Rural Law Practice in the News

Illinois expands Access to Justice funding and Court Navigator Network

In late April and May 2026, the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice ("ATJ Commission") announced a new round of grant funding totaling approximately $400,000 awarded to 26 organizations focused on improving meaningful participation in the courts.¹ The funded programs emphasize expansion of community-based legal clinics, improved remote access to courts, and strengthened pro bono services for self-represented litigants.²

In parallel, the Court opened applications for its 2026–2027 Access to Justice Improvement Grant Program and encouraged courts statewide to join the newly emphasized Court Navigator Network.³ The Network connects court personnel and access-to-justice professionals to share resources and support self-represented litigants, particularly in underserved and rural communities.⁴

For rural practitioners, these developments reinforce a continued shift toward court-supported infrastructure as a primary mechanism for addressing access gaps.

Indiana launches Rural Practice Academy to address workforce shortages

In early 2026, the Indiana State Bar Association announced the creation of a Rural Practice Academy, a structured, year-long program designed to encourage attorneys to practice in underserved rural counties.⁵ The program targets early-career attorneys and seeks to build long-term interest in rural practice through mentorship and professional development.⁶

The program targets early-career attorneys and seeks to build long-term interest in rural practice through mentorship and professional development rather than short-term placement incentives. It reflects a broader trend among state bar associations toward workforce development models that emphasize training pipelines and sustained engagement.

For rural firms, such programs may present opportunities to integrate new attorneys into local practice environments while reducing recruitment burdens through bar-supported initiatives.

Kansas implements financial incentives to attract rural attorneys

Kansas continues to move forward with implementation of the Attorney Training for Rural Kansas Act, with additional reporting in May 2026 highlighting the program’s rollout.⁷ The legislation provides financial incentives to both law students and practicing attorneys, including tuition stipends and loan repayment assistance, in exchange for commitments to rural practice.⁸

State officials have emphasized that rural attorney shortages are driven in part by an aging legal workforce and lower compensation levels compared to urban practice, making financial incentives a necessary tool for recruitment and retention.⁹

The Kansas model reflects an increasingly common legislative approach that combines pipeline development with debt relief, reinforcing the trend toward long-term retention strategies.

National data continues to highlight severity of rural legal deserts

Recent scholarship and reporting in 2026 continue to underscore the persistence of legal deserts across the United States. A May 2026 academic analysis suggests that attorney shortages in rural counties remain structurally persistent over time, with many counties rarely exiting legal desert status once established.¹⁰

These findings align with earlier national research showing that more than half of rural counties lack sufficient numbers of practicing attorneys, limiting access to legal services for issues ranging from family law to agricultural business planning.¹¹

For rural practitioners, the data reinforces the broader policy reality: attorney scarcity is a long-term infrastructure challenge requiring coordinated responses.

Collaborative and technology-based models gain traction in rural communities

Recent reporting highlights the increasing reliance on collaborative and technology-driven models to deliver legal services in rural areas. Legal aid organizations and community partners are expanding remote service delivery and regional collaboration as local offices face funding and staffing constraints.¹²

These developments reflect a growing recognition that traditional brick-and-mortar service models may be insufficient in sparsely populated regions, particularly where transportation barriers and limited attorney availability intersect.

For rural attorneys, these evolving service models may create new opportunities for partnership while reshaping how legal services are delivered in rural practice.

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Sam Ellis is an associate attorney with Rincker Law, PLLC, practicing in the areas of food and agriculture law.

Cari Brett Rincker is the owner of Rincker Law, PLLC, a national general practice law firm concentrating in Food, Farm and Family℠ law.

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1. Ill. Sup. Ct. Comm’n on Access to Justice, ATJ Commission Funds 26 Programs to Expand Meaningful Participation in Courts (Apr. 28, 2026), https://www.illinoiscourts.gov/News/1711/ATJ-Commission-funds-26-programs-to-expand-meaningful-participation-in-courts/news-detail/.
2. Id.
3. Ill. Sup. Ct. Comm’n on Access to Justice, Illinois Courts Invited To Apply for Access to Justice Improvement Grants and Join Court Navigator Network (June 1, 2026), https://ilcourtsaudio.blob.core.windows.net/antilles-resources/resources/60f2392b-99d2-4bff-a341 8e994e69559b/IL%20Courts%20Invited%20To%20Apply%20For%20ATJ%20Improvement%20Grants%20And%20To%20Join%20The%20Court%20Navigator%20Network.pdf.
4. Id. 
5. Mark Athitakis, Legal Group Launches Program to Boost Rural Workforce, Ass’ns Now (Mar. 3, 2026), https://associationsnow.com/2026/03/legal-group-launches-program-to-boost-rural-workforce/.
6. Id.
7. Zach Boblitt, It’s Hard to Get Legal Help in Rural Kansas. Now the State Will Pay New Attorneys to Practice There, KCUR (May 5, 2026), https://www.kcur.org/2026-05-05/its-hard-to-get-legal-help-in-rural-kansas-now-the-state-will-pay-new-attorneys-to-practice-there.
8. Id.; H.B. 2595, 2026 Leg., Reg. Sess. (Kan. 2026).
9. Boblitt, supra note 7.
10. Cory Dodds, Legal Deserts Over Time (May 13, 2026), https://www.private-law-theory.org/2026/05/22/cory-dodds-legal-deserts-over-time/.
11. More Than Half of Rural Counties in U.S. Are Short on Lawyers, Study Finds, Newswise (June 26, 2025), https://www.newswise.com/articles/more-than-half-of-rural-counties-in-u-s-are-short-on-lawyers-study-finds.
12. Teri Saylor, Filling the Gaps: How Innovative Collaborations Are Helping Communities in Legal Deserts, N.C. Laws. Wkly. (Feb. 18, 2026), https://nclawyersweekly.com/2026/02/18/filling-the-gaps-how-innovative-collaborations-are-helping-communities-in-legal-deserts/.