The Rural Law Students Association at UVA Law

Club Description

The Rural Law Student Association at UVA Law (RLSA)  is an organization that advocates for increased legal representation in rural communities. Rural communities serve as the principal providers of agriculture and natural resources while also serving as stewards of an immense percentage of privately held land in the United States. Rural areas make up 97% of the land area of the U.S. and about 20% of the U.S. population. Despite the importance of these communities, they are legally underserved. The ABA has published articles on the phenomenon of legal deserts in rural areas (i.e., having less than one attorney per one thousand residents). These legal deserts have created significant legal inequity in rural communities, and RLSA aims to address those inequities.