Montana
RIPL Fellows and alumni are located throughout the state in the following counties:
Red Lodge, Miles City, Helena, Great Falls, Polson, Kalispell, Glasgow, Nashua, Hot Springs, Lewistown, Bozeman and Ekalaka
The Rural Incubator Project for Lawyers (RIPL) provides a 24-month fellowship program that trains and supports attorneys to develop solo or small firm practice that provide legal services to low-income Montanans in rural communities. Established by the Montana Legal Services Association (MLSA), the fellows are required to provide 300 hours of legal assistance annually to low-income clients pro bono or at a modest-means rate. The MLSA has a statewide legal services application system that allows low- and moderate-income people to request legal services through an online and phone-based application system. MLSA refers clients to RIPL Fellows who determine how best to handle clients’ needs, from providing legal advice in a phone consultation to accepting cases in limited or full-scope representation.