In 12 counties across wide stretches of rural Nebraska, there is not a single practicing attorney in the region.

That equates to nearly 10,000 people without access to justice.

Paul Snyder, an attorney based in Scottsbluff, is working to change that. He will be honored with a Visionary Award by the Nebraska State Bar Association at this Saturday’s Barristers’ Ball for his efforts to attract new lawyers to underserved parts of rural Nebraska.

Snyder is a native of Morrill, a town of nearly 900 not far from Scottsbluff. After graduating from the University of Nebraska College of Law, he briefly worked for the Nebraska Department of Justice before returning to the Panhandle to continue his practice.

“I mostly wanted to come home, but also, I liked what I saw about practicing in a rural community,” Snyder said.

In his legal practice with Douglas, Kelly, Ostdiek, Snyder, Ossian, Vogl & Lookabill P.C., Snyder is a general trial lawyer with an emphasis on family law.

He frequently takes pro bono cases from community members in need, as well as referrals from the Nebraska State Bar Association.

“I think it’s our duty to help those folks who can’t afford to pay full price or anything at all for legal services,” Snyder said. “Most of my pro bono work has not been through referrals, but from people who call in and clearly cannot afford legal representation and need help, and I try to provide that on a fairly regular basis.”

Besides his law practice, Snyder is also heavily involved in programs which attract new lawyers to practice in underserved rural communities.

Snyder has served as a co-chair on the Rural Practice Initiative since its inception in 2013.

Through the initiative, summer clerkships are arranged for law students to practice in rural communities. He is also involved in the Rural Law Opportunities Program, a collaboration between University of Nebraska and the bar association that gives 15 high school students from the rural portion of the state full-ride scholarships to attend college and guaranteed admission to Nebraska Law.

“If we can get law students to do clerkships in rural towns, they will get a taste for what it’s like,” Snyder said. “We’re confident that once they get that taste, they will like what they see and experience.”

For Snyder, the benefits of practicing in a rural community are too many to count. He enjoys the sense of community that sets rural practice apart from his previous work, and he enjoys being able to make a genuine difference within a community that he is a part of.

“You have a greater opportunity, I think, to serve your community when you’re working in rural practice,” Snyder said. “It’s not just that we want lawyers to come here, the people living out here need them.”

Find more information on Snyder and his legal practice at scottsblufflaw.com.