An Act to Expand Access to Justice in Rural Maine by Incentivizing
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1691
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: KUHN, CARNEY

Legislative Document
No. 1691
H.P. 1126
House of Representatives, April 17, 2025
An Act to Expand Access to Justice in Rural Maine by Incentivizing 
Attorneys to Practice in Underserved Areas
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative KUHN of Falmouth.
Cosponsored by Senator CARNEY of Cumberland and
Representatives: DUCHARME of Madison, HENDERSON of Rumford, LEE of Auburn, 
MURPHY of Scarborough, POIRIER of Skowhegan, SATO of Gorham, SINCLAIR of Bath.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  20-A MRSA c. 426-A is enacted to read:
CHAPTER 426-A
ACCESS TO JUSTICE LOAN PROGRAM
§12311.  Definitions
As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms 
have the following meanings.
1.  Authority.  "Authority" means the Finance Authority of Maine.  
2.  Fund.  "Fund" means the Access to Justice Loan Program Revolving Fund 
established in section 12313.
3.  Maine resident.  "Maine resident" means a person who, at the time the person 
submits an application for participation in the program, has been a resident of this State, 
for purposes other than enrolling in an accredited law school, for a minimum of 2 years and 
who satisfies any other criteria adopted by the authority by rule.
In adopting other criteria by rule, the authority shall, at a minimum, consider the following:  
A. The length of a person's residence in the State for purposes other than enrolling in 
an accredited law school;
B. The secondary school attended by a person;
C. The legal residence of the parents of a person;
D. A person's place of voting registration, if registered to vote; and
E. The jurisdictions to which a person pays income or other taxes.
4.  Program.  "Program" means the Access to Justice Loan Program established in 
section 12312.
5.  Underserved area.  "Underserved area" means an area in the State, as determined 
by the authority, in which there is an insufficient number of licensed and practicing 
attorneys to satisfy the significant and unmet need for legal services of the individuals 
residing in that area.
§12312. Access to Justice Loan Program
1.  Establishment.  The Access to Justice Loan Program is established within and 
under the administration of the authority to annually, as funds permit, award loans to and 
enter into loan repayment agreements with eligible persons.
2.  Eligibility.  A person is eligible to participate in the program if the person:  
A.  Is a Maine resident;
B.  Meets one of the following educational and financial criteria:
(1)  Is enrolled or intends to enroll in an accredited law school and demonstrates 
financial need; or 
(2)  Has graduated from an accredited law school within the 5 years prior to 
applying to the program, is licensed or eligible to be licensed to practice law in the 
State and has outstanding law school loans;
C.  Demonstrates an interest in or commitment to providing legal services in an 
underserved area; and
D.  Meets other eligibility criteria established by the authority.
3.  Funding options available; maximum amounts.  As funds permit, the authority 
shall award loans to eligible applicants who meet the criteria in subsection 2, paragraph B, 
subparagraph (1) and shall enter into loan repayment agreements with eligible applicants 
who meet the criteria in subsection 2, paragraph B, subparagraph (2).  The maximum loan 
or loan repayment amount available to each program participant is $25,000 per year for a 
period of up to 4 years. 
4.  Loan agreement; forgiveness.  An eligible applicant who meets the criteria in 
subsection 2, paragraph B, subparagraph (1) and is awarded a loan shall enter into a loan 
agreement as set out in this subsection.  
A. Except as otherwise provided in this section, upon completion of the loan recipient's 
law school education, the recipient shall repay the loan as follows.  
(1) If the loan recipient does not obtain loan forgiveness pursuant to subparagraph 
(2), the recipient shall repay the entire principal of the loan plus simple interest at 
a rate to be determined by the authority by rule.  Interest may not begin to accrue 
on the loan until the loan recipient completes, withdraws from or otherwise fails to 
continue the recipient's law school education.
(2) A loan recipient who, upon conclusion of the recipient's law school education 
elects to offer legal services in an underserved area is forgiven 25% of the original 
outstanding indebtedness for each year the recipient offers those services. 
B. Loans must be repaid over a term not longer than 10 years, except that the authority 
may extend the term of a loan recipient's loan as necessary to ensure repayment.  
Repayment must commence when the loan recipient completes, withdraws from or 
otherwise fails to continue the recipient's law school education.   
5.  Loan repayment agreement.  An eligible applicant who meets the criteria in 
subsection 2, paragraph B, subparagraph (2) and enters into a loan repayment agreement 
receives payment from the authority on the recipient's outstanding indebtedness for law 
school education at a rate of $25,000 for each year, up to a maximum of 4 years, that the 
recipient continues to offer legal services in an underserved area.  
6.  Default.  Except as provided in subsection 7, a loan recipient under subsection 4 
who agrees to offer legal services in an underserved area and who fails to complete the 
period of service required to pay off the loan pursuant to subsection 4, paragraph A, 
subparagraph (2) is liable to the authority for an amount equal to the sum of the total amount 
paid by or on behalf of the authority to or on behalf of the recipient under the loan 
agreement plus interest at a rate determined by the authority.  The authority shall award a 
loan recipient credit for offering legal services in an underserved area for each consecutive 
12-month period that the recipient offers those services.  
