Bicknell Mayor Thomas Estabrook. (Photo courtesy City of Bicknell)
One recent Hoosier law school graduate has an exciting position lined up after graduation — Mayor of Bicknell.
Thomas Estabrook graduated from Indiana University’s McKinney School of Law on Sunday after four years of coursework and commuting from the southwestern Indiana city to Indianapolis.
Estabrook’s graduation fulfills two goals. The first is a personal one. Law school was Estabrook’s original plan while he was an undergraduate at Indiana State University, but that plan was put on hold as Estabrook became mayor of his hometown in 2016.
But Estabrook also sees his law degree as a small part of the solution to a problem facing both Bicknell and Indiana at large — a severe shortage of attorneys.
Recent work by the Commission on Indiana’s Legal Future finds Indiana has one of the lowest rates in the country of practicing attorneys relative to the overall population, with roughly 2.26 attorneys per 1,000 people.
Further, over half of the total attorneys in the state practice in and around Indianapolis, which leaves more than half the state in what are termed “legal deserts.” For residents in rural areas, that means difficulty in finding an attorney to handle wills, trusts, and business deals. For local governments, that means delays in reviewing contracts and development agreements.
And Bicknell, a city with around 3,000 residents, is feeling that pinch. In 2024, the city had no practicing attorney, leaving Bicknell residents to turn to lawyers living in nearby Vincennes. But Estabrook said municipal law is specialized so calling on ad hoc assistance isn’t always easy.
“In local government what you’ll find out … there are not a large number of attorneys who know a lot about municipal law. I feel like I have an opportunity in this area to be that resource,” Estabrook said in an interview with Aim on May 19.
Even before he set foot at McKinney, Estabrook had a good understanding of municipal legal fundamentals from daily life as a mayor from property deals and various contracts. Now Estabrook envisions his formal training helping speed such processes along.
“A lot of municipal attorneys have to research it and learn it in real time. I’ve been able to live it in real time,” Estabrook said. “I think I’ll be able to help some or our municipal partners and bridge that gap.”
In addition to the nuts and bolts of contracts, Estabrook said his new degree will help him communicate local government’s role to constituents as he sees a lot of overlap between public service and the legal world.
“Most of our work is based in the law and what we can and can’t do,” said Estabrook, who was a township trustee before becoming mayor. “You can’t adequately serve the public unless you understand what your responsibilities are, what your limitations are. Having that kind of knowledge helps you do that. You can’t have one without the other.”
While Bicknell will soon have one more attorney in its ranks, leading legal professionals are looking at ways to improve the recruitment and placement of attorneys statewide.
The report issued by the Commission on Indiana’s Legal Future names a number of policies aimed at growing Indiana’s bench of attorneys. Those recommendations include pursuing grants to start nonprofit legal practices, creating an alternative licensure process for high-need fields or areas and subsidizing practices in rural areas — either by giving credits for office equipment and technology purchases or by forgiving student loans.
One idea is already being implemented by the Indiana State Bar Association, which is organizing an inaugural Rural Practice Academy which will go over practical skills of managing a law office to attorneys managing firms in rural areas.
Even with state judicial officials working on ways to get numbers up, Estabrook said he wouldn’t recommend elected officials hit the books in law school unless they’ve thought hard about it first.
“It’s not for everybody,” he said. “It’s a lot of money and a lot of time. But if it’s something that you want to do, I would be glad to talk to anybody about it.”