High School Mock Trial Competition

The High School Mock Trial Competition needs additional attorneys, primarily in Augusta and Portland, to serve as evaluators for the mock trials to be held in November. For additional information and to volunteer as an evaluator, please contact the Coordinator, Julie Finn, 874-0326, jfinn1@maine.rr.com.

Happy Hour for Summer Applicants to the Maine Bar at Brian Boru

The New Lawyer's Section is sponsoring a good luck fete for those taking the bar this summer at Brian Boru in Portland on Friday, July 10 at 5:30. This is an annual event in which new lawyers and erstwhile lawyers gather to commiserate and celebrate the dreaded bar examination. This is a great opportunity to welcome new lawyers to the Maine bar and get together with colleagues you may not have seen for awhile. We hope to see you there. If you have any questions about this event, contact Frank Bishop at (207) 791-1230. The New Lawyers Section would also like to thank Bar/Bri for their co-sponsorship of this event.

Brown Bag on Superior Court Business and Consumer Docket

The New Lawyers Section is hosting a brown bag lunch discussion with Justice Humphrey and Justice Nivison relative to the Business and Consumer Docket of the Superior Court, at 12:00 p.m. on June 23, 2009. The event will be held in the Moot Courtroom at the University of Maine School of Law at 246 Deering Avenue, Portland. The Justices’ presentation will include the goals of the Court, the types of cases that new lawyers should foresee having transferred to the Court, the manner/process in which cases are handled on the Business and Consumer Docket, and “helpful hints” that may be useful to new lawyers.

No registration or RSVP is necessary for attendance. If you have any questions or would like additional information on this event, please contact Shane Wright (swright@isaacsonraymond.com, 207-795-5000) or Amanda Doherty (AJDoherty217@aol.com, 207- 878-5519), or any member of the Governing Council of the New Lawyers Section.

Entreverge Awards Call for Nominations and Registration

PROPEL, the young members group of the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce, is excited to introduce the inaugural entreverge Awards, recognizing entrepreneurship and innovation in the greater Portland area business community. Five winners will receive publicity and a package of pro bono consultation services from the greater Portland area’s top business leaders and service providers. Nominate a business now at www.entreverge.com, and join us at the Awards Party on June 25, Register Now!

For entreverge sponsorship opportunities, call Johann Sabbath at 207-781-2982 or johann.sabbath@gmail.com

Volunteers for a mock trial

On June 30 and July 2, 2009, the Clerk’s Office will host two separate groups of high school students from the Upward Bound program at USM. Upward Bound serves income-eligible students, providing them with guidance and support to graduate from high school and prepare for college. For more information about Upward Bound at USM, visit: http://usm.maine.edu/upwardbound/Pages/WhatisUB1.html

To ensure an enjoyable and educational experience for the students, the Clerk’s Office is looking for volunteers from the Bar to assist students with a semi-scripted mock trial to be held in one of our courtrooms. The mock trial, including preparation and debriefing, will probably take 1 ½ to 2 hours. No preparation is required of the volunteers.

Will your firm have law student associates on staff this summer? If you think that your student associates would be interested in volunteering, the Clerk’s Office is also hoping to give the Upward Bound students an opportunity to interact with law students and/or recent law school graduates who could talk about their career choices and educational experiences.

If you are interested in volunteering and/or have any questions, please contact:

Renee M. Bender, renee@med.uscourts.gov

(207) 780-3356 ext. 2219

NLS discount on the Portland Stage Company's production of "Trying" this Saturday at 8 pm

NLS members have a 48-hour window to get 30% off on tickets to the Portland Stage Company’s production of “Trying” if the NLS can identify at least 10 individuals that would like to attend this Saturday’s 8 PM production. We have pre-reserved 10 seats in the center for anyone that would like to attend. Discounted tickets cost $31.75 each. The play description is as follows:

--Trying by Joanna McClelland Glass
http://www.portlandstage.com/

Judge Francis Biddle, the elderly and irascible former Attorney General, has little patience for his fresh-faced young secretary. But through battles over grammar and beliefs, their strained relationship grows into mutual respect, and eventually, true friendship. This witty and poignant account of the inevitable adventure of growing old was inspired by the playwright’s personal experiences as Biddle’s secretary.


