Amidst anecdotal evidence that rural areas are facing a shortage of lawyers, The Missouri Bar, the statewide organization of all Missouri lawyers, is seeking to gather more data regarding the public’s access to legal services.
To gather this data, The Missouri Bar asks that residents of rural Missouri counties take a short survey about their experiences hiring lawyers and accessing legal services.
Missourians can take the survey at MoBar.org/RuralLegalSurvey through the end of fall. No individual responses will be made public, and all responses will remain anonymous.
Among other questions, the survey asks participants if they’ve ever struggled to find a lawyer, how far they would be willing to travel to hire a lawyer, and if they would be interested in virtual legal appointments.
This data will be vital in helping Missouri Bar leadership consider potential policy and program recommendations to address any shortages.
“Across Missouri, we are hearing real concerns about access to legal services in rural communities,” said Shelly Dreyer, 2024-2025 Missouri Bar president. “While we know there are challenges, we don’t yet fully understand the scope of the issue.”
Dreyer, who practices in Joplin, is co-chairing a Special Committee on Rural Practice with 2nd Judicial Circuit Judge Corey Moon, a member of The Missouri Bar Board of Governors and resident of rural northeast Missouri. More than 30 lawyers from across the state make up the committee, which was launched in 2025. It is also conducting surveys and interviews with rural lawyers and judges.
“The Missouri Bar’s mission is to improve the lives of Missourians. That’s why this committee’s work is so important — it brings together data and perspectives to determine whether a shortage of attorneys exists in rural Missouri and what it means for access to justice,” Dreyer said.