Legislators want the state of Kansas to pay local law students a stipend if they promise to practice in a rural part of the state upon graduation. They also want to repay the student loans of working rural attorneys. It’s all part of an effort to address a persistent rural attorney shortage. House Bill 2595, or the “attorney training for rural Kansas act,” creates two programs meant to attract and retain practicing attorneys in the state’s rural areas. More than 40% of the population lives in a rural part of the state but only 20% of the state’s attorneys practice there. “By helping new lawyers build sustainable careers in rural communities, this legislation expands access to justice today and lays the groundwork for stronger communities in the years ahead,” said Gregory Schwartz, president of the Kansas Bar Association, in a Wednesday news release.
Read more: Dodge City Daily Globe
