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Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Shortage of lawyers concerns local jurists
Mar. 30—LIMA — "Justice delayed isn't justice at all," said Dennis Kerber, magistrate in the domestic relations division of Allen County Common Pleas Court and president of the Allen County Bar Association, when asked about a statewide shortage of attorneys that is becoming increasingly noticeable locally. According to a recent statement from the Ohio Bar Association, rural communities face a growing crisis as legal needs are going unmet due to a statewide attorney shortage. The legal needs of many residents are going unhandled in areas that include child custody, real estate disputes, consumer fraud or defending against criminal charges, according to the state bar. Mary Amos Augsburger, chief executive officer of the Ohio Bar, testified in early March before the Ohio House Finance Committee to urge continued state funding for programs that help fill this gap. The group is advocating for the expansion of the Rural Practice Incentive Program, which provides loan repayment assistance to attorneys who practice in underserved areas, and continued funding and expanded eligibility to attract more lawyers to these communities. The need is real Auglaize County Common Pleas Court Judge Frederick Pepple answered with an emphatic "yes" when asked if a shortage of attorneys is affecting courtrooms in that county. "Just look at the size of our bar," Pepple said of the shrinking number of local attorneys. "The practice of law has become less attractive in recent years, and fewer people are going to law school. Those who do graduate are increasingly choosing to live in larger metropolitan areas." The Ohio Bar says a ratio of one lawyer for every 700 residents is ideal for rural counties. Using that formula, Auglaize County would need nearly 65 practicing attorneys to keep pace. Pepple said state lawmakers could ease the current shortage by changing one key state mandate. "The General Assembly statutes don't allow a deputy public defender from one county to help out other counties when a conflict of interest arises. That needs to change," Pepple said. According to Kerber, who became a magistrate in the local court in 1998, membership in the Allen County Bar Association currently stands at around 175 and is on the decline. Some members are willing to take court-appointed assignments, but many are not. "Back in the 90s we had maybe 40 attorneys that were willing and eager to take court-appointed work. Now there might be a half-dozen. And their workload is increasing greatly due to the smaller pool of attorneys we can pick from," Kerber said. "The numbers of attorneys are definitely declining, and the reasons are varied," he said. "Becoming a lawyer is an expensive undertaking, and attending law school is a stressful time. In our bar, we are seeing members that are getting a little older and taking on less work. All of the courts in the county are flexible in working with the available attorneys and trying to accommodate their schedules." Cost-prohibitive? Allen County Common Pleas Court Judge Terri Kohlrieser agreed that the current economic climate nationwide may be making a law degree less attractive than it once was. "What I'm seeing is that the current educational crisis, especially when it comes to student loans, is having an effect on the number of attorneys out there. It's expensive to get a law degree — like $25,000 to $30,000 annually. And that's just tuition. And it's not as easy to get student loans as it once was," the judge said. Kohlrieser is an adjunct professor at Ohio Northern University. When walking the halls of the law school, she sees class photos of graduating classes through the years. "My class had about 82 graduates," she said. "Now class sizes are down to about 25. Small towns and rural areas across the state are seeing a crisis. Private practice in a small town is hard work. You end up taking all kinds of cases just to make ends meet, and it can get overwhelming." Kohlrieser agreed the pool of attorneys willing to take court-appointed assignments is dwindling significantly. "I have maybe three attorneys I can reach out to ... then I have to go searching," she said. Why come here? Lima Municipal Court Judge John Payne came to Lima from Youngstown, and he's glad he did. But Payne is uncertain how many new attorneys will follow that path. "I've been blessed to be in Lima, but unless you're from Lima, why would you come here?" Payne said. "I think a lot of new graduates are heading to the larger metropolitan areas. They can probably make more money, but I'm not sure they're taking into account the high cost of living." In the mean time, the pool of local attorneys is contracting due to retirements and deaths. "I've got about six people who are willing to take court appointments," Payne said. "And even those take a lot of urging." Payne was happy to report that the poorest of Allen County residents are suffering the least, even as local attorney numbers decline. "I think we have the best public defender representation we've ever had. The full-time county public defenders office is representing indigent clients very adequately. I think it's the best it's ever been," Payne said. In that vein, Kohlrieser gave a shout out to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who she said has "really tried to make indigent defense a priority." But without enough lawyers, people will still struggle to navigate the legal system, according to the state bar association. "This shortage doesn't just inconvenience Ohioans — it denies them their legal rights," Augsburger said. Featured Local Savings
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Yahoo
Ohio State Bar Association warns of attorney shortage in rural counties
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – The Ohio State Bar Association is warning of a legal service crisis in rural counties. In 82 of the state's 88 counties, there are not enough attorneys for the population. 'When there aren't attorneys around or available to help folks sort of protect their rights or help folks navigate through some of the difficult bureaucracies to get public benefits and things like that, then people just don't get those things,' said Sondra Bryson, Senior Attorney with Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio. Ross County inmate charged in deadly beating of corrections officer According to the Ohio Bar, the ideal ratio is one attorney for every 700 residents. Franklin County is the only one in central Ohio that meets this criterion. Some of the other attorney to population ratios include: Delaware County: 1/1,148 Fairfield County: 1/1,731 Licking County: 1/1,680 Pickaway County: 1/2,097 Union County: 1/1,781 Bryson said this leaves attorneys stretched thin. 'We just can't help everybody,' she said 'There's a larger need for our services than what we're able to meet.' Bryson said this causes attorneys and clients to have to travel further for legal services. 'Folks would have to travel outside of the community where they may not feel as comfortable, where they may not understand the cultures, where the attorneys may not understand the people that are coming to them to be represented,' she said. Ohio lawmakers want to ban HOAs from prohibiting thin blue line flags The Ohio Bar said many current attorneys are nearing retirement. They said the median age of private practice lawyers in Ohio is 54.5 years old. In some rural areas, it's up to 60 or 70 years old. 'There's just not newer people coming in to replace that,' Bryson said. The Ohio Bar said they are working on several different initiatives to get attorneys in these rural counties including expanding the Rural Practice Incentive Program. It provides loan repayment assistance to attorneys who practice in underserved areas. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
