Free Legal Assistance for Eligible Low Income Mainers
The mission of the Maine Volunteer Lawyers Project is to attempt to connect volunteer attorneys with individuals needing legal assistance with ertain civil matters, ensuring equal access to justice statewide.
If you are an attorney interested in volunteer opportunities, please click here.
Our Story
In 1983, Pine Tree Legal Assistance (PTLA) partnered with the Maine Justice Foundation to create a project dedicated to engaging volunteer attorneys to provide civil legal aid. Housed within PTLA for 35 years, in 2017 the VLP became a separate non-profit organization with its own board.
The VLP has a small staff and also recruits, trains, manages, and supports volunteers. In most VLP cases, the legal assistance is provided by pro bono attorney volunteers. Staff, student, and community volunteers conduct intake interviews, organize clinics, and help develop new service projects.
Thanks to the generosity of our funders, our services are free of charge to Mainers with low incomes. We are pleased to thank the following organizations for their generous support: Maine Justice Foundation, Maine Civil Legal Services Fund, Campaign for Justice, & other individual contributions and funding sources.
Thanks to our dedicated volunteers, including attorney and community volunteers, VLP provides legal help to more than 2,000 individuals in all sixteen Maine counties each year. This assistance ranges from providing legal information and advice to full representation in court. A significant percentage of the people we serve are domestic violence survivors seeking legal help to achieve safety and stability for themselves and their families.
Our Staff
Nell Brimmer, Esq., Executive Director
Samantha Dickson, Justice Referral Coordinator, Southern Maine
Charlie Gauvin, Intake Paralegal
Carolyn Graney, LMSW, Intake & Community Volunteer Manager
Amanda LaBelle, Esq., Clinics, Referrals, & Attorney Engagement Manager
Jessica Lovitz, Administrative Coordinator
Kat Monterosso, Justice Referral Coordinator, Northern Maine
Kathryn Reid, Esq., Assistant Director
Judy Sedgewick, Intake & Clinic Coordinator
Serena Sen, Clinic & FLAME (Free Legal Answers Maine) Coordinator
Vacant, Staff Attorney
VLP Board of Directors
Beth Richardson, President
Keith Richard, Vice President
David Sherman, Secretary
David McConnell, Treasurer
Cheryl Ayer
Vanessa Bean
Jared des Rosiers
Martha Gaythwaite
Zach Griffith
Barrett Littlefield
Sandra Livingston
James Monteleone
Mariah Reed
Non-Discrimination Statement
VLP recognizes the right of all persons to work for, participate in, and receive the assistance provided by VLP without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation (including gender identity and expression), physical or mental disability, national origin, ancestry, age, veteran status, or any other status protected by law. Any employee, board member, volunteer, or client who believes they have been discriminated against may report this concern to Nell Brimmer, Esq., the Executive Director of the Maine Volunteer Lawyers Project at 75 Pearl Street, Portland, ME 04101 or via email at nbrimmer@vlp.org.
