Aroostook News

Cities in Aroostook County had a growth in the number of lawyers with active licenses during September compared to the previous month, according to the Board of Overseers of the Bar.

In total, there were 65 active legal licenses registered in cities in Aroostook County in September, compared to 64 in the previous month.

Within Aroostook County, Presque Isle had the highest number of lawyers with active licenses during September (20).

Up until recently, Maine was the only US state without any public defenders, relying solely on private attorneys to represent low-income defendants. In 2022, it hired five public defenders to cover these cases statewide, but officials acknowledged that this number falls short of meeting the current demands.

Justin Andrus, executive director of the Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services, said the state cannot effectively rely on only five people to address systemic issues.

At the same time, the state was found to be struggling when representing clients requiring legal aid or who couldn't afford their own lawyers. A 2021 report revealed that more than one in eight assignments requiring specialized representation were given to ineligible attorneys.

To tackle the problem, Governor Janet Mills proposed allocating $17 million to hire ten more attorneys.

As of 2023, the average salary for a lawyer in Maine is around $101,226 per year.

Data refers to all lawyers who were actively practicing during this period.

Lawyer Name	Bar Number	Date Of Admission
Ian Anderson	010094	10/18/2021
Jefferson T. Ashby	007509	10/12/1992
Forrest W. Barnes	001295	09/03/1963
Robert G. Bellefleur	002333	11/05/1978
Francis E. Bemis	007738	10/15/1993
Patrick R. Bennett	009170	10/17/2001
Amanda L. Bridges	006548	11/29/2020
Michael E. Carpenter	002730	03/31/1983
Bennett Donald Cassidy	010261	10/18/2022
Todd R. Collins	008970	10/26/1998
Freeman Corey	005670	--
Jessica R. Currier	005284	10/27/2013
Richard L. Currier	002245	09/30/1980
Richard K. Dubois	007032	10/10/1990
James M. Dunleavy	008315	10/16/1996
Matthew Colin Dyer	007858	05/16/1994
David J. Edgar	000141	09/28/1976
Benjamin T. Everett	006745	10/17/2021
Jacob T. Flewelling	010648	10/16/2023
Elisabeth Anne Fontugne	010157	05/06/2015
Martha A. Grant	002427	10/06/1981
Richard Gregory	010176	06/10/2013
Allan W. Hanson	006814	04/27/1989
Alan F. Harding	001113	10/14/1978
Patrick E. Hunt	002707	04/19/1983
Matthew A. Hunter	009831	10/27/2004
Scott G. Hunter	007031	10/09/1990
John Inglis	006420	06/20/2019
Channa Dawn Jackson	009960	05/24/2006
Philip K. Jordan	000979	08/30/1972
Michele D. L. Kenney	009254	05/13/2002
Hugh S. Kirkpatrick	000231	01/01/1960
Alfred Lamarre	009025	09/21/2000
James L. Lavertu	001617	12/31/1974
Sarah E. LeClaire	002841	10/05/1983
Christopher M. Leger	008250	05/08/1996
Carrie L. Linthicum	002380	12/18/1980
Vaughn Marquis	008822	11/17/1997
Molly M. McGuire	005910	05/15/2017
Jeremiah M. McIntosh	005543	11/21/2014
Brian T. McNally	003235	12/31/1979
Robert R. Michaud	000024	06/28/1971
Daniel R. Nelson	000937	04/22/1977
Daniel J. Picard	006651	05/10/1982
Jeffrey Pickering	001644	10/02/1975
Robert J. Plourde	002650	10/05/1982
Neil J. Prendergast	009810	05/19/2005
Christiana Rein	006360	10/10/2019
Richard L. Rhoda	000124	04/15/1974
Cassandra D. Rodgers	005815	10/27/2016
Luke M. Rossignol	008913	10/25/1999
Mark A. Roy	006110	02/29/2008
Gary A. Severson	000719	09/02/1965
Heidi D. Silver	008582	10/16/1997
Tanya L. Sleeper	010417	05/16/2023
Christine M. Smith	004388	10/30/2008
Theodore M. Smith	009231	10/25/2001
William J. Smith	000893	08/07/1967
Richard D. Solman	002724	11/09/1981
Harold L. Stewart	010267	10/17/2022
Adam P. Swanson	005118	11/01/2012
Norman G. Trask	003901	09/28/1988
Robert F. Ward	001343	10/03/1975
Kari A. Wells-Puckett	004483	10/14/2009
Brent A. York	006837	09/28/1989