Alumna Spearheads New Program to Draw Legal Talent to Rural Area
What happens when lawyers reach retirement age, but no one is there to fill their legal shoes? It ends up leaving public access to legal assistance at stake. That’s the reality unfolding across Upstate New York. Rural communities face a growing legal vacuum that threatens public access to essential legal services. With only a handful of young attorneys entering the field in these areas, the region is facing a crisis in legal representation.
In response, Sarah Cowen (formerly Nuffer) ’10, Associate Court Attorney for Otsego County Court Judge Michael F. Getman and president of the Otsego County Bar Association, is assisting in spearheading a new program called Rural Pathways. It’s designed to draw young legal talent to underserved counties in Upstate New York. The program launched this summer and places rising third-year law students in internships in Clinton, St. Lawrence, and Otsego counties with the hope that early exposure will inspire them to plant long-term roots.
“It just became increasingly more difficult to find people to represent clients,” Cowen said, reflecting on the region’s legal decline. “Not just for court-appointed matters, but for basic needs — drafting a will, handling a real estate transaction. There are so few attorneys, and those who are here are overworked and doing the best they can.” She noted that many of the area's attorneys are delaying retirement because there is no one to take over their caseloads.
Cowen had an idea on how to step in to help mitigate the growing legal chasm because she saw firsthand how exposure and mentorship could keep young attorneys in rural communities. For many years, Cowen and her husband ran their own law firm, hired young associates from outside the area, and used their office as a training ground. Cowen said, “A lot of them stayed. They went on to different jobs, but they stayed in the area. And we both saw if you get people here, they’ll stay.”
Cowen had a clear vision for the initiative but turning that vision into reality required the right champions. Presiding Justice Elizabeth Garry of the New York State Appellate Court’s Third Judicial Department was just that champion. Cowen shared this idea with the Presiding Justice who took the lead and helped pinpoint the counties where the need was most urgent. Momentum was built when the stars seemed to align. The Presiding Justice took the idea to the Honorable Rowan D. Wilson, Chief Judge of the State of New York and the New York Court of Appeals, who took an interest in the Rural Pathways program. His support brought visibility and institutional backing, ensuring the internships were paid in order to attract the best possible candidates. “He wants to be involved and make things happen,” Cowen said. “This program was in his wheelhouse—boots on the ground and see if we can better the court for court users.”
Through the work of the Presiding Justice, the Presiding Justice’s Chief of Staff Judd Krasher, Esq., and herself the program came to fruition this summer. Each participating county in the pilot program now hosts two legal interns, offering them a unique blend of professional experience and community engagement.
Cowen remembered the allure of working at the big law firms while she was a student at Rutgers Law, but she said, “Upstate New York has its own appeal. The goal, like many big law firms, is to attract candidates by offering added perks that help balance work and personal life. We are doing it with an Upstate spin.” Some of the planned activities include attending an opera, hiking, boating excursions on the lake, and barbeques at several of the judges’ homes. She emphasized that in addition to the draw of picturesque Upstate New York, “you have more personal time, and the money goes so much farther.”
The program is the first of its kind. Cowen hopes that more funding can be secured to help expand the program to other counties who have an even greater need.