Board of Overseers of the Bar

News

STATE OF MAINE JUDICIAL BRANCH PANDEMIC MANAGEMENT ORDER

By Order of February 23, 2021

The Supreme Judicial Court has issued PMO-SJC-11

In its Order, the Court extended the automatic grace period established by Maine Bar Rule 5(l)(1) for attorneys to comply with their MCLE requirements. The grace period now runs until 4:30 p.m. on April 30, 2021. Please see below for the link to the Court's Order.

Attorneys lacking 2020 credit hours will be able to earn and report until April 30, 2021.

Important reminder: per CLE policy, approved providers report attorney attendance for live programming directly to the Board. Providers do so via a roster within 30 days of the program. To ensure accuracy and efficiency, the Board uses only that roster for entering CLE credits. Please do not submit the provider certificates you received to the Board, as those certificates are for your records.

Thank you for your cooperation and feel free to contact the Board office with any questions.



Important CLE Reporting Access Update

After you login to MyBoardAccess, skip right down to the 5th button and click CLE Reporting. Follow the steps outlined within that section of the portal. Please understand that choosing any other button (including View CLE Credits) will not perform the steps you need in order to complete the reporting process.



Reminder: Registration is Just Around the Corner!

As of July 1st, the online registration portal will begin accepting registration renewals for the new fiscal year. Registration season runs from July 1st to August 31st. Please be sure to update your contact, bank and proxy information. Registration is completed online on the MyBoardAccess by clicking on the Renew Registration section of the Board's webpage.



Annual CLE Report Instructions

To submit your annual CLE Report please visit MyBoardAccess and enter your six-digit Bar Number (don't forget the preceding zeroes!) and password. You can use "Forgot your Password" link below the login area if need be.

Once you have logged onto the portal, click on the link entitled CLE Reporting. The first question will ask if you are a resident or non-resident attorney. For non-residents who are licensed and practicing in states with mandatory CLE requirements (like New Hampshire) you can self-certify your compliance with CLE requirements. For those in states without mandatory CLE (like Massachusetts and D.C.) you will need to demonstrate compliance with Maine CLE requirements.

After viewing your CLE report, you are asked to either confirm the accuracy of the CLE report, confirm that you have earned all the credits listed but also have additional credits to supplement your record, report that there are discrepancies with the report, or certify that you are exempt from Maine Bar Rule 5. If you want to supplement your CLE report or if there are discrepancies, you can upload documents on the portal (maximum of one upload), or you can simply send them to the Board CLE Director David Morse at dmorse@mebaroverseers.org. Be sure to click the Submit Button. You are not done until you’ve verified and hit "Submit".

To check the status of your reporting, please wait a day, and then log back into the portal to see if your submission was approved. If you have questions, please email board@mebaroverseers.org. Thank you.



Law Office Management Services Now Available

Through a unique partnership with the Maine Board of Overseers of the Bar, Red Cave Law Firm Consulting offers Maine attorneys DISCOUNTED virtual law practice management consulting. Red Cave has 10+ years of law firm business management consulting experience, and has advised over 3,000 law firms. We can help you with issues surrounding law office technology, marketing, financial management and more!

Please visit the Legal Resources page to learn more about Red Cave.

You'll also find a link to the new Law Office Management Blog



In light of the evolving concerns surrounding the COVID-19 virus and in an effort to slow the rate of infection, the Board of Overseers of the Bar has implemented precautionary measures. These new protocols include restricting building access only to staff and partnering with CLE providers to present live streaming and educational programs. Please feel free to contact our office at 207-623-1121 with any questions or concerns and check our website for changes to scheduled hearings or programs. We want to make thoughtful decisions about any programmatic revisions. We will continue to monitor the advice of local and state officials, as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and adjust plans as appropriate.

Please keep up to date on all the latest Pandemic Management Orders issued by the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. Among the important details, is the Court's suspension of the in-person requirement for Maine Bar Rule 5 CLE programs.

Please refer to our partners at the Maine State Bar Association and their website for all the latest information regarding Court matters and pertinent Orders.

We thank you for your patience and support. Let’s all do what we can to help keep our community healthy.

The Board and its Mission

The Maine Board of Overseers of the Bar was created by the Maine Supreme Judicial Court in 1978 to govern the conduct of lawyers as officers of the Court. The Board is an independent agency under the jurisdiction of the Court.

The mission of the Board of Overseers of the Bar is to encourage and promote competent and ethical practice by members of the Maine Bar, and to make these standards known to members of the public so that they have confidence in the legal profession in Maine. The Board accomplishes its mission on several fronts including attorney registration, continuing legal education requirements, ethical guidance, and attorney regulation. [Read more]

Ethics Helpline for Registered Maine Attorneys

The Board of Overseers of the Bar provides assistance to Maine attorneys through its "Ethics Helpline" on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays - 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. To speak with one of the Board's staff attorneys, call the Board's office at 207-623-1122. [Read more]

In Memoriam

The In Memoriam page is dedicated to honoring those members of the Maine Bar who have passed away in recent years. When available, links to full obituaries and news articles are also accessible. Click here to view the In Memoriam page.

Court News

Announcements and News Releases for the Maine Supreme Judicial Court

Upcoming CLE Presentations

Date Session Title Organization Location Speaker
6/17/2021 Bias and the Jury Board of Overseers of the Bar Zoom Video Replay. Moderator: Aria Eee, Esq. Presenters: Hon. Donald G. Alexander and Desiny Perry, Ph.D. Aria Eee, Dr. Destiny Peery
6/24/2021 Grand Reopening: Relaunching Your Law Firm in the Post-COVID World Board of Overseers of the Bar Zoom with Jared Correia, Aria Eee, Nicole Black, and Christopher Largay. Aria Eee

Hearings & Notices

Date Time Respondent Location
5/11/2021 8:30 AM Gary M. Prolman Cumberland County Superior Court - Courtroom #9
5/27/2021 2:00 PM Clarence H. Spurling Video Conference: via Zoom link
6/7/2021 9:00 AM Richard L. Rhoda Video Conference: via Zoom link
6/7/2021 1:00 PM Lawrence A. Lunn Cumberland County Superior Court
6/8/2021 8:30 AM Lawrence A. Lunn Cumberland County Superior Court

View complete hearing schedule

Recent Decisions & Orders

The files below require the free Adobe Reader

Date Respondent Issued By Order Disposition/Conduct
5/28/2021 Clarence H. Spurling Single Justice Order of Surrender Surrender
4/28/2021 Elmer E. Runyon Single Justice Receiver Discharge Order
4/2/2021 Christopher J. Whalley Single Justice Suspension/Monitoring Order Candor toward the Tribunal. Truthfulness in statements to others.
3/25/2021 Michael P. Kenney Single Justice Reinstatement
3/23/2021 Charles T. Ferris, Esq. Grievance Commission Report of Findings and Order Conflict of Interest, Former Client

View all decisions