New York Supreme Court Justice Grace Hanlon lives with her wife in a house with 10 acres of land in upstate Chautauqua County. The area is known for its lakes, trails and the Chautauqua Institution, a nonprofit education center and resort.
Hanlon works out of the courthouse in Mayville, the county seat. She moved to the area 34 years ago from New Jersey and is staying put. She says part of the draw is that her family lives nearby, in Buffalo, New York. Hanlon also points out the low cost of living and friendly atmosphere in upstate New York.
Hanlon, 61, was elected in 2021 as the first openly gay judge in 8the Judicial District of New York, which extends through eight counties. In New York, a supreme court justice is a trial level judge.
Hanlon is helping bring law students into the community this summer as interns from Rural Pathways, one of New York’s programs aimed at recruiting lawyers into less-populated counties.
She’s part of a growing effort in New York to encourage lawyers to move to rural communities, where access to justice is a growing concern.
“A lot of the lawyers here have retired or are in semiretirement now, and we just have a really strong need for more lawyers to practice here,” Hanlon says. “We want people to see what we have to offer.”
Rural Pathways—in its second summer—will sponsor more than 20 law students heading into less-populated communities for an eight-week program in which they learn about the different legal careers available to them. The program, sponsored by the New York State Unified Court System, pays participants $30 per hour and provides them with housing options on local college campuses.
In addition to Rural Pathways, the court system, working with the New York Bar Association, created Rural Ready, a website that shares legal job openings and provides interested lawyers with local contacts acting as ambassadors for the community.
Rural Ready, which launched in January, is the kind of program that can be duplicated in other states as “every state has some portion that is being underserved,” says Kathleen Sweet, president of the New York State Bar Association.
A 2020 report by the New York State Bar Association Task Force on Rural Justice found that 96% of attorneys practice in New York’s major metropolitan areas, leaving only 4% in smaller communities. Additionally, the report found that 75% of rural practitioners will be retiring in the next 10 to 30 years, with few lawyers lined up to take their places.
The 2020 ABA Profile of the Legal Profession focused on the dearth of lawyers in rural areas. The report found that New York state had the highest number of lawyers per capita, with 9.5 attorneys for every 1,000 people, according to the profile. In New York City, there were 14 attorneys for every 1,000 people. Meanwhile in Orleans County, which is between Buffalo and Rochester, there were 40,000 residents and only 31 attorneys.
Kenneth Borden Jr. is a law clerk for Judge Kristy Sprague, the first female Essex County judge. Essex County sits in the northeastern corner of New York state in the heart of the Adirondacks. Borden is serving as an ambassador in the Rural Ready program.
Borden moved to the area in 2018 from White Plains, a suburb of New York City. Borden, who has a wife and two children, says Essex County is a great place to raise a family.
“It’s much easier for us financially to make it work here,” says Borden, 51.
Although he grew up on Rhode Island, Borden says that rural life is great for people who like to be “close to nature.”
“If you are into skiing, it’s just minutes away,” he says. “If you like to fish or hunt or boat, that access is right there.”
Borden also appreciates that there isn’t as much population density in rural areas.
“You don’t feel like you are on top of other people,” says Borden, adding that his wife sometimes doesn’t love the lack of shopping choices.
Ethan R. Brown is in his third year at Albany Law School. Last summer, he participated in the Rural Pathways program and was assigned to two different rural counties over six weeks. Brown, who hails from Jefferson County, New York, says the program exposes participants to “every level of the court system.”
While Brown, 34, found the idea of working in rural New York appealing, he ultimately accepted a job offer on Long Island at the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office. He says he wanted the chance to meet more people and be near friends.
“Many people don’t enjoy the urban hustle-bustle city life,” Brown says. “Up north could be perfect for them.”
Judd W. Krasher is chief of staff for Elizabeth A. Garry, presiding justice of the New York Supreme Court Appellate Division, Third Judicial Department. Krasher says he has been working on Rural Ready and Rural Pathways as part of the justice’s focus on addressing the growing need for lawyers in rural counties.
As of mid-April, Albany Law School took over maintenance and supervision of the Rural Ready website, a move state bar and court system officials say will ensure the program’s staying power.
“Albany Law School is thrilled to support the effort to expand access to justice in rural New York through its support for the Rural Ready initiative and website,” says Ray Brescia, associate dean for research and intellectual life at Albany Law School. “There are many opportunities for aspiring and practicing lawyers to serve upstate communities, and this will give them an easy way to find those opportunities and then connect with employers throughout the state.”
The Rual Pathways and Rural Ready programs are each “another shot of energy” for local bar associations and hopefully give lawyers in rural areas “a new sense of optimism,” Krasher says.
If the traffic on the Rural Ready website is any indication, “interest is high,” he adds.
