The number of lawyers in Iowa is falling

DES MOINES — Iowa is facing a shortage of attorneys, and prosecutors in  Iowa are working harder to keep up.

The president of the Iowa State Bar Association Ian Russell says there is a need for lawyers in all areas of the profession, especially in smaller communities and for indigent defense work.

“If there was a single reason why,” Russell says, “I would address that reason and do my best to fix it.”

Russell says it’s a combination of factors that are keeping some from pursuing a career in law.

“Some of it’s just the aging population, some of it’s people not interested in law,” Russell says. “Some if it’s people not interested in being in Iowa.”

From 2014 to 2022, the number of licensed lawyers who live and practice in the state has fallen by more than 260, or about 3.5%