Following months of listening sessions held across the state, The Iowa State Bar Association (ISBA) has released the findings of its Rural Practice Roundtables—a statewide effort to better understand the challenges facing rural legal practice and to identify opportunities to strengthen access to justice in Iowa’s rural communities.
From September through November 2025, ISBA President Kathy Law and Executive Director Harry Shipley, along with other bar leaders, traveled throughout Iowa to meet directly with attorneys, judges, law students, economic development professionals, chambers of commerce, and other civic leaders. Five formal Rural Practice Roundtables were held in Burlington, Creston, Fort Dodge, Jefferson, and Marshalltown, with additional discussions hosted at county and district bar meetings in Harlan, Orange City, and Waterloo.
“These conversations confirmed what many rural practitioners have experienced firsthand for years,” Law said. “The rural practice crisis is real, it is growing, and it affects far more than attorneys—it impacts courts, local governments, businesses, and families across Iowa.”
Why rural practice matters
The roundtables focused on the growing shortage of attorneys in rural Iowa, the impact on access to justice, and the ripple effects on local economies and court systems. Participants also discussed the realities of rural practice today, including opportunities for new attorneys, barriers to recruitment and retention, and ways communities and institutions can work together to support rural legal infrastructure.
Representatives from Iowa State University and ISBA Past President Bill Scherle participated in several sessions, highlighting the connection between rural housing availability and successful attorney recruitment.
A shifting attorney landscape
Data reviewed as part of the report underscores the urgency of the issue. Iowa currently has 9,655 licensed attorneys, with 7,055 practicing in the state and 5,183 in private practice. Approximately 73% of active attorneys are available to the public.
Despite these numbers, access remains uneven. Based on population and attorney distribution, 43 Iowa counties currently qualify as “legal deserts”—defined by the American Bar Association as communities with fewer than one attorney per 1,000 residents, including attorneys who may not be available to the public. Five counties—Dallas, Johnson, Linn, Polk, and Scott—account for 63% of Iowa’s attorneys while representing only 37% of the state’s population.
Looking ahead, projections suggest the imbalance will worsen without intervention. Thirty-one percent of Iowa’s licensed attorneys are age 60 or older, signaling significant retirements in the coming decade. Even assuming all new attorneys remain in Iowa and distribute proportionally across counties, ISBA research indicates that as many as 64 counties could qualify as legal deserts within ten years.
What we heard across the state
While each community shared its own perspective, several consistent themes emerged from the roundtables.
Retirements are outpacing new entrants. Longtime rural attorneys are retiring without successors, leaving remaining practitioners with heavy workloads. Many attorneys continue practicing well past their planned retirement due to loyalty to their clients and communities.
Young attorneys face real and perceived barriers. Law students and new lawyers cited student loan obligations, income uncertainty, lack of structured mentorship, concerns about professional and social isolation, limited employment opportunities for spouses or partners, and the challenge of learning to run a business while learning to practice law.
Communities are willing—but often unprepared. Local leaders expressed strong interest in attracting attorneys but often lack coordinated recruitment strategies, marketing tools, incentives, or adequate housing options.
Courts and public systems feel the strain. Judges reported delays in court proceedings due to limited attorney availability, particularly in indigent defense and criminal cases. Participants also noted an increase in self-represented litigants, declining interest in judicial positions, and shortages of county attorneys, many of whom serve multiple counties.
Legal services are essential to economic development. Stakeholders emphasized that access to legal counsel is foundational to business formation and succession, estate planning, real estate transactions, tax planning, community organizations, and long-term community stability.
Addressing misconceptions about rural practice
Participants also highlighted persistent myths that deter young attorneys from considering rural careers, including assumptions that rural income potential is significantly lower, that specialization is not possible, or that rural practitioners must take every type of case. Roundtable discussions consistently challenged these misconceptions and emphasized the diversity, sustainability, and professional satisfaction found in many rural practices.
The advantages of rural practice
Despite the challenges, the report underscores the many benefits rural practice offers attorneys at all stages of their careers. These include the ability to build a client base quickly due to unmet legal needs, clear pathways to firm ownership or succession, meaningful leadership roles within the community, improved work-life balance, diverse legal experience, and strong, long-term client relationships.
“These are strengths we need to be telling more effectively,” Shipley said. “Rural practice is not a fallback option—it’s an opportunity.”
Recommended action steps
Based on the findings, the report outlines several recommendations for strengthening rural practice statewide. These include launching a coordinated marketing and awareness campaign, expanding law-related education programs in rural schools, supporting succession planning for retiring attorneys, enhancing collaboration with Iowa’s law schools, continuing and expanding regional roundtable discussions, and advocating for system-wide improvements such as judicial funding, indigent defense support, and modernization of practice rules and technology.
Other proposed initiatives include creating an ISBA practice marketplace for rural opportunities, developing structured mentorship pathways for new attorneys, building partnerships with local governments and chambers of commerce, and exploring student loan forgiveness or stipend programs for attorneys who commit to rural practice.
What comes next
The Rural Practice Roundtable findings were presented to the ISBA Board of Governors in December 2025 and are now being shared with the full membership. ISBA leadership will use the report to guide future programming, advocacy, and partnerships aimed at strengthening Iowa’s rural legal infrastructure.
“The challenges are significant, but so are the opportunities,” Law said. “With coordinated effort and sustained collaboration, we can ensure that every Iowan—regardless of where they live—has access to legal services and a strong justice system.”
ISBA remains committed to advancing these efforts and encourages members to engage in upcoming initiatives focused on rural practice, mentorship, and community collaboration.
READ THE ROUNDTABLE FINDINGS
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