ISBA Launches Rural Practice Fellowship Program
In an effort to address the ongoing shortage of attorneys practicing in rural Illinois, the ISBA has launched the Rural Practice Fellowship Program.
The aim of the program is to connect rural and small-town law firms looking to hire law clerks and associates with law students and newer attorneys interested in practicing law in rural areas of Illinois.
Data shows that more than half of Illinois counties have less than 0.7 lawyers in private practice per 1,000 residents. Thirty-five Illinois counties have ten or fewer attorneys total in private practice, and 13 counties have five or fewer attorneys total in private practice.
The ISBA Special Committee on the Rural Practice Initiative created two fellowship programs to address the issue.
The Rural Practice Summer Fellows Program connects law students with rural practitioners to give them experience working in rural communities before they leave law school. The program includes a $5,000 fellowship stipend and mentoring.
The Rural Practice Associate Fellows Program places graduating law students and new attorneys as permanent associates with rural practitioners. The program includes a $5,000 stipend at the beginning of employment, and an additional $5,000 stipend if the associate is still working for the same firm after one year.