Yet another disappearing rural lawyer story, this one out of Illinois

Ryan Denham for WCBU, a joint effort of Illinois State University and Bradley University, reports from Lincoln, Illinois, population 14,504, on that state's rural lawyer shortage.  The headline is "Legal Profession Tries To Evolve As Rural Attorneys Disappear."  Here's an excerpt from several  paragraphs into the piece:

“Is the small-town lawyer going to exist, 10, 15, or 20 years from now? We don’t have the answer to that, but we do see a need, and we as a firm have a desire to meet that need,” said Amelia Buragas, a partner with Bolen Robinson & Ellis (BRE Law) who is based in Bloomington. 

Last month Buragas’ firm opened a branch office in Lincoln, where there is a shortage of lawyers. Only two new attorneys have begun practicing there in the past four years. The problem is most acute in the family law area. 

“That’s concerning,” Buragas said. “When you’re dealing with a family law case, those are very serious issues that impact your life and the life of your family. And people trying to navigate that system on their own, we saw the potential need to do good in the community.”

There are less than 25 lawyers in Logan County (population 30,305) ... where Lincoln is the county seat. The historic courthouse in downtown Lincoln remains the center of town. 

After less than two months, demand was so high in the Lincoln area that Buragas’ BRE Law firm added regular office hours starting this week to meet with potential clients.

This story is somewhat unique among the many I've read on the rural lawyer shortage because it provides a trial judge's perspective--in particular the struggle judges face to make decisions in challenging and emotionally fraught cases, such as child custody matters, when litigants are unrepresented.  While not mentioned much in news coverage, the inefficiency of self-represented litigants and how they bog down the justice system is an issue ones hears about frequently in contemporary ATJ discussions.