From The Office of Governor Janet T. Mills: Governor Janet Mills issued the following statement today on the Legislature’s Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology’s unanimous vote to recommend the approval of attorney William Harwood of Yarmouth as the state’s Public Advocate. With today’s vote, the Maine State Senate will consider his nomination.…Read More
The Board of the Maine Justice Foundation is pleased to honor three outstanding Maine lawyers who are champions of civil legal aid: Jamie Kilbreth of Drummond Woodsum, Prof. Anna Welch of the University of Maine School of Law, and Daniel Keenan of McCloskey, Mina, Cunniff & Frawley. Board President Bill Harwood recognized their efforts to…Read More
“After a national search, the Board of the Maine Justice Foundation has unanimously and enthusiastically selected Michelle Giard Draeger to serve as our new executive director,” announced Foundation President William S. Harwood. “She has the skills and abilities essential to leading the Foundation into the future and advancing our mission of ensuring access to justice…Read More
According to MJF Foundation President William S. Harwood, “Our foundation was established under the name “Maine Bar Foundation” back in 1983, thanks to the vision and hard work of these esteemed advocates, and we are incredibly proud to have them as our first-ever Honorary Directors.…Read More
From October 23, 2019 – MaineBiz By Renee Cordes The University of Maine School of Law said it has received funding to continue the Rural Lawyer Project, launched in 2017 to improve access to justice in rural communities. Danielle Conway initiated the program during her tenure as dean, in a three-year pilot with funding from the Maine…Read More
The Maine Justice Foundation announced today that the inaugural grant from its LGBTQ Justice Fund has been awarded to Maine Equal Justice to fund a partnership with Maine TransNet, a group that advocates and supports Maine’s transgender community. Robyn Merrill, executive director of Maine Equal Justice, says “Research and our work in the community makes…Read More
Governor Janet T. Mills hosted a tea reception at the Blaine House on October 7th to officially acknowledge and express her appreciation to a group of Maine banks and credit unions that support legal aid for poor and vulnerable Mainers. William S. Harwood, president of the board of the Maine Justice Foundation, welcomed representatives from…Read More
From Mainebiz, 4/18/19, by Renee Cordes: The Maine Justice Foundation said Sanford-based SIS Bank has signed on as a prime partner in a program to fund six providers of legal aid in the state. Since Maine’s Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts program was set up in the mid-1980s, it has generated more than $27 million. Under the…Read More
From the Portland Press Herald Editorial Board, 4/10/19: Low-income Mainers are not being treated equally before the law. The U.S. Constitution says every American has the right to legal counsel when the stakes are high. In practice, however, the 80 percent of defendants who cannot afford an attorney are often left to navigate an adversarial…Read More
FROM SEACOASTONLINE.COM, 4/6/19 SANFORD — SIS Bank has become a Prime Partner in Maine’s “Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts” Program, an initiative that generates an ongoing source of funds to provide civil legal services for individuals and families who cannot afford it. “The Maine Justice Foundation welcomes SIS Bank as one of our Prime Partners,”…Read More