State Capitol, WV (WOAY) – The Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia has released a new report showing that the majority of West Virginia counties do not have enough attorneys available to appoint for people who need one.
The report was prepared by the Commission on the Future of the Practice of Law in West Virginia.
All of the counties in our viewing area, with the exception of Greenbrier County, are classified as a legal desert.
That is defined as a county with less than one attorney per 1,000 people.
The number of active attorneys has declined by 9.29% since 2014, which is faster than the overall population decline of 4.3%.
Meanwhile, legal demand increased by more than 36%.
The commission recommends easing restrictions on out-of-state lawyers and creating opportunities for new attorneys to open firms in rural areas.
It also recommends creating incentives to encourage more lawyers to take on court-appointed work.
