An Act To Promote Legal Services in Rural Maine
Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 0929
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: SAVIELLO, SHERMAN, AYOTTE, CLARK, CLEARY, FINLEY, GIFFORD, MILLER, PA TRICK

Legislative Document 
No. 929 
H.P.704 
House of Representati ves, March 1, 2007 
An Act To Promote Legal Services in Rural Maine 
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
Presented by Representative SAVIELLO of Wilton. 
Cosponsored by Senator SHERMAN of Aroostook and 
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/J7.7T/d£~ 
Mll...LICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: AYOTTE of Caswell, CLARK of Millinocket, CLEARY of Houlton, 
FINLEY of Skowhegan, GIFFORD of Lincoln, McLEOD of Lee, MILLER of Somerville, 
PA TRICK of Rumford. 
Prinled on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA c. 437 is enacted to read: 
CHAPTER 437 
ATTORNEYS FOR MAINE PROGRAM 
§12901. Attorneys for Maine Program 
There is established the Attorneys for Maine Program to provide financial assistance 
for legal education for up to 5 law students pursuing juris doctor degrees who received 
baccalaureate degrees from the University of Maine campuses at Presque Isle, Machias, 
Fort Kent and Farmington. The chief executive officer shall administer the program and 
shall establish pursuant to rules of the authority the rates of interest or fees to be charged. 
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§12902. Definitions 
As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms 
have the following meanings. 
1. Academic achievement. "Academic achievement" means earning a grade point 
average of 3.0 or more, based on a 4.0 grade point system, or the equivalent, based upon 
the most recent cumulative grade point average. 
2. Authority. "Authority" means the Finance Authority of Maine. 
3. Chief executive officer. "Chief executive officer" means the Chief Executive 
Officer of the Finance Authority of Maine. 
4. Law school. "Law school" means the University of Maine School of Law. 
5. Participating school. 
"Participating school" means the University of Maine 
campuses at Presque Isle, Machias, Fort Kent and Farmington. 
6. Return service. "Return service" means service as a licensed attorney practicing 
law in an underserved area of the State and maintaining residency in the underserved area 
in which the service is performed. 
7. 
Underserved area. 
"Underserved area" means an area of the State that IS 
underserved in legal services, as determined by the chief executive officer. 
§12903. Attorneys for Maine Program loan recipients 
The following provisions apply to an Attorneys for Maine Program loan recipient. 
1. Criteria for loan recipients. Each year graduating seniors and graduates within 
one year subsequent to graduation from a participating school who haveJ!PpJied for 
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admission to the law school and show evidence of academic achievement may-~ 
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considered for recognition as Attorneys for Maine Program loan recipients. Applications 
must be submitted to the chief executive officer at a time and in a format to be 
determined by rule of the authority. The chief executive officer in collaboration with the 
admissions department of the law school shall adopt rules to establish criteria for the 
selection of loan recipients under this chapter. 
2. Law school. Except as provided in this subsection, the law school shall reserve 5 
admissions into each first-year class for the loan recipients selected under this section. 
The law school is not required to accept a potential loan recipient who does not meet the 
minimum standards for admission to the law school. The law school is not required to 
reserve 5 admissions into a first-year class if there are fewer than 5 applicants for 
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admission who meet the minimum standards for admission to the law school who have 
applied for a loan under this chapter. If there are fewer than 5 applicants for admission to 
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the law school who have applied for a loan under this chapter who meet the minimum 
standards for admission to the law school, the law school must accept the number of 
applicants who have applied for a loan under this chapter who meet the minimum 
standards for admission. 
3. Governor. The Governor, after consultation with the chief executive officer and 
the dean of the law school, shall announce the names of those individuals admitted to the 
law school and selected by the chief executive officer to be Attorneys for Maine Program 
loan recipients. 
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§12904. Allocation of funds 
A loan equal to the amount of tuition for that academic year, up to 3 academic years' 
total, may be made to a student pursuing a juris doctor degree. 
A loan is for one 
academic year and is renewable if the recipient maintains a grade point average of at least 
2.5 based on a 4.0 grade point system or the equivalent and submits a complete renewal 
application by the annual deadline established by rule of the authority. 
