Elinor & Charles Miller Rural Justice Fellowship
About The Position
Pine Tree Legal Assistance is seeking an outstanding candidate to serve as the 2026 Elinor and Charles Miller Rural Justice Fellow. Pine Tree is Maine’s oldest and largest provider of legal services to low-income people, and we serve people experiencing civil legal needs in all 16 counties and in every district court and Tribal court in the state. In order to increase access to high-quality legal services in remote communities in Maine, to foster interest and create opportunities for recent law school graduates to practice in rural communities, and to honor the legacy of Ellie and Charlie Miller, Pine Tree has created the Elinor and Charles Miller Rural Justice Fellowship. Each year, Pine Tree Legal Assistance selects one new attorney or recent law graduate to serve a two-year fellowship in either the Presque Isle or Machias office. The 2026 fellow will work from the Machias office, which serves the Downeast region of Hancock and Washington County. Pine Tree Legal Assistance will provide fellows with outstanding training and mentorship. This will be accomplished by connecting fellows to program-wide opportunities and communities via experienced staff, supervising attorneys, and practice group leaders. Each fellow’s training and mentorship will ensure our clients receive excellent legal services and that fellows learn and grow quickly as new lawyers. The fellowship attorneys are expected to work on a wide range of legal issues, including areas of housing, consumer, Tribal, and family law. Fellowship attorneys will also have the opportunity to propose special projects or areas of focus for their fellowship work that are consistent with Pine Tree’s program priorities. Upon completion of their two-year fellowships, Miller Fellows are encouraged to take advantage of the many opportunities at Pine Tree Legal Assistance to continue their careers in public service. While it took the efforts of many people to build Pine Tree into the strong force for equal access to justice it is today, Ellie and Charlie Miller, are among the few who have made it a significant part of their life’s work. While we grieve the sad loss of Charlie, who passed away in August 2023, we still benefit from Ellie’s wisdom, care, and leadership as a Board officer, a role in which she has served for over a decade. Ellie also served several decades as a Pine Tree staff member, including as Assistant Director during some of the organization’s most challenging times. Dedication to equal access to justice in Maine is one of the hallmarks of their work and legacy and Pine Tree is proud that the Miller Fellows will carry this mission of service forward for years to come. The position is open to current 3L students and law graduates who are completing judicial clerkships. Applications are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis, before March 1, 2026. We anticipate completing the selection process by early April with an anticipated fellowship start date on or around September 1, 2026. Selected candidate must be: admitted to the practice of law in Maine, or; eligible to practice under MRCP 11(c) while working at Pine Tree, or; prepared to seek admission to practice law in Maine at their earliest opportunity (e.g., by taking the July 2025 bar exam). Applicant must reside in, or be willing to relocate to, the state of Maine. This is an exempt position under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Requirements
- current 3L students and law graduates who are completing judicial clerkships
- admitted to the practice of law in Maine, or; eligible to practice under MRCP 11(c) while working at Pine Tree, or; prepared to seek admission to practice law in Maine at their earliest opportunity (e.g., by taking the July 2025 bar exam)
- Applicant must reside in, or be willing to relocate to, the state of Maine.
Responsibilities
- work on a wide range of legal issues, including areas of housing, consumer, Tribal, and family law.
- propose special projects or areas of focus for their fellowship work that are consistent with Pine Tree’s program priorities.
Benefits
- Employer-paid health insurance with a generous HRA contribution, generous health insurance opt-out benefit or family health coverage options
- employer-paid dental insurance
- employer-paid life and disability insurance
- annual contribution to a 403(b)-retirement plan
- voluntary options include vision and expanded life insurance
- 12 paid holidays
- paid parental leave
- generous vacation, floating holidays, and sick leave
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
No Education Listed
