Rural Maine faces dearth of lawyers
Maine is facing a shortage of lawyers in its most rural areas, according to a new report commissioned for the Maine Supreme Judicial Court.
The Bangor Daily News reported that nearly all of Maine’s lawyers listed as private practitioners under the age of 40 reside and/or practice in Cumberland County, with few or even none in rural counties like Piscatquis, Washington, Somerset, Knox and Franklin, the report found. Of the 3,945 lawyers in Maine, the report said 47% are over the age of 44, 25% between 45 and 54 and 12% between 25 and 34.
The report, which was written by a task force under the Maine Board of Overseers of the Bar, said only 17% of lawyers with five or fewer years of experience in Maine chose to locate in a rural area, defined as not within the areas of Portland, Saco-Biddeford, Lewiston-Auburn, Augusta or Bangor.
To combat the dwindling numbers of attorneys, the report suggested developing financial assistance programs to provide incentives to move to rural areas. It also recommended developing internship or clerkship programs in small towns.
A Nov. 25, 2013 feature by Mainebiz explored the reasons for Maine’s shrinking profession and what could be done to give the state’s law industry a boost. William Robitzek, who was president of the Maine Bar Association at the time, told Mainebiz that urban areas like Portland are often more of a draw for younger people because of its culture and amenities.
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