An Act To Expand Access To Justice In Rural Maine By Incentivizing Attorneys To Practice In Underserved Areas

132nd Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Anne Carney and 8 co-sponsors

LD 1691 expands rural Maine legal access by offering student loan incentives for lawyers serving underserved areas and a UM Law rural track, funded by a revolving fund.

Became Law without Governor's Signature

#lawschool #ruralpractice #universityofmainesystem

LD 1691 — An Act to Expand Access to Justice in Rural Maine by Incentivizing Attorneys to Practice in Underserved Areas

Purpose and intent

The bill aims to expand access to legal services in rural and underserved areas of Maine.

It seeks to incentivize attorneys to practice in those areas through a targeted loan program and by creating a rural practice pathway at the University of Maine School of Law.

Key provisions

Access to Justice Loan Program

Establishes the Access to Justice Loan Program to be administered by the Finance Authority of Maine (FAME).
The program would provide loans to eligible Maine residents who demonstrate an interest in or commitment to providing legal services in underserved areas.
The bill does not include direct funding for the loan program. Instead, it would create a revolving fund (Access to Justice Loan Program Revolving Fund) within FAME to be supported by base allocations of $500 per year, beginning in FY 2025-26, to enable expenditure if monies are received from public or private sources.

Rural practice track at UM School of Law

Requires the University of Maine System, to the extent funds are available, to establish a rural practice track at the University of Maine School of Law.
Estimated ongoing cost to support 6 first-year students or 2nd-year students is about $161,780 per year.
One-time cost for a comprehensive marketing and communications plan is estimated at $120,000.
The UM System indicates that no funding is currently available for this program.

Who would be affected

Eligible Maine residents who are pursuing or considering legal careers and who intend to provide legal services in underserved rural areas.

Law students at the University of Maine School of Law (via the rural practice track, if funded).

The University of Maine System, and the Finance Authority of Maine, which would administer the loan program and the revolving fund.

Rural communities and regions that experience gaps in access to legal services, potentially benefiting from increased availability of attorneys.

Funding and fiscal notes

Fiscal notes describe an unfunded loan program with a proposed $500 per year base allocation to a revolving fund (no explicit appropriation in the bill).

Annual ongoing costs for the UM Law rural track (approximately $161,780 for six first-year or two-year students) plus $120,000 for marketing, though no current funds are provided.

Both notes emphasize that funding would need to come from external public/private sources or other state allocations.

Legislative history and status

Introduced: April 17, 2025

Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs

Passed the Legislature in June 2025 with amendments (H-325) and concurrent enactment steps.

As of July 8, 2025: HELD BY THE GOVERNOR (awaiting gubernatorial action).

Summary assessment

LD 1691 proposes a mechanism to improve rural access to justice by linking loan assistance for future lawyers with a mandatory or optional rural practice pathway for law students. The bill relies on external funding to operate, with minimal to no direct state funding attached in its current form. Its effectiveness would depend on funding availability, loan terms and service commitments, and the successful implementation of the UM Law rural track.