Mainebiz

V O L . X X I X N O. X X V I N OV E M B E R 1 3 , 2 0 2 3 20 L AW / P O L I C Y F O C U S "e establishment of this clinic meets a press- ing need in our state," says Maine Law Dean Leigh Saufley. "In addition to being one of only a few rural clinics in the country, the RPC is also a testament to the collaborative potential within the UMaine System and the role the system plays in meeting the needs of our state and its communities." Pressing need When it comes to the number of practicing law- yers per capita, Maine lags behind New England and the nation. e national average is 40 lawyers per 10,000 residents. In Maine it's 30 lawyers per 10,000 residents. e problem is exacerbated by the "graying of the bar." As of 2017, approximately 1,000 of the 3,700 prac- ticing lawyers in Maine were 60 or older. Although 60% of Maine's population lives rurally, over half of Maine's lawyers are in Cumberland County. Maine Law began addressing the shortage in 2017, launching the Rural Lawyer Fellowship, a program that awards paid summer fellowships to students who work in law offices in Maine's most rural counties. e goal is to expose students to rural practice and inspire them to consider pursuing careers in rural communities. e fellowship program places law students with law firms in rural areas, where the students shadow a practitioner. Maine Law went further this year when it estab- lished a Rural Practice Clinic on the University of Maine Fort Kent campus. "At the clinic, the law student actually assumes the responsibility to represent the client as counsel of record — as permitted by a court rule — with an experienced practitioner overseeing the case," says David Soucy, the clinic's supervising professor. "It's very hands-on, going well beyond observation to actual assumption of responsibility for cases." 'Great story of Maine' Saufley calls the choice of Fort Kent as Maine Law's first rural clinic's location "a great story of Maine." She recalls meeting with the other University of Maine System presidents to discuss initiatives. "I mentioned the Rural Fellowship Program and my pie in the sky dream of having a clinic in one of the rural areas," Saufley says. "Immediately the pres- ident of Fort Kent, Deb Hedeen, said to me, 'If you can bring a rural practice clinic to Fort Kent, I can provide housing for your students because I've got space in the dorms.' We started talking and voilà." e Office of the Maine Attorney General pro- vided about $680,000 to establish the clinic for two years, although the money will likely cover close to three years, says Saufley. "We will by doing everything we can to be frugal and yet positive," Saufley says. "By the time we have three years experience in Fort Kent, I am really con- fident that the Legislature will determine that this is a project worth continuing." During the fall and spring semesters, the clinic runs as an academic program for students specially licensed as student attorneys who take the lead on cases. During the summer, students can enroll in a full-time paid fellowship, allowing fellows to sit as second chair to licensed attorneys. Up to two stu- dents can enroll per segment. So far this year, the clinic fielded 82 cases, says Christopher Northrop, co-manager with Anna Welch of the Cumberland Legal Aid Clinic, under which the Rural Practice Clinic falls. "e demand far exceeds our ability to provide services," Northrop says. Taking the lead Student attorneys do exactly what a practicing lawyer would do every day, including all aspects of legal prac- tice — fielding telephone calls from prospective clients, meeting with clients to assess cases, preparing strategies to address the client's legal issues, preparing and filing written submissions as necessary, including initiating or responding to court filings, appearing in court to rep- resent the client, and counseling the client throughout the entire process. "Practicing law in a small firm in a rural area is not different than practicing law in a small firm anywhere else, except that in an underserved area, people beat a path to your doorstep," says Soucy. "One of the biggest challenges is managing workload." Soucy notes that the clinic "directly addresses the critical shortage of lawyers in rural areas by introducing new lawyers to a rural community and demonstrating to them the satisfying and rewarding work that can be done there." Clients must demonstrate financial need. Cases are chosen by students and staff in an effort to balance the caseload to offer as full a range of experience for the student attorney as reasonably possible. What happens to people when they can't find or afford legal services? » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F M A I N E L AW P H O T O S / C O U R T E S Y O F M A I N E L AW MAINE LAW'S RURAL PRACTICE CLINIC: The pilot clinic was made possible with the support of the 130th Maine Legislature and two years of start-up funding provided through the Office of the Maine Attorney General. David Soucy, the clinic's supervising professor, introduced Maine Law students Lyndsey Davolio and Christian Jones to rural attractions such as paddling. Anna Welch, co-manager of the Cumberland Legal Aid Clinic, under which the Rural Practice Clinic falls. Christopher Northrop, co-manager of the Cumberland Legal Aid Clinic, says the clinic fielded 82 cases so far this year.

• Cover