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.



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 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.



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.



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
10/18/2021 Out of Office: How to Effectively and Ethically Manage a Virtual Workforce Board of Overseers of the Bar/LOMAP Zoom with Jared Correia, Maine's Law Office Management/Red Cave Consulting and Aria Eee, Executive Director/Board of Overseers of the Bar Aria Eee
10/19/2021 That's Not What I Said: GAL Tips on Testifying to Assist the Fact Finder. Live Video Replay Board of Overseers of the Bar Zoom Aria Eee
10/22/2021 Litigation Institute MSBA/MTLA Zoom Julia Sheridan

Hearings & Notices

Date Time Respondent Location
9/2/2021 Petition for Reinstatement of Seth T. Carey TBD
9/15/2021 Petition for Reinstatement of Ronald E. Hoffman aka Ragnar R. Huffmann TBD
12/6/2021 9:00 AM Michael J. Cianchette, Esq. Video Conference: This hearing will be live-streamed via YouTube and is open to the public to view. Direct access link will be posted prior to the hearing.

View complete hearing schedule

Recent Decisions & Orders

The files below require the free Adobe Reader

Date Respondent Issued By Order Disposition/Conduct
9/9/2021 Richard L. Rhoda, Esq. Single Justice Order Communication, confidentiality of information, and misconduct.
7/26/2021 Gary M. Prolman Single Justice Reinstatement Order Decision Under Appeal
7/21/2021 Eugene McLaughlin, Jr., Esq. Single Justice Order Default
6/21/2021 Dana F. Strout Single Justice Order of Surrender Surrender
6/16/2021 Gary M. Prolman Single Justice Order Decision Under Appeal

View all decisions