A Message to the Next Generation of Alabama Lawyers: The Legal Deserts Are Calling

In Alabama, a third of our counties have 20 or fewer lawyers, and Jefferson and Shelby Counties alone house 40% of the state's lawyers but only 17.8% of its population. That leaves wide swaths of our state underserved—places where justice is waiting for someone to carry the torch.

We call these areas “Legal Deserts.”

In Alabama, this gap isn’t just statistical—it’s structural. It affects access to justice, judicial leadership, and even legislative representation. Out of Alabama’s 67 counties, 54% of them have fewer than 50 licensed attorneys, 28% of them have fewer than 20 licensed attorneys and 10% of them have fewer than 10 licensed attorneys.

But with great gaps come great opportunities.

• Cases Per Capita: In Alabama’s seven urban counties, the average lawyer sees 39 cases annually. In rural counties, that number jumps to 134—more than triple the opportunity per lawyer.

• Cost of Living and Lifestyle: Lower expenses, shorter commutes, and the space to build a life beyond the billable hour. Yes, you may drive farther for fine dining, a shopping mall, or a sporting event, but you’ll see the stars at night—and you’ll know your clients by name and by their story.

  
  

• Broader Practice Exposure: In a rural practice, you won’t be pigeonholed and you will be thrown into the fire early in your career. You will have the opportunity to touch everything from family law to estate planning to major personal injury and products liability cases, to banking, commercial, employment and corporate litigation—and grow in ways many big-firm associates only dream about. You will be trying cases in your first year of practice both jury and non-jury. 

  
  

• Community Impact: Whether it’s a butternut squash or tomatoes from a client’s garden or becoming a trusted community leader, rural lawyers build roots that matter. Call it what you want but when you are a lawyer in a rural community and you build your reputation in the correct manner, you become considered as the trusted professional who delivers big firm results in a small-town setting. 

  
  

• Personal Impact: After practicing law in a rural market for the past thirty-one years, I can honestly say that I am very proud of my decision. Sure, I have missed seeing my colleagues in the larger markets on a regular basis, but at this stage in my career, I am certain the path I chose was the right path for myself and for my family from all perspectives.

So here is the challenge: If you are a young lawyer seeking purpose, independence, and opportunity, look past the skyscrapers. Look to the dirt roads. You won’t just practice law—you will have a profound impact and more than likely you will have a wonderful career in this profession.

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About Guest Author Jonathan Lowe:

Over the past 31 years, the emphasis of Jonathan’s practice has focused on civil litigation, worker's compensation defense, employment litigation, insurance defense, manufactured home litigation, construction litigation, automobile litigation, product liability litigation, personal injury and banking litigation. He is a Certified Mediator with the Alabama Center for Dispute Resolution and affiliated as a Neutral with Schreiber ADR. Jonathan has served the Alabama State Bar Leadership Forum Class 4, 2008 Alumnus, Alabama State Bar Leadership Forum Class 5 Planning Committee and Program Facilitator, Former Member of the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) Lawyer's Committee and is Past President of the Winston County Bar Association. He is a proud member of the Winston County Bar Association, Marion County Bar Association, Huntsville Bar Association and the Jefferson County Bar Association. He is also an AIM-insured attorney.