Written by: Gloria Kosir
The Rural Interest Group (RIG) is one of 23 special interest student organizations at Iowa Law that creates a space for students to learn more about a distinct and vital area of law—rural practice.
The organization’s goal is to promote rural practice as an option to students who may not be aware of its opportunities and benefits. Ryan Daisy (22JD) founded RIG in 2020 as a 1L.
“It was just a little space for us to band together and focus on how our career path is going to be different than those who were looking to go to a larger community,” Daisy said. Daisy is now an associate attorney at Willson & Pechacek, PLC, and currently chairs the Iowa State Bar Association’s Rural Practice Section.
“There are more people who are interested in [rural practice] than you realize,” RIG co-president and 3L Lucas Buckrop said. The group formed with 5 participants but has since increased to nearly 50 and presently boasts very active members.
Learning the backroads of rural practice
In addition to increasing its exposure to students who aren’t currently considering rural practice, the organization hosts a panel and Q&A each semester to hear from current practitioners and learn the practical details of working in rural communities.
The panelists often speak transparently about finances, work-life balance benefits, opportunities to grow, and living in the communities in which they work. Its most recent panel specifically featured recently graduated professionals who shared their experiences as younger rural attorneys.
These panels also provide students with a unique opportunity to network with professionals. Due to their inflow of work and the size of their firms, rural lawyers often aren’t able to take the time to travel to the College of Law to recruit or meet with students.
“People who didn't grow up in rural communities don't really realize how big a demand there still is for [legal services], or that [a rural] community can still support a lawyer,” Buckrop said. “From what we’ve heard, there’s no shortage of work.”
According to Daisy, rural attorneys are both experts and generalists, and the range of clients they serve allows them to work in several different practice areas. However, rural firms often allow attorneys many freedoms: better work-life balance; faster tracks to become partner; and even how narrow they’d like to tailor their services.
“It’s kind of like those '80s ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ books,” Daisy said. “If tomorrow I decided I only wanted to be a guardianship-conservatorship attorney, which is a big part of my practice right now, I’d have the freedom to do that.”
Harvesting impact and opportunities for students
Since its inception, RIG has developed a strong connection with the Iowa State Bar Association. The “sister organizations,” as Daisy refers to them, spur communication and employment opportunities among rural lawyers in Iowa. Daisy expects this relationship will continue to facilitate job prospects and benefits for Iowa Law students.
After graduating, Buckrop will work for Buckrop and VanDeVelde, P.C., in Rock Island, Illinois. Baylee Newell, RIG co-president and 3L, will start at Lamson Dugan & Murray LLP, a Des Moines, Iowa-based firm. Both intend to use their first years as young attorneys to learn through hands-on experiences, and Buckrop is hoping to expand the firm’s practice areas to include work directly related to agricultural issues.
“Some students have really specific practice area interests ... and there are some true benefits to rural practice that you don’t necessarily get in other areas of practice,” said Melissa Norman, the Director of Career and Student Services at Iowa Law and advisor of RIG. Norman worked in rural practice before joining Iowa Law and has noticed a growing interest in rural practice at Iowa Law since the organization began.
Newell and Buckrop feel that the growing curiosity is organic. Students first learn about the personal and professional advantages of rural practice, but the impact they can have on rural communities solidifies their interest.
“Everyone deserves to have somebody they can go to with issues without having to drive two hours away, which is an option some people don't even have,” Newell said. To Newell, alleviating the pressure that legal deserts place on communities is one of the most rewarding elements of rural practice.
"We like to say that a rural attorney is a local attorney: someone who's down the road, who's relatable to you, who understands you. The idea is we're not just a place for a service. A rural attorney is helping your neighbor,” Daisy shared.