Law School to Host Rural Justice Convening
The National Rural Access to Justice Convening at the University of Nebraska College of Law addresses a lack of attorneys in rural areas.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Criminal Justice
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The University of Nebraska College of Law will host the National Rural Access to Justice Convening at the Schmid Clinic Building on Friday and Saturday. The event addresses the fact that 54 counties in the United States, including twelve in Nebraska, have no resident lawyer.
Why it matters
The convening seeks to engage stakeholders in developing a practical and actionable solution to address a shortage of attorneys in rural parts of the country. For Nebraska, where twelve counties lack a resident lawyer, the outcome could shape how residents in those areas access legal help.
Twelve of Nebraska's counties have no resident lawyer, out of 54 nationwide. The figures do not state how many residents in those counties rely on lawyers from neighboring areas.
The players
University of Nebraska College of Law
The law school of the University of Nebraska system, based in Lincoln, which operates rural legal access programs across the state.
Richard Moberly
Dean of the University of Nebraska College of Law, who is scheduled to speak at a news conference during the convening.
The details
The National Rural Access to Justice Convening is organized by the Law School Admission Council in collaboration with the Association of American Law Schools and will be held at the Schmid Clinic Building. The College of Law also operates the Rural Reconciliation Project, the Schuyler Project, the Rural Estate Planning Clinic, and the Greater Nebraska Connections student organization, and partners with the University of Nebraska at Kearney through the Rural Law Opportunities Program.
Timeline
Friday and Saturday: National Rural Access to Justice Convening held at the Schmid Clinic Building in Lincoln.
Friday, noon: News conference with Dean Richard Moberly.
Last year: The Nebraska Children's Justice and Legal Advocacy Center was established by the College of Law.
Access Landscape
The convening extends the work of the Rural Law Opportunities Program, a partnership between UNL and the University of Nebraska at Kearney. It brings that regional effort to a national table on rural legal access.
Residents of the twelve Nebraska counties without a resident lawyer may face longer travel to reach legal counsel. The convening's outcomes could influence whether new programs reach those communities.
The takeaway
Rural legal access depends on sustained attention from law schools, courts, and state officials. Readers interested in the issue can follow future convening outcomes and state-level reporting on lawyer distribution.
Further reading
For broader context on court access and legal systems, explore Criminal Justice coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Omaha World-Herald.
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