I rather not consult local lawyers (in my current country) unfortunately, as I am not sure of the extent of professional secrecy provided.
For example, most state bars have a referral service that will connect you with a lawyer. Similarly, there are other local professional orgs that will offer referrals.
E.g. http://www.calbar.ca.gov/Public/Need-Legal-Help/Lawyer-Refer...
Some quick intro screening / get to know you conversation should probably be sufficient for finding someone quality who can help you.
As you noted, there's no reason the casework can't happen remotely, and appearances can usually be scheduled adequately to allow for client travel. In criminal of course, the judge and prosecutor is going to want Defendant to appear in person except for misdemeanor charges.
If it's possible to get more work than you have time to perform, then you can be selective about what work you take. Consequently, referrals from a customer you've previously done business with are less risky / hassle than internet strangers.
The difference between me writing code for 1 person or 1,000,000 people are relatively negligible. The difference between a lawyer working 1 criminal case and 1,000,000 is much larger. Work product doesn't scale as evenly.
Being a lawyer seems kind of like being a doctor -- you can easily solicit more work than you can do, if you're good at your job.
Consequently, if you're good, why would you accept internet clients? And all the problems they entail. Quantity is not a problem you have.
It's annoying, but follow the adage. Pick up a phone and ask family / friends / local lawyers / etc who they would recommend. Any lawyer should be able to handle communication over the internet for most of the casework.