Mainebiz

V O L . X X I I I N O. X X V I I N OV E M B E R 1 3 , 2 0 1 7 24 "Incoming attorneys are looking for creative benefi ts programs that allow them to live a full personal and professional life," she says. "We design our benefi ts and poli- cies to allow for this greater need for fl exibility, while still maintaining quality service." e fi rms do hire graduates — usu- ally ones who have had success in the summer program during a student's sec- ond and third year of law school and are familiar with what the fi rm has to off er. Another resource is the University of Maine School of Law. A vast majority of graduates stay in Maine to work, says Derek Van Volkenburgh, director of career services. "Most attend Maine Law because they want to be in Maine," he says, adding that many have the grades to have gone wherever they wanted. e school's graduates can be found in public and private practice across the state, as well as government, nonprofi ts and businesses. "I don't think people realize the contribution [the law school] makes to the state," he says. e school asked law fi rms a few years ago what they looked for when hiring, whether it was expertise, or certain courses they'd taken. He says the answer is a good fi t for Maine Law's graduates. " ey said they're looking for people who have the potential to be good law- yers," he says. "People who write well, speak well, have analytical minds, are able to do the work that lawyers do." 'Exactly what we were looking for' Milne loved working at Akin Gump, where she had cases and experiences that helped mold her career, and met people she will stay connected to for life. "It was a great way to learn the pro- fession," she says. But she's also happy with their deci- sion to move to Maine. "It's exactly what we were looking for when we fi rst started looking," she says. Two of her siblings now live here and her parents just closed on a house in Freeport. Her husband's distillery, Hardshore, celebrated its fi rst anniversary Oct. 27, just days after it was named the nation's "Best Craft Gin Distillery" by USA Today. e couple have a newborn. ey don't live on the coast, as they once imagined they would, but their house in Windham has a pond, a favorite play place for their black Lab, Hudson. e lower cost of living makes up to some extent for the lower wage, but Milne says there also are benefi ts worth more than money. As much as she loved her job in New York City, there's an anxiety that comes with working long hours and looking out a window at pavement, rather than grass and trees. "It takes a toll." While law fi rms in Maine don't pay that premium for being available around the clock, the upside is, "You don't have to be available around the clock." She says she can still provide a premium service, and has found most of the clients understand the value of having a quality life outside of work. "I wouldn't give up the time [spent at Akin Gump]," she says. "But I was looking for not only a geographic change, but a way to change my life." M M , a cor r espondent f o r M a i n e b i z , c a n b e r e a c h e d a t @ . » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E THERE IS THERE IS A DIFFERENCE A DIFFERENCE THERE IS THERE IS Because Construction Management Design/Build General Contracting Engineering Construction Management Design/Build General Contracting Engineering Sheridan Sheridan Construction Construction www.sheridancorp.com www.sheridancorp.com Fairfield Fairfield Portland 207-453-9311 207-453-9311 207-774-6138 Black Dinah Chocolatiers, Westbrook ME We believe our lawyers do higher quality work We believe our lawyers do higher quality work We believe our lawyers do higher quality work We believe our lawyers do higher quality work We believe our lawyers do higher quality work We believe our lawyers do higher quality work We believe our lawyers do higher quality work We believe our lawyers do higher quality work We believe our lawyers do higher quality work We believe our lawyers do higher quality work We believe our lawyers do higher quality work We believe our lawyers do higher quality work We believe our lawyers do higher quality work We believe our lawyers do higher quality work and live a more satisfying life if the demand on and live a more satisfying life if the demand on and live a more satisfying life if the demand on and live a more satisfying life if the demand on and live a more satisfying life if the demand on and live a more satisfying life if the demand on and live a more satisfying life if the demand on and live a more satisfying life if the demand on and live a more satisfying life if the demand on and live a more satisfying life if the demand on and live a more satisfying life if the demand on and live a more satisfying life if the demand on and live a more satisfying life if the demand on their time is rigorous, but not extreme. — Katy Rand Pierce Atwood P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Jeff Talbert, an attorney at Preti Flaherty, at their Portland offi ce F O C U S

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