§12905. Payment provisions 
Pavment of a loan granted under this chapter must be made directly to the law school 
for credit to the student's account and be made within 60 days following evidence that the 
student has become duly enrolled at the law school. The loan must be used only to 
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substitute or replace the family contribution or an interest-accruing loan. A loan recipient 
may not receive student financial assistance for tuition in excess of the cost of attendance 
not including room, board and other nontuition expenses. If a recipient of a loan 
withdraws from the law school and if the student is entitled to a refund of tuition, fees or 
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91h~_charg~s, th~.J.aw school shall pav directly to the authority from that refund a sum 
rhaLLe-.Qresents the portion of the loan paid to the student for the~ortion of the academic 
year that the student did not complete. 
§12906. Repayment and return service provisions 
The foliowing provisions apply to repayment and return service under the Attorneys 
for Maine Program. 
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1. Return service. A student who receives a loan under this chapter may cancel the 
total amount of the loan by completing 5 years of return service in an underserved area. 
Return service for this Rurpose must.pe begun witl}in 5 years of graduation from the_law 
school. If the chief executive officer grants a deferment under subsection 4, the time 
. period for performance of return service may be extended for the same period as the 
deferment. Return service may not be credited for the same semester for which an 
individual receives a loan pursuant to this chapter. Failure to fulfill the return service 
Wion necessitates repayment to the authority as required by this section. If a loan 
recipient begins return service after a payment has been made towards the loan pursuant 
to this section, the return service may only forgive that balance of the loan given under 
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this chapter at the time of the beginning of return service. 
2. Debt calculation. The debt with respect to a loan under this chapter must include 
the total amount ofthe loan and interest at the rate established by rule of the authority. 
3. Time for repayment. The total debt with respect to a loan under this chapter 
must be repaid to the authority within II years of graduation from the law school 
according to a schedule established by the chief executive officer. Due dates for 
repayments are set by the chief executive officer and may be extended for the same 
period of any deferment granted by the chief executive officer under subsection 4. 
4. Deferment. A recipient of a loan under this chapter may seek a deferment of the 
annual payments for a period as established by rule of the authority. A request for 
deferment must be made to the chief executive officer, who shall make determinations on 
a case-by-case basis. The chief executive officer may grant a deferment in the event that a 
recipient of a loan evidences intent to secure employment necessary to obtain forgiveness 
of the loan at the time the deferment is sought. The chief executive officer shall require 
certification of the intent annually and grant a deferment for each successful request for 
deferment for a period not to exceed one year. The chief executive officer may establish 
limits to the number of defern1ents that may be granted to a recipient by rule of the 
authority. 
5. Death or disability. The authority may forgive a loan under this chapter of a loan 
recipient who has died or who has become permanently disabled, as determined by the 
chief executive officer. 
6. Failure to obtain license. If a recipient of a loan under this chapter fails to obtain 
a license to practice law in the State due to performance on the bar examination, the 
recipient may receive credit of 50% of the amount of the loan by performing public 
service in lieu of return service as approved byjhe chief executive officer for a 5-vear 
period. 
§12907. Nonlapsing, revolving fund 
The Attorneys for Maine Program Fund, referred to in this section as "the fund," is 
created under the jurisdiction of the authority as a non lapsing, interest-earning, revolvil]g 
fund to carry out the purposes of this chapter. Any unexpended balance in the fund carries 
over for continued use under this chapter. The authority may receive, invest and expend, 
on behalf of the funds, money from gifts, grants, bequests,Joans, including loans obtained 
pursuant to chapter 417-B, and donations, in addition to money appropriated or allocated 
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added to the fund. Money received by the authority on behalf of the fund, except interest 
income, must be used for the designated purpose; interest income may be used for the 
designated purpose or to pay student financial assistance administrative costs incurred by 
the authority as determined appropriate by the authority. 
§12908. Rules 
The authori1Y.-'lli!Y adopt rules to carry out the purposes of this chapter. 
Rules 
adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 
375, subchapter 2-A. 
Sec. 2. 
Appropriations and allocations. 
The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
FINANCE AUTHORITY OF MAINE 
Attorneys for Maine Program 
Initiative: Provides funds for loans under the Attorneys for Maine Program. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
SUMMARY 
2007-08 
$90,750 
$90,750 
2008-09 
$199,650 
$199,650 
This bill makes ongoing General Fund appropriations of $90,750 for fiscal year 2007-
and $199,650 for fiscal year 2008-09 to provide loans under the Attorneys for Maine 
Program for up to 5 law students at the University of Maine School of Law who have 
received baccalaureate degrees from the University of Maine campuses at Presque Isle, 
Machias, Fort Kent and Farmington. The Attorneys for Maine Program also allows for a 
loan given under the program to be forgiven if a loan recipient provides legal services in 
an underserved area of the State for 5 years after receiving a juris doctor degree.