What training and educational opportunities are available in rural court districts?
Because rural courts serve wide geographical areas, there are fewer resources. The lack of resources affects funding for training staff and hiring quality individuals to operate the court. Salaries and fringe benefits of rural courts are most often lower than in urban courts. Training is one of the most important elements of increasing the quality of the court system. It is also one of the first things eliminated during budget deficits. Members of the rural court system have to travel further to reach higher-education opportunities. It is also difficult to schedule time to send clerks to conferences because of the small staff.
