The Maine Justice Foundation has established three prestigious annual awards to recognize individuals who have demonstrated exceptional dedication, innovation, and impact in advancing access to justice. These awards will be presented at the Maine Justice Foundation’s annual award ceremony on January 29, 2026, at 4:30 pm at the Maine State Bar Association’s Winter Bar Conference.
Howard H. Dana, Jr. Award | Janis Cohen
The Howard H. Dana, Jr. Award honors individuals who have made significant contributions to advancing access to justice. The Maine Justice Foundation presents the Howard H. Dana, Jr. award annually to a lawyer to recognize significant contributions toward enhancing access to civil legal assistance and outstanding service in the advancement of the Foundation’s goals. The Board of Directors unanimously voted to award the 2025 Howard H. Dana, Jr. Award to Janis Cohen. Janis was nominated by Judy Fletcher Woodbury and Hon. Warren M. Silver. Janis is a retired attorney, formerly Vice President and Managing Counsel of the investment lawyers at Unum Group, where her work focused on commercial real estate. In addition to working at Unum, she was in-house counsel at a non-profit educational and social services corporation, served as compliance director for the State of Maine on a right-to-treatment consent decree case, and was in private practice. She has served on several boards and commissions in Maine, including the ACLU of Maine, Maine Civil Legal Services Fund Commission, the Justice Action Group, the Maine Turnpike Authority, the Finance Authority of Maine, the Maine Milk Commission, and the Maine Justice Foundation, where she served as Vice President for several terms. Before going to law school, she worked as a psychologist and a police officer. She is an Honorary Life Fellow of the Maine Justice Foundation.
New Lawyer Award | Cameron Goodwin
Established by the Foundation in 2010, the New Lawyer Award is presented annually to an outstanding lawyer who has been in practice for less than ten years, exemplifies the ideals of increasing access to justice, makes outstanding and recognized pro bono service or other contributions to the legal profession and public good, and demonstrates a strong commitment to the mission of the Foundation. The Board of Directors of the Maine Justice Foundation unanimously voted for Cameron Goodwin, an attorney at Pierce Atwood, to be the recipient of the 2025 award. Cameron was nominated by Emily Cooke, his colleague at Pierce Atwood, and by Sharon Barney of Pine Tree Legal Assistance. Emily shared in her nomination, “Cam is a true role model for pro bono service. Since arriving at Pierce Atwood, he has readily raised his hand to provide compassionate assistance to a range of clients, including immigrants, families of limited means, and other clients in need through VLP, ILAP, and PTLA matters. In the last three years alone, Cam has contributed over 250 hours of time providing pro bono legal service to a wide array of clients. He is a star member of PA’s Pro Bono Eviction Defense Team and serves on our firm’s Pro Bono Team. He is also a wonderful and supportive colleague who inspires others around him to contribute their time and talents to our community.”
Cameron Goodwin is an associate in Pierce Atwood’s Litigation Group. He represents clients in a wide variety of litigation matters, with particular experience in class action defense, corporate governance disputes, probate litigation, and complex commercial litigation. Before joining Pierce Atwood, Cameron studied renewable energy economics and worked jobs in the public and private sector focused on the regulation of energy projects and broadband expansion in the state of Maine.
Downing Award | Christopher Northrop
Created by the family of Thomas P. Downing, Jr. after his death in November 1985, the Downing Award recognizes legal aid staff dedicated to access to justice for vulnerable and low-income Mainers. Tom was one of the first attorneys to work at Pine Tree Legal Assistance. In recognition of his tireless service to Mainers in need of legal assistance for almost three decades, the Board of Directors of the Maine Justice Foundation unanimously voted for Christopher Northrop to receive the 2025 Downing Award. Chris was nominated by Courtney Beer, Director of the Clinics at Maine Law, in recognition of his incredible dedication to access to justice for vulnerable and low-income Mainers. The nomination shares:
“Professor Northrop’s tenure at Maine Law is defined by significant leadership in clinical programming. In 2006, he launched the Juvenile Justice Clinic, which he directed for over a decade before helping transition it to the Youth Justice Clinic in 2022. Shifting his focus to addressing legal needs in underserved areas, he was instrumental in the creation of the Rural Practice Clinic. The Rural Practice Clinic is a 10-to-12-credit immersive semester based in Fort Kent, Maine, where students live and practice as supervised attorneys for low-income clients. Participants manage a diverse trial-level caseload-spanning criminal, civil, family, and probate matters-while developing essential skills in client counseling, litigation, and courtroom advocacy.
Starting in September 2024, Professor Northrop retired as a full-time professor at Maine Law and was conferred Emeritus status; however, “retirement” did not mean Chris finished teaching. In the fall of 2024, he transitioned to the Director of the Rural Practice Clinic which is his current role. As the faculty member overseeing the Rural Practice Clinic (RPC) at the University of Maine at Fort Kent, Professor Northrop has demonstrated a continued commitment to access to justice. His leadership in 2025 has not only sustained the clinic but expanded its reach significantly, directly addressing the acute access to justice crisis and the severe shortage of lawyers in northern Maine.
Professor Northrop’s work embodies the spirit of the Downing Award through his tireless advocacy for low-income clients and his dedication to cultivating the next generation of rural attorneys. Under his direction, the RPC has evolved from a pilot project into an indispensable legal resource for Aroostook County.” Chris shared: “I am very lucky that Maine Law recognized the desperate need for better legal advocacy for system involved youth and the quickly vanishing legal resources in our rural areas. Deirdre Smith and Leigh Saufley created opportunities and provided institutional support for the Youth Justice Clinic, then for the Rural Practice Clinic. They helped make sure that the next generation of Maine lawyers understand the importance of access to justice in our most vulnerable communities.”
The Maine Justice Foundation is proud to honor these remarkable individuals whose commitment and achievements in advancing access to justice resonate throughout Maine’s communities. Janis Cohen, Cameron Goodwin, and Christopher Northrop exemplify the dedication, compassion, and tireless advocacy essential to creating a more just and equitable legal landscape for all Mainers. “It is a privilege to witness the selfless generosity of these dedicated civil servants. Through their leadership, service, and steadfast pursuit of justice, they continue to strengthen our justice system for those most in need, and by doing so, ensure that bedrock principle of ‘justice for all’ rings true. The Foundation celebrates their achievements and contributions, which reflect the enduring values of fairness and justice for all Maine people,” states Michelle Draeger, Executive Director of the Maine Justice Foundation.
The Maine Justice Foundation, founded in 1983 as the Maine Bar Foundation, is the state’s leading funder of civil legal aid and is committed to ensuring access to justice for all Maine people. Find us online at www.justicemaine.org.