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PublishedAugust 25, 2023
Maine chief justice asks legal community to help represent indigent clients
Chief Justice Valerie Stanfill said in a letter to seven large law firms that the Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services is considering rule changes for lawyers willing to take child custody appeals.
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PublishedJuly 9, 2023
Maine’s new public defenders aim to close attorney shortage in rural areas
The five-member Rural Defender Unit is representing people in places like Aroostook and Washington counties, where many cannot afford – or find – a lawyer.
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PublishedJuly 4, 2023
New state legal defense director wants to bring young attorneys in to do ‘important work’
Jim Billings took over the reins of the Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services last month, joining the agency that is severely struggling to find enough attorneys to represent poor Mainers.
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PublishedJune 26, 2023
Maine legislative agenda could chip away at lawsuit’s gripes against indigent defense system
A lawsuit against the Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services has been quietly pending for more than a year. And while neither group will talk about its progress, a number of pending bills take aim at fixing the system.
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PublishedJune 11, 2023
Civil rights group may seek federal probe of Maine’s indigent defense system
A forthcoming report to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights will detail shortcomings of legal services for the state’s poor.
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PublishedApril 24, 2023
Maine agency for indigent legal defense announces new leader
Jim Billings will take over as executive director of the Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services. Toby Jandreau will become the state's new lead public defender.
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PublishedApril 20, 2023
Maine lawmakers reject expanded legal support for families in child protection system
The pilot sought to connect 30 families in central Maine with attorneys who could help them navigate the child protective system before losing custody of their children.
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PublishedApril 18, 2023
Maine’s commission on indigent defense to make job offer to executive director candidate
The commission's current director, Justin Andrus, announced this year that he will leave the position by June 30.
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PublishedMarch 24, 2023
Maine courts may take until 2028 to touch backlog of cases
Chief Justice Valerie Stanfill says the judicial branch is "frail" following her State of the Judiciary speech.
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PublishedMarch 10, 2023
Advisers to U.S. Commission on Civil Rights urge Maine lawmakers to pay for indigent defense
Lawmakers recommend keeping $150-an-hour pay raise for lawyers and adding a $3 million public defender office.
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