Legal aid directors discuss their multi-faceted efforts to attract and retain high-quality attorneys and other staff on Legal Services Corporation’s “Talk Justice” podcast, released October 8. LSC President Ron Flagg hosts Dori Rapaport, executive director of Justice North in Minnesota, and Lee Richardson, executive director of Legal Aid of Arkansas. Both programs are funded in part by federal grants through LSC.
Currently, the national median entry-level salary for legal aid attorneys is about $64,000, compared to the median entry-level salary for a mid-size private law firm at $110,000. Legal aid starting salaries lag behind salaries for public defenders and other public interest attorneys.
Program directors must be creative to attract and retain staff. For Richardson and Rapaport, rural settings add another layer of difficulty.
“Back in 2011 [or] 2012, we had a much higher rate of people going to law school than we have now,” Rappaport said. “I know by 2018 that number was down 16%, and then you compound that with 25% of the attorneys in the country living in either California or New York and you see a problem in the rural parts of Middle America—a supply and demand problem.”
High turnover has been a significant problem at Minnesota legal aid programs like Justice North. When she started there in 2017, the starting salary for attorneys was $45,000. When the pandemic came, turnover rates—which usually hovered around 20%—hit an all-time high at 37% in 2021.
Justice North is a part of the Minnesota Legal Services Coalition along with six other state-funded programs. Together they educate the state legislature on the importance of civil legal services. Justice North saw an 87% increase in its state appropriation for 2024. Starting salaries for staff attorneys are now up to $80,000, and turnover has been cut in half from its peak. The hiring pool has also improved immensely.
In Arkansas, legal aid does not get state funding. They have found ways to compete, including raising salaries by 18% over the last three years. Staff who have worked at Legal Aid of Arkansas for five years can have a three-week paid sabbatical in addition to three weeks of vacation. After 10 years, they can take an eight-week paid sabbatical leave and four weeks of vacation. Richardson has also improved retirement vesting benefits and flexible working arrangements.
Talk Justice episodes are available online and on Spotify, YouTube, Apple and other popular podcast apps. The podcast is sponsored by LSC’s Leaders Council.
Currently, the national median entry-level salary for legal aid attorneys is about $64,000, compared to the median entry-level salary for a mid-size private law firm at $110,000. Legal aid starting salaries lag behind salaries for public defenders and other public interest attorneys.
Program directors must be creative to attract and retain staff. For Richardson and Rapaport, rural settings add another layer of difficulty.
“Back in 2011 [or] 2012, we had a much higher rate of people going to law school than we have now,” Rappaport said. “I know by 2018 that number was down 16%, and then you compound that with 25% of the attorneys in the country living in either California or New York and you see a problem in the rural parts of Middle America—a supply and demand problem.”
High turnover has been a significant problem at Minnesota legal aid programs like Justice North. When she started there in 2017, the starting salary for attorneys was $45,000. When the pandemic came, turnover rates—which usually hovered around 20%—hit an all-time high at 37% in 2021.
Justice North is a part of the Minnesota Legal Services Coalition along with six other state-funded programs. Together they educate the state legislature on the importance of civil legal services. Justice North saw an 87% increase in its state appropriation for 2024. Starting salaries for staff attorneys are now up to $80,000, and turnover has been cut in half from its peak. The hiring pool has also improved immensely.
In Arkansas, legal aid does not get state funding. They have found ways to compete, including raising salaries by 18% over the last three years. Staff who have worked at Legal Aid of Arkansas for five years can have a three-week paid sabbatical in addition to three weeks of vacation. After 10 years, they can take an eight-week paid sabbatical leave and four weeks of vacation. Richardson has also improved retirement vesting benefits and flexible working arrangements.
Talk Justice episodes are available online and on Spotify, YouTube, Apple and other popular podcast apps. The podcast is sponsored by LSC’s Leaders Council.
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