Expanding Rural Pro Bono: 5 Strategies for Addressing Legal Deserts

Rural communities across the country face unique challenges when it comes to accessing legal services. Limited attorney capacity, long travel distances, inconsistent court procedures, and technology barriers can make it difficult for legal services organizations to connect volunteers with clients who need assistance.

Despite these challenges, organizations continue to find innovative ways to recruit volunteers, expand pro bono services, and increase access to justice.

During Paladin’s recent webinar, Expanding Rural Pro Bono: Strategies for Addressing Legal Deserts, we were joined by Cari King, Deputy Director of Pro Bono, Partnerships and Collaborations, Georgia Legal Services Program, and Andy Cole, Pro Bono Managing Attorney, West Tennessee Legal Services. Together, they shared practical strategies their organizations are using to overcome the challenges of serving legal deserts.

Below are five key takeaways from the discussion.

1. Meet Volunteers and Clients Where They Are

When serving rural communities, accessibility has to come first. Geography, transportation, and limited internet access can all create barriers for both volunteers and clients. Rather than expecting volunteers to travel long distances or clients to navigate technology that may not be available to them, organizations are finding success by designing opportunities that fit the realities of rural communities.

For Georgia Legal Services Program, that often means keeping things simple.

Sometimes it's good to take it back to basics and do phone-based advice projects. That can be a good way to get in contact with clients who don't have internet or access to technology, and you can meet them where they are. It's also convenient for attorneys.”

The panelists also discussed hybrid clinics, virtual hearings where courts allow them, and document automation to reduce administrative work while making it easier for volunteers to participate.

The common thread wasn’t simply using more technology – it was designing service models that remove barriers for both clients and volunteers.

2. Expand Your Volunteer Network Beyond Geographic Boundaries

One of the greatest opportunities for rural legal aid organizations is looking beyond their immediate service area for volunteers.

Both organizations described how they’ve successfully engaged attorneys, law students, and corporate legal departments from outside their rural communities through remote-friendly opportunities and flexible volunteer models. By expanding where they recruit, they’ve been able to serve more clients without relying solely on local attorney capacity.

Law students, in particular, have become an increasingly valuable part of that strategy.

There are a lot of very excited law students on Paladin looking for remote opportunities."

West Tennessee Legal Services has seen particularly strong engagement by creating structured remote opportunities that allow law students to conduct client interviews, assist with document preparation, and gain practical experience under attorney supervision.

As Andy Cole mentioned,

Connect with every single law school you can through Paladin. When you post remote opportunities, [law students] will come.”

3. Make It Easy for Volunteers to Say “Yes”

Recruiting volunteers isn’t just about finding attorneys who are interested in pro bono – it’s about presenting opportunities in a way that makes taking the next step simple.

Rather than relying on a single outreach strategy, both organizations described using newsletters, targeted email campaigns, partnerships, and online volunteer platforms to consistently share opportunities with attorneys.

We'll send email blasts and include a little case description, and link [the description] to Paladin. We've recruited attorneys we know but have not volunteered with us ever."

Sometimes, increasing volunteer engagement isn’t about finding entirely new audiences – it’s about making opportunities easier to discover and easier to act on.

4. Don’t Underestimate the Power of Your Opportunity Description

Volunteer recruitment doesn’t stop once an opportunity is posted. The way an opportunity is written can make a meaningful difference in how volunteers respond.

Cari King shared that her team continually evaluates the language they use, paying close attention to what resonates with volunteers while balancing the need to protect client confidentiality.

The wording of the posting matters: How did we word this ask, and how many responses did we get? Is there a better way to word this request?"

Clear, specific opportunity descriptions help volunteers understand the impact they’ll have while making it easier to determine whether an opportunity is the right fit. Sometimes small adjustments to messaging can make a significant difference in volunteer engagement.

5. Be Willing to Experiment

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the discussion was that there is no universal playbook for expanding rural pro bono.

Every community is different. Every court operates differently. Every volunteer network has unique strengths and challenges.

Rather than searching for one perfect solution, both panelists encouraged organizations to continue testing new ideas, learning from what works, and adapting their approach over time.

Don't be afraid to fail and think outside the box."

Whether it’s piloting a new clinic model, engaging volunteers in new ways, experimenting with different recruitment messaging, or building partnerships across your community, meaningful progress often comes from a willingness to try something new.

Looking Ahead

While every legal services organization faces different challenges, one message remained consistent throughout the discussion: expanding rural pro bono requires creativity, collaboration, and flexibility.

By meeting volunteers and clients where they are, broadening volunteer recruitment beyond geographic boundaries, making opportunities easier to discover, refining volunteer messaging, and remaining open to new ideas, legal aid organizations can continue expanding access to justice for communities where legal needs remain greatest.

A special thank you to Cari King and Andy Cole for sharing their experiences and practical insights during the webinar.

If you missed the discussion, be sure to reach out to obtain the webinar recording to hear even more strategies and examples from organizations working every day to expand pro bono in legal deserts.

Are you a legal aid organization interested in expanding and centralizing your volunteer recruitment? Paladin is completely free of charge for legal services organizations. Request a demo to get started!

Danielle LoMastro

Danielle is dedicated to delivering high-quality service and building strong, lasting relationships with clients. With a natural problem-solving mindset and a passion for innovation, she is inspired by the ways technology can drive progress—both for the world and for Paladin’s mission. Danielle brings a versatile professional background and a client-first approach to everything she does, always focused on delivering clear, effective results that make a difference.

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