Board of Overseers of the Bar

News

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



Important CLE Information

Reminder: The CLE Reporting Deadline is approaching soon! December 31, 2021.

You will be able to file your 2021 annual MCLE Report Statement online at our website beginning on January 3, 2022. Pursuant to Bar Rule 5(e), the MCLE Annual Report Statement must be filed no later than 4:30 pm on February 28.

If you are exempt from MCLE, the time to claim your exemption is by filing your annual MCLE Report Statement by February 28 and selecting the relevant exemption. If you are unsure if you qualify for an exemption, please carefully review the exemption circumstances listed in Maine Bar Rule 5(d).

Pursuant to Maine Bar Rule 5(l)(1), noncompliant attorneys are entitled to an automatic grace period until the close of business on the last business day of February (2/28/22) in order to make up their deficiencies.

Please understand that it may take 30-45 days for your credits to appear on your record when a CLE sponsor is reporting your attendance. Because of the grace period explained above, please don't be alarmed if a course you completed in December has not appeared on your transcript by the end of the calendar year.

If you have excess ethics or H&D credits, they will be automatically applied to your general credit requirement. Excess H&D credit may also be applied towards your ethics requirement if needed.

If you have earned more credits than required, you will carry over up to 10 general credits into 2022. Ethics and H&D credits do not carry over. However, if you have exceeded your 2021 requirement due to taking multiple ethics and/or H&D courses, those credits will carry over as general credits.

Bar Rule 5 limits the number of self-study credits to 5 per year. The most common type of self-study credit available are on-demand video and audio replay of past CLE events. If you have already taken more than 5 self-study credits, you may carry over up to 5 into 2022. The 5 self-study credits you may carry over is part of, not in addition to, the overall limit of 10 carry over credits you may have.

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.



MCLE Annual Report Statement Instructions: Access to Online Filing Opens January 3, 2022

To submit your MCLE Annual Report Statement 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 select the option claiming an exemption from Maine Bar Rule 5. For those in states without mandatory CLE (like Massachusetts and D.C.) you will proceed the same as a resident attorney.

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 need to supplement your CLE report or if there are discrepancies, you may email your documents 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". Your report must be filed no later than 4:30pm on February 28, 2022.

To check the status of your reporting, please log back into the portal to see if your submission was approved. Approval of your report may take up to 7 days. If you have questions, please email: dmorse@mebaroverseers.org. Thank you.



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
1/26/2022 Existential Threat: How Alernative Business Structures Affect Attorneys Board of Overseers of the Bar Webinar features Jared Correia, Esq. and Aria Eee, Esq. Aria Eee
1/28/2022 Pandemic Pandemonium: Surviving & Thriving in the practice MSBA Webinar Aria Eee
1/28/2022 Internet & Social Media Searches of Jurors: Ethical and Advocacy Considerations MSBA Webinar Julia Sheridan
2/1/2022 Bridging the Gap MSBA Webinar Aria Eee
6/4/2022 Good News & Bad News When You're In-House Counsel ABA ABA National Professional Responsibility Conference, Baltimore Aria Eee

Hearings & Notices

Date Time Respondent Location
12/23/2021 Petition for Reinstatement of Stephen H. Mackenzie, Esq. TBD
12/27/2021 Petition for Reinstatement of Gale S. Kelly TBD
1/3/2022 Petition for Reinstatement of Seth T. Carey TBD

View complete hearing schedule

Recent Decisions & Orders

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Date Respondent Issued By Order Disposition/Conduct
1/6/2022 Alyson L. Roberts Single Justice Reinstatement Order
12/28/2021 Peter J. Richard, Jr. Single Justice Reinstatement Order
12/6/2021 Reginald E. Burleigh Single Justice Receiver Appointment
12/6/2021 Ragnar R. Huffman aka Ronald E. Hoffman Single Justice Reinstatement Order
12/2/2021 James L. Audiffred, Esq. Single Justice Receiver Appointment

View all decisions