Oct. 4, 2023 – Attorneys practicing in the more rural areas of Wisconsin face significant challenges today. A well-publicized shortage of lawyers – with many older attorneys retiring and fewer new attorneys to replace them – looks to continue for the foreseeable future. And yet, opportunities abound for attorneys willing to look beyond the urban centers of Madison and Milwaukee.
Karina O'Brien, an attorney at Kostner, Koslo & Brovold LLC in Arcadia, Wis., recently sat down with co-hosts of the Bottom Up podcast, Emil Ovbiagele and Kristen D. Hardy to share her perspective on the challenges and opportunities of rural practice in Wisconsin.
A 2014 U.W. Law School graduate, O'Brien grew up in Arcadia, located 45 miles south of Eau Claire. She didn’t think she would return to her hometown to live and work, but a local law firm offered her a job out of law school, and her father championed the opportunity as a good start. "Give it a try," O'Brien recalls him saying. "You can always move on."
Now, almost a decade later, there’s no place she would rather be (except maybe skiing). With a sharp wit and good humor, O'Brien highlights a day in the life of her rural practice, including the sense of community that comes with it.
O'Brien said Arcadia, like many smaller towns in Wisconsin, is a place where the community is rooting for you to succeed, and the support of other attorneys in the TriCounty Bar Association is unmatched.
Listen to the podcast at wisbar.org/podcast or wherever you get your podcasts.
Greater Wisconsin Initiative
Is practicing in a more rural area of the state right for you? The State Bar’s Greater Wisconsin Initiative encourages attorneys to consider practicing in Greater Wisconsin. We’re here to provide you with the resources you need to get started.
Wisconsin's rural population tops 1.6 million. With many lawyers approaching retirement age, more and more nonurban communities are at risk of losing access to legal services.
What happens when a rural area no longer has a lawyer? Vital legal needs go unmet and access to justice is jeopardized. What does this mean for you as a lawyer? Opportunities abound all over Wisconsin to establish your practice.
Learn more at wisbar.org/GWI
