of choosing to serve in underrepresented areas.
The rural practice initiative: Streamlined and supportive
The ISBA Rural Practice Initiative was instrumental in making this summer possible. The application process was thoughtful and easy to navigate, asking the right questions to ensure good placements. One of the highlights was a virtual meet-and-greet: a single virtual session where participating firms introduced themselves, discussed practice areas, and shared what made their communities unique. That is how I was introduced to Rammelkamp Bradney.
Being selected for the Rural Practice Summer Fellowship came with a stipend that made the clerkship financially feasible. Temporary housing in rural areas can be hard to secure and, contrary to expectation, not always affordable. With that support, I was able to focus on the experience without the burden of financial stress.
It is worth noting that the fellowship included three required Zoom sessions spaced throughout the summer: a kickoff, a mid-summer panel on maximizing clerkship opportunities, and a closing Q&A. Each took place during the lunch hour and was informative, concise, and genuinely useful. Clerks were encouraged to speak candidly about their experiences—the good, the great, and the not-so-great—and the board listened with attention. There was also a separate session for the attorneys serving as point mentors, which I cannot speak to having never attended one of these sessions. Overall, the time commitment was minimal, but the value added was high.
A shift in perspective
Before this summer, I assumed I would end up in government work, as the stability of a single client and no billable hours appealed to me. I still see the logic in that path. But having now experienced rural private practice firsthand, I also see that the challenges I once viewed as barriers—client management, billing, administrative load—are manageable in the right environment. With strong mentorship and collegiality like that found at Rammelkamp Bradney, those hurdles become pathways to real professional development.
A word to future clerks
If you are even slightly curious about rural practice, take the plunge. Spend one summer in a placement through the Rural Practice Initiative. The ISBA has crafted a program that not only connects you to the right opportunity but supports you throughout the journey. Whether you fall in love with small-town practice or simply learn something new, I guarantee that what you gain will stay with you, far beyond the classroom and into your career.
Reagan Honn is a law student at Southern Illinois University Simmons Law School, and expected to graduate in 2026.