The Clinics at Maine Law

Giving Tuesday: Defending Justice Across Maine

Today is Giving Tuesday, a day dedicated to supporting organizations making a tangible difference in their communities. Civil legal aid is more important than ever, and your support allows the Clinics at Maine Law to work to close the justice gap and ensure vulnerable residents receive the help they urgently need.

The Urgent Need for Civil Legal Aid

In Maine, the need for civil legal assistance among low-income individuals remains significant and largely unmet. The statistics are sobering: Maine averages less than three legal aid attorneys per 10,000 people living below 200% of the federal poverty line—far short of the recommended ratio of at least ten. As a result, only about one in four or five residents who seek assistance actually receive it.

For our clients, legal aid is not a luxury; it is often the deciding factor in whether they can remain safely housed, maintain custody of their children, escape abusive relationships, or secure access to health care and public benefits. Providing this assistance helps prevent personal crises from escalating into homelessness, poverty, or continued victimization, thereby strengthening families and communities across Maine.

Our Statewide Impact: 17,000 Hours of Service

The Clinics at Maine Law have proudly maintained an important tradition of expanding access to justice for over 55 years. Our geographic reach is truly statewide. While the program once focused primarily on Cumberland County, today our student attorneys provide legal aid services to clients all over Maine from Kittery to Fort Kent and far beyond.

The combined dedication of our student attorneys results in a massive contribution to access to justice: In 2024, student attorneys dedicated over 17,000 hours of pro bono legal services to low-income individuals. This critical service equates to the equivalent of over $2.5 million in legal fees that our indigent clients simply could not afford.

Invest in Justice, Invest in the Future

By supporting the Clinics at Maine Law, you are not only providing immediate relief and representation to vulnerable populations but also investing in the long-term health of Maine’s legal system. Training the next generation of lawyers is a core part of our mission. Students who train in our Clinics graduate with firsthand experience understanding how the legal system often fails the most vulnerable and how strategic legal advocacy can change lives. This creates a powerful multiplier effect, as many graduates go on to careers in public interest law or commit to pro bono work in rural areas and the private sector.

We depend on the generosity of private donors, charitable organizations, and public funding to continue our work. Nearly 50% of our funding in 2024 came from outside of the University of Maine System.

This Giving Tuesday, please consider supporting the Clinics at Maine Law. Your donation, whether large or small, directly enables us to continue training skilled advocates and meeting the urgent civil legal needs across Maine.

Sincerely,

Courtney I. Beer, Esq.

Professor of Law

Director of the Clinics at Maine Law

University of Maine School of Law