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Poll results

Change is underway at Maine’s only law school.

In barely six months, the University of Maine School of Law has accepted the resignation of its dean, named an interim successor, and drafted a new strategic plan, calling for more emphasis on issues related to technology and rural practices. As Mainebiz reported Monday, the school is holding off on the search for a new dean until UMaine System trustees can weigh in on the plan.

With about 250 students, Maine is one of the country’s smallest law schools. But it plays a disproportionately large role in the state and in the business community.

The school’s strategic plan notes that 44% of the attorneys practicing in the state are Maine Law grads, and in rural areas, that share is 57%. In nearly 60 years, the school has produced over 4,000 graduates, including not only lawyers but CEOs, nonprofit leaders, legislators and five Maine governors.

It’s not unusual for a less-populous state like Maine to have only a single law school. (New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont are also home to one apiece.) But with law school applications plummeting 31% nationally from 2010-2018, questions have arisen about the future direction of Maine's sole institution of legal learning.

What should be the future direction of the University of Maine School of Law?
Stay the course; Maine Law is doing great and will continue to. (14%, 10 VOTES)
The ideas in the new plan make sense; Maine Law needs to adapt to the 21st century. (70%, 50 VOTES)
The University of Maine System should change priorities, and focus more on other UMS grad programs. (3%, 2 VOTES)
Maine Law just isn't that relevant anymore, and there are plenty of law schools elsewhere. (13%, 9 VOTES)
Poll Description

Change is underway at Maine’s only law school.

In barely six months, the University of Maine School of Law has accepted the resignation of its dean, named an interim successor, and drafted a new strategic plan, calling for more emphasis on issues related to technology and rural practices. As Mainebiz reported Monday, the school is holding off on the search for a new dean until UMaine System trustees can weigh in on the plan.

With about 250 students, Maine is one of the country’s smallest law schools. But it plays a disproportionately large role in the state and in the business community.

The school’s strategic plan notes that 44% of the attorneys practicing in the state are Maine Law grads, and in rural areas, that share is 57%. In nearly 60 years, the school has produced over 4,000 graduates, including not only lawyers but CEOs, nonprofit leaders, legislators and five Maine governors.

It’s not unusual for a less-populous state like Maine to have only a single law school. (New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont are also home to one apiece.) But with law school applications plummeting 31% nationally from 2010-2018, questions have arisen about the future direction of Maine's sole institution of legal learning.

  • 71 Votes
  • 0 Comments
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