During a dive into some historical research, I came across an interesting nugget in The Boston Globe. In the October 24, 1932 edition of the newspaper (see right), it was reported that an increasing number of Yale Law graduates were opting for rural practice. The story attributes this partially to a decline in corporate recruiting, a fact that should not be surprising given that the country was struggling through the Great Depression at the time. The article is interesting because it provides a snapshot into a different era of rural lawyering and an era when lawyers began looking away from cities.The article also notes that the role of the "country lawyer" in leadership, as opposed to the urban lawyer who seemingly just accumulated great wealth. While this is a slight simplification, it does speak to the historical role of the lawyer as a leader in their community. In a city, a lawyer is just another professional whereas in a smaller town, they may be one of just a few. As I have heard from rural lawyers in my research, a rural lawyer is rarely ever off the clock. The lack of anonymity in a rural community often does not allow for a rural lawyer to clock out and simply go home.
On April 23, 1891, over 41 years before the publication of this piece, the Globe reported on the retirement of Judge John Hopkins from the bench in Worcester County, Massachusetts. In his retirement speech, Judge Hopkins said, "I know of no position more honorable than a country lawyer and no position in which a lawyer can be of more use to his fellow man."
In 1932, Yale Law sent its graduates out to take that position. I aspire to see that happen again.
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