Spotlight on lawyers making rural practice sustainable
William P. Baresel
Law Firm Name: Walk, Prichard, Baresel, Murphy & Rourick, PC
Location: Charles City, Osage, and St. Ansgar, Iowa
Law School: University of Iowa College of Law
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Can you give us a high-level overview of your journey to becoming a rural practice attorney? I was offered a job to be a part time prosecutor and also build a private practice in Floyd County, Iowa after graduating law school in 2010.
What are your primary areas of law? I am still a part-time prosecutor in Mitchell County and a partner in a general practice firm. My private practice is broad. My private practice has cases with property issues, probate, contracts, bankruptcy, and municipal law. I also take some family law cases like adoption, guardianship, and conservatorship.
What do you want Iowa's legal community to know about rural practice? There is a definite need for legal work in the rural areas. The constant struggle with a legal practice is that there is a never-ending need for legal work weighed against the cost of litigating actions. People still want to meet with their attorney personally and be able to discuss their challenges in a professional setting.
What advice would you give to law students considering rural practice in Iowa? A rural practice will provide you with an opportunity to try and build relationships. Most of the people you will represent will seek you out for many different problems over many years. You grow with your clients and the community.
How does practicing in rural Iowa connect with your personal or professional values? The biggest difference with a rural practice is the certainty that you will interact with clients, witnesses, and adversarial parties in your everyday life. This knowledge is a constant reminder that everyone needs to be treated with patience and respect, even when they are at their most disagreeable.
What kinds of opportunities does rural Iowa life provide that other locations may not? If you are a young attorney not sure after law school where you want to focus, a rural practice could help refine your interests. The rural practice allows an introduction to a number of different areas of law. You can really get an understanding for how all of the different types of law connect and conflict with each other.
If you are not originally from Iowa, what attracted you to practice here? I am, for the most part, a lifelong resident.
What are some common misconceptions about practicing law in rural areas? People believe that by moving to a rural area you will be isolated from activities. The community has a number of different organizations and events that try to cater to people. There may not always be something going on that will interest you, but there are plenty of chances to be involved and develop some new interests.
How do you see the future of rural legal practice evolving in Iowa? As the rural communities change, the basic needs do not change. There will always be a need for consulting on the many normal tribulations and challenges everyone faces in life. The one benefit of rural practice is that if you stay you get to see people at many stages in their life. In general practice you advise at all those different stages. The hardest part of any legal career is trying to give the best legal within the confines of running a business.
