A committee created 10 years ago to look at the unmet legal needs of rural Kansans found a crisis and are looking for solutions. The Rural Justice Initiative Committee presented its findings and recommendations in a report to the Kansas Supreme Court recently. The report confirmed an attorney shortage across rural Kansas. Ninety-nine counties have two or less attorneys for every thousand residents, lower than the national average. Chairman of the committee, Kansas Supreme Court Justice Kenyan Wall:
The committee found student loan debt, lack of mentorship and cultural concerns all factored into the shortage and came up with 10 recommendations, including a rural attorney network and programs for student loan repayment and student reimbursement.
