On the rural lawyer shortage in Illinois

This piece, "The Disappearing Rural Lawyer" appeared in 2Civility back in August, but it only recently came to my attention.  Attorney Mark Palmer writes, with a focus on Illinois data.  Here's an excerpt: 

The lack of rural lawyers in Illinois is becoming more pronounced by the year, according to the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice. As the rural lawyer population throughout much of the state declines, locating legal aid is becoming increasingly difficult for citizens in need. 

Shrinking Numbers Across America

The figure below in blue shows the distribution of the state’s 65,000 resident attorneys (30,000 registered Illinois attorneys live outside the state). When it comes to new attorneys (in pink), 52 counties admitted fewer than five new attorneys in the last five years. Sixteen counties admitted none.

The story also features some terrific color-coded maps which are also worth a look.  Further, as we know is true in California, the data tend to overstate the availability of attorneys.  Here's how Palmer explains it:

The number of available private practitioners is fewer once you take into account non-public facing attorneys. These include government jobs in the state’s attorney’s office, public defender officers and the judiciary, as well as those working non-legal jobs or in-house positions, and those otherwise not available to serve the public’s legal needs.