Elinor & Charles Miller Rural Justice Fellowship

Pine Tree Legal Assistance

Elinor & Charles Miller Rural Justice Fellowship

Location: Presque Isle, Maine; Hybrid remote

Pine Tree Legal Assistance is seeking an outstanding candidate to serve as the 2025 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 2025 fellow will work from the Presque Isle office, which serves the whole of Aroostook 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 until February 15, 2025. We anticipate completing the selection process by early April with an anticipated fellowship start date of September 2, 2025.

Selected candidate must be: admitted to the practice of law in Maine, or; eligible to practice under MRCP 89(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 2024 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.   

Compensation and Benefits 

The salary range for PTLA attorneys and other exempt staff in 2025 will be $69,490 - $106,490 depending on experience.

In addition, PTLA is proud to offer the following:

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, and an annual contribution to a 403(b)-retirement plan. Other voluntary options include vision and expanded life insurance. Staff enjoy 12 paid holidays, paid parental leave, and generous vacation, floating holidays, and sick leave.

Pine Tree Legal Assistance is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to employing and supporting individuals who are passionate about social justice and have relevant work experience, regardless of their race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, physical or mental disability, religion, familial status or experience with poverty, receipt of public assistance, or homelessness.

Salary : $69,490 - $106,490