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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 15 N OV E M B E R 1 3 , 2 0 1 7 207-854-2422 directpersonnel.net 1-800-639-8802 mainestaff.com A corporate division of Maine Staffing Group Call us today! Diverse hiring solutions for Maine's competitive economy Filling entry-level roles to specialized technical positions. Providing skilled candidates for any industry! • Healthcare • Administrative • Accounting/Financial And much more! F O C U S L AW Notes and quotes from Maine lawyers B y M a u r e e n M i l l i k e n We asked recruiting directors at several law firms to assess some of the more pressing issues firms face. Exit the baby boomers As baby boomers retire, law firms big and small are figuring out how to maintain client relationships and keep operations running smoothly. Here's what's being said about recruiting in Maine. " The lawyer relationship with a client is so sensi- tive, we want to ensure If one leaves, the client doesn't disappear … When we look around at our practice groups, we try to have multiple generations in each one. We don't want to have all the people in the group at the same place in their career. " — Joan M. Fortin Shareholder, Bernstein Shur " Our recent renovations were designed with growth in mind and a keen attention to the kind of work environment that new attorneys will find attractive — collaborative workspaces, leading edge technol- ogy investments, inviting lounge areas and even rejuvenation rooms that can be used by a new mom or others seeking privacy. These are investments in our future as we strive to create a workspace environment that not only attracts, but inspires and retains the next generation of firm leadership. " — Michele S. Pattenaude Director of human resources, Verrill Dana " When recruiting, we are looking not only for bright, hard-working lawyers, but for lawyers who will be a good cultural fit at the firm. Cultural fit is impor- tant because we want to preserve and perpetuate our firm's values over time, even as lawyers who helped create that culture retire or move on. " — Katherine I. "Katy" Rand Partner, Pierce Atwood Countering the in-house counsel trend Nationally, many companies are cutting costs by hav- ing in-house counsel rather than relying on private practice firms, something that has had an effect on some law firms. " Maine firms haven't been affected by this trend the way the larger out-of-state firms have, because so many of the businesses are small and many more are in a growth mode as the state's industry changes from manufacturing to things like renew- ables and start-ups … The client base in Portland is more diverse. They're not the size to have their own in-house counsel. " — Jeffrey D. Talbert Partner, Preti Flaherty " As a regional firm, we have seen this trend with some of our larger clients for some time. The impact of the trend varies from practice area to practice area. However, many in-house counsel offices continue to work with us in specialized areas and on projects that are of a complex nature. " — Eric D. Altholz Partner, Verrill Dana Law grads finding work in privacy field As corporate privacy becomes a larger issue, the University of Maine Law School's privacy program "is becoming a big topic of conversation," says one law school official: " You don't necessarily have to be a lawyer, you don't have to have passed the bar exam, to be a privacy officer," he says. "Of the few of our gradu- ates who leave Maine, many have taken jobs in the privacy field. " — Derek Van Volkenburgh Director of career services, University of Maine School of Law MAINE LAW COMPARATIVE ADMISSIONS DATA Class of JD applications Percent change in applicants Total matriculants 2020 604 22% 84 2019 486 2.3% 76 2018 475 −25.7% 77 2017 639 −20% 79 2016 802 −14.6% 85 2015 929 — 95 2014 988 — 91 Class of Overall diversity by percent States represented 2020 16% 15 2019 8.9% 22 2018 15% 18 2017 12% — 2016 9% — 2015 11% — 2014 8% — S O U R C E : University of Maine School of Law M aine's legal community faces many of the same challenges lawyers and law firms face in the rest of the nation. As with many issues, Maine has the added wrinkle of a legal workforce that is getting older and is in need of recent law grads, particularly in rural areas. S TA R T I N G O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » M

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