Applying with/approaching a rural firm
The first step to transitioning into a rural practice from the big city is to establish the contacts and a network that can support you in your practice. If you can find a rural lawyer that is looking to retire or cut back hours in the next few years, then you could discuss the opportunity of transitioning the practice over. Having an already established practice to take over can make the transition into a rural practice much more smoother than starting from scratch.
The following are some tips for building your rural network contacts and approaching rural firms about passing on their practice.
Initiate contact in a personable manner
To be successful in a rural practice, the lawyer must be able to connect with the residents in the community. Existing practitioners in rural areas are disinterested in passing on their practice to non-serious inquirers. To demonstrate your sincerity, call the rural lawyer you want to connect with and where possible, follow up with a coffee meeting to discuss opportunities.
Demonstrate genuine interest in the firm and desire to practice and contribute to the rural community
Show a willingness to get directly involved in the activities of the residents of the rural community. Rural practitioners constantly emphasize the need to get involved in the community life in order to attract and retain clients. It is not a place where you can come and leave on a whim and be able to experience instant success. You need to invest time and effort into establishing your reputation in the community as someone the residents can get to know and trust with their important legal affairs. Ask the rural practitioner what kinds of community groups they belong to and how they personally get involved in the community. Try to get a local’s sense of what that community is about.The only way for a lawyer to survive in a small community is with repeat clients and referrals. So, the rural lawyer needs to offer the best service and develop a strong rapport with its clients.When it comes to sponsoring local community events and initiatives. Lawyers need to show up in person at events their firms sponsor (ex: rodeos, BBQs, sports tournaments…). Therefore, they can’t just send money and not show up…nor should they show up if they declined to sponsor the community event.
Demonstrate maturity and competency to develop a brand new set of skills to meet the specific rural community’s legal needs
A successful rural practitioner often has more work coming to them than they can take on. Much like the partners in large urban firms, they don’t have much time to train. You need to be able to demonstrate that you can successfully transition into a rural practice without extensive direction/guidance. Show that you have the requisite interpersonal skills to integrate yourself into the community. Do your research on what it takes to get involved in the community by asking the right questions. Demonstrate to the rural practitioner that you are confident in your ability to hit the ground running. Catch up on your substantive law knowledge relevant to the particular rural practice by accessing the resources highlighted in the rural firm’s profile (or access all of them here).