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V O L . X X I N O. X X V I N OV E M B E R 1 6 , 2 0 1 5 22 L AW F O C U S in 1962. "We've been able to maintain steady levels of employment because of our small size. We did not do what other law schools did, which was to admit more and more students. We stayed at a reasonable level, so we're not fi lling the market with graduates." Many graduates took an entrepreneurial approach. "While the majority of our students are going into the public sector, the private sector of large, medium or small fi rms, or judicial clerkships, there's a cohort of students going into entrepreneurial endeavors — opening solo practices or other busi- nesses," says Conway. "We have food-and-beverage entrepreneurs and energy entrepreneurs. We have students who decided to run for offi ce, so we have municipal [offi cials] and state legislators." Maine Law embodies a network that originates beyond the school — law fi rms, in-house legal depart- ments, corporations, public interest organizations and state and local government — and that connects graduates with law fi rms in Maine and beyond, says Conway. Hiring has picked up since 2010, with oppor- tunities primarily driven by medium and small fi rms. "We're seeing signs of improvement and, in the past three years, we've seen growth, albeit slight," Conway says. Conway, a Philadelphia native, came to Maine Law after 14 years at the William S. Richardson School of Law on the campus of the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, where she was the Michael J. Marks Distinguished Professor of Business Law and director of Hawai'i Procurement Institute. She has more than 20 years of active and reserve duty in the U.S. Army. She was attracted to Maine Law for its role as the state's sole public law school and its role in government and the private sector. "I've taught at other law schools," she says. " ere's something distinct about Maine Law. We truly embody the ethos of a student-focused program of legal edu- cation. In everything we do — from promoting our program to prospective law students, to orientation, to fi rst-year immersion in the traditional courses, through to our clinics and our externships and our internships, all the way up through graduation and post-graduation — our focus is on our students." Real-world experience gained through the Refugee and Human Rights Clinic — one of the specialty clinics that operates within the school's larger Cumberland Legal Aid Clinic — helped 2014 graduate Katie Narbus, born and raised in the Moosehead Lake area, decide on a career. "I became interested in law because I wanted to do something where I was going to be challenged every day," she says. e clinic brought her direct interaction with clients. For example, Narbus was part of a team that helped a man from Djibouti, Africa, receive asylum in the United States. "I'm drawn to helping people who can't help themselves, and it's interesting to work with people from other countries," Narbus says. Her practical experience continued through a Maine Law fellowship for a summer internship in Kampala, Uganda, with a private human rights organization. After graduation, Narbus was hired through RefugePoint, a Boston nonprofi t, to work with the United Nations' High Commission for Refugees as a resettlement consultant in Nairobi, South Africa and Ethiopia. Most refugees were trying to escape harrowing circumstances. It was her job to determine credibility and advocate for resettlement. Recently returned, she's heading to New Orleans, to work for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services as an asylum offi cer. For Conway, the independent paths forged by graduates are part of the school's narrative of what it means to be a lawyer and the importance of jurispru- dence for the community. To accomplish that, aff ord- ability is key. Maine Law keeps tuition down through strategic hiring of a small faculty and adjunct profes- sors. Administratively, the school is a "lean machine," with staff cross-trained to handle various duties. Conway is expanding the school's reach to stu- dents from other countries. Traditionally, Maine Law enrolled three to fi ve foreign students. She'd like to double that number. "As a newcomer to Maine myself, I noticed there are many other newcomers," she says. " is population will grow. Students from other countries can make our understanding of issues around immigration and economic development much more vibrant. And we want to show them everything that's wonderful about Maine and about the American legal system, and take that back to their country and be ambassadors for Maine Law and for the state of Maine." L S , a w r i te r ba s e d i n B a s s Ha r bo r, c a n b e r e a c h e d a t @ . Sales start before before before before before before before before your salesperson calls. your salesperson calls. Sales start before your salesperson calls. Contact Publisher Donna Brassard at 207.761.8379 x327 or donnab@mainebiz.biz Now, what was it you wanted to sell me? who you are, your company, your company's record, your company's product, your company's reputation, your company's customers, or what your company stands for. I don't know… Warm up your cold calls with local B2B media advertising. » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E S O U R C E : University of Maine School of Law Lawyers from the class of 2014 From a survey of 95 graduates in February 2015 24 in small law firms with 2–10 lawyers 7 in larger firms with more than 10 lawyers 4 working as solo practitioners 13 working in business and industry 11 working in judicial clerkships 11 working in government 6 working in public interest law 12 unemployed and seeking Some graduates in this category have found jobs since the survey was conducted, exact numbers are not available 1 unemployed and waiting for a start date 1 unemployed and not seeking 5 enrolled full time in further graduate studies 3 5 W O R K I N G I N P R I V AT E P R A C T I C E 4 1 W O R K I N G I N OT H E R E M P L OY M E N T 1 4 U N E M P L OY E D

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