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13 N OV E M B E R 1 4 , 2 0 2 2 F O C U S L AW D ave Canarie recalls a phone call with a domestic violence survivor who was in court trying to file a motion to extend a protection order. "She didn't know what words to use or how to explain her need for continued protection, and she was coming up on a deadline," he says. She needed to meet the deadline before the order expired. "So I explained to her the statute that she had to satisfy to extend an existing order," he says. "It was an easy question for me to answer, but she never would have known. at was only a half-hour call, but it helped her out immensely." Canarie is an experienced attorney who serves as chief transactions counsel and vice president at Unum Group (NYSE: UNM), a disability insurer and group benefits provider with a large presence in Maine. He's also a regular volunteer with the Maine Volunteer Lawyers Project. As part of the project's Domestic Violence Pro Bono Panel, he appears at the Portland District Court and courts throughout the state, either in person or via Zoom appearances repre- senting people seeking protection from abuse orders. After taking his first such case in 2005, Canarie saw the pressing need for survivors to be represented by counsel. "It's often an escalating cycle of abuse," he says. "By the time the survivor shows up in court, it's really a big deal for them to take that courageous step." While many defendants have lawyers, plaintiffs often don't. "at's a big disadvantage for the survivor," says Canarie. "e literature shows that, many times, when plaintiffs are confronted with that situation, they drop the case. Conversely, if they're represented by counsel, there's a much higher probability that they'll go through with their day in court." Andrew M. Mead Fellowship M aine Volunteer Lawyers Project's Andrew M. Mead Fellowship, entering its third year, is an opportunity for lawyers new to the Maine bar to help address the access to justice gap while developing legal and professional skills and gain- ing exposure in the legal community. Fellows have access to one year of workshops on the practical application of legal skills, and opportunities to provide legal counsel in a variety of practice areas with the support of experienced attorney mentors. The organization is accepting applications for the 2023 program, which has room for 10 fellows and offers a networking advantage, says Volunteer Lawyers Project Executive Director Elizabeth Stout. "The Maine bar is incredibly supportive," she says. C O U N S E L O R S A T L A W BIG FIRM EXPERIENCE. SMALL FIRM ATTENTION. Business Law • Personal Injury Family Law • Commercial Real Estate Estate Planning and Elder Law Rudman Winchell has been leading the way for over 100 years rudmanwinchell.com BANGOR 84 Harlow St. 207.947.4501 ELLSWORTH 77 State St. 207.374.5833 C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » It was an easy question for me to answer, but she never would have known. — Dave Canarie Unum Group, Maine Volunteer Lawyers Project

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