Any takers? Significant others/children are invited to attend if accompanied by NLS members. Email nlsmainestatebar@gmail.com to reserve a seat. You must email prior to 5 pm this Thursday to be included, as we must collectively pay the theatre by then.

More Info on Hockey Night in Portland

For those of you attending the NLS Portland Pirates event tomorrow, tickets will be available at the will call window at the Civic Center. Some of those attending will be meeting at Flask on Spring Street at 6:30 for a beer before the game. Hope to see you there!

HOCKEY NIGHT IN PORTLAND!

Come see the Portland Pirates for $12! The New Lawyer’s Section of the Maine State Bar Association is sponsoring a Pirates game on Friday, March 20th. Ordinarily tickets are $17, but we were able to get a special group rate for $5 off. This is an excellent opportunity to get together with your peers and colleagues (and adversaries) in a family friendly social setting. If you would like to attend please send a check payable to the MSBA to:

Mark Beaumont
Eaton Peabody
80 Exchange St.
PO Box 1210
Bangor, ME 04402

In addition, please RSVP Frank Bishop (fbishop@pierceatwood.com) with the number of tickets you are buying, so that we can work with Pirates to make sure there are enough tickets available. We have reserved 30 seats, but can expand to 50 if there is enough interest. If you have any questions about this event call Frank at 207-791-1230.

Silent Partners -- Confidential coaching through challenging procedural or legal issues!

Hey newish lawyers! We've had multiple NLS people get asked how junior Maine attorneys can get some "advice" from more senior lawyers on specific technical questions or new procedural issues they're facing. Well, the MSBA has provided a solution that should be of great interest to everyone. . .

In a low-key, yet supportive way, the Maine State Bar Association offers a program to assist lawyers in dealing with problems in substantive and administrative areas of law where there may be a lack of familiarity or comfort in helping a client.

The program is open to all members of the Bar, from the newest members to those of long standing, who find themselves challenged by new or unfamiliar areas of the law where some help and guidance would benefit both the practitioner and the client.

Silent Partners contemplates a telephone consult with another practitioner to give you some pointers and direction. It may work out to a referral or a co-counsel relationship with a mentor attorney-but that is not required or expected. Most lawyers who use Silent Partners need some focused guidance and encouragement from someone who knows what they are talking about. It is only a phone call away. The program provides confidentiality recognized by the Maine Supreme Judicial Court in Maine Bar Rule 7.3(o).

The Silent Partners program is chaired by Peter J. DeTroy III, Esquire, who can be reached at the following contact info - he will facilitate your participation in this service:

Norman Hanson & DeTroy LLC
P O Box 4600
Portland, ME 04112
pdetroy@nhdlaw.com
Phone: (207) 774-7000
Fax: (207) 775-0806

New Lawyers Section Election Results

The election of the 2009 governing board of the New Lawyers Section of the Maine State Bar Association is now closed. Your 2009 governing board is:

Chair
Shane Wright, Isaacson & Raymond, Lewiston
Chair-elect
Frank Bishop, Pierce Atwood, Portland
Immediate Past Chair
Scott Quigley, Laskoff & Associates, Lewiston
Secretary
Mikaela Sturrock, Elliot & MacLean, Camden
Treasurer
Mark Beaumont, Eaton Peabody, Bangor
MSBA Board of Governors Representative
Peter Felmly, Drummond Woodsum, Portland
SBA Representative (term ends upon election of new SBA president)
Nathanial Hull, University of Maine School of Law, Portland
Directors
Justin Weiss, Digital Policy Group, York
Hanna Sanders, Legal Services for the Elderly, Scarborough
Felicity Soles, International Association of Privacy Professionals, York
Jason Dionne, Isaacson & Raymond, Lewiston
Jeffrey Schwartz, Jeffrey A. Schwartz, LLC, P.A., South Portland
Stacey Stitham, Brann & Isaacson, Lewiston
Courtney Beer, PTLA, Portland
Amanda Doherty, Strike, Goodwin & O’Brien, Portland
Chelsea Fournier, Preti Flaherty, Portland

Congrats to those who won a spot; welcome to the new members; welcome back to the incumbents! 2009 is shaping up to be a good year with a lot of events. Stay tuned for further information . . .