A loan recipient may petition the authority for permission to default without penalty from 
a loan agreement to provide legal services in an underserved area.  Upon receipt of such 
petition, the authority may provide the loan recipient permission to default without penalty 
based on catastrophic or other circumstances that prevent the recipient from offering legal 
services in an underserved area for the required period of time.  In the case of a default 
permitted by the authority, the loan recipient must receive credit for the number of months 
served and shall repay to the authority in cash payments under the terms of the original 
loan agreement the remaining financial obligation plus interest.
7.  Deferments.  The authority may grant a loan recipient under subsection 4 a 
deferment on repayment of a loan under the program for causes established by the authority 
by rule.  The authority shall assess interest on the loan during the deferment at a rate to be 
determined by the authority by rule.  A loan recipient shall repay the recipient's total 
financial obligation to the authority, including principal and interest, through return service 
or cash payments.
8.  Rules.  The authority may adopt rules as necessary for the implementation and 
administration of the program.  Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine 
technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
§12313.  Access to Justice Loan Program Revolving Fund
1.  Fund established.  The Access to Justice Loan Program Revolving Fund is 
established as a nonlapsing, interest-earning, revolving fund within and under the 
jurisdiction of the authority to carry out the purposes of the program.  The fund must be 
administered in accordance with the following. 
A.  Any unexpended balance in the fund carries over for continued use under this 
chapter. 
B.  The authority may receive, invest and expend, on behalf of the fund, money from 
gifts, grants, bequests and donations in addition to money appropriated or allocated by 
the State. 
C.  Loan repayments by recipients of loans under this chapter or other repayments to 
the authority must be invested by the authority, as provided by law, with the earned 
income to be added to the fund. 
D.  Money received by the authority on behalf of the fund, except interest income, must 
be used for the designated purpose of awarding loans and entering into loan repayment 
agreements under the program; interest income may be used for the designated 
purposes of the program or to pay student financial assistance administrative costs 
incurred by the authority for the operation of the program.  
2.  Allocation of repayments.  The authority may reallocate a portion of the annual 
loan repayments under subsection 1, paragraph C for the purpose of recruiting law school 
students and recent law school graduates to offer legal services in underserved areas.  That 
portion may be used:  
A. In accordance with criteria established by the authority, to encourage law school 
students and recent law school graduates to offer legal services in underserved areas; 
or
B. To repay education loans for the law school education of licensed attorneys to enable 
the attorneys to offer legal services in underserved areas in accordance with section 
12312, subsection 5. 
3.  Rules.  The authority may adopt rules as necessary for the implementation and 
administration of the fund.  Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical 
rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
§12314. Stakeholder consultation
In implementing, administering and assessing the effectiveness of the program and the 
fund, the authority shall consult with the University of Maine System and may engage 
additional stakeholders from the legal community, including, but not limited to, 
representatives of legal education communities and legal practice communities in the State 
and organizations representing the interests of underserved areas in the State.
Sec. 2.  Establishment of rural practice track at University of Maine School 
of Law; report.  In accordance with the requirements of this section and to the extent 
sufficient funding is available, the University of Maine System shall establish at the 
University of Maine School of Law a rural practice track.
1. The rural practice track must support the practice of law in underserved areas in the 
State by:
A.  Attracting and selecting, through recruitment and other measures, qualified law 
school applicants from rural and underserved areas in the State who demonstrate a 
commitment to and aptitude for practicing law in those areas upon graduation;
B.  Placing or otherwise connecting enrolled and qualified law school students with 
internships, externships and other professional opportunities with organizations and 
other entities that provide legal services to individuals in underserved areas in the State;
C.  Placing or otherwise connecting recent qualified law school graduates with 
employment or other professional opportunities providing legal services to individuals 
in underserved areas in the State; and
D.  Encouraging collaboration between the school of law and secondary school 
students, undergraduate school students and other individuals in underserved areas in 
the State, as well as with organizations and other entities that provide legal services to 
individuals in those areas.
2. The school of law shall administer the rural practice track and develop and 
implement guidelines, policies and procedures for the operation of the track and for staff 
and students participating in the track.  The school of law may accept gifts, bequests and 
endowments, as well as federal, private and other grants or donations, to support the 
objectives of the rural practice track.  In administering the rural practice track, the school 
of law must:
A.  Provide, in each academic year, a housing stipend sufficient to cover the cost of 
dormitory housing at the University of Southern Maine for up to 6 first-year or 
2nd-year law school students who reside in underserved areas in the State or who have 
demonstrated a commitment to and aptitude for practicing law in those areas upon 
graduation, as determined by the school of law;  
B.  Provide, in each semester of the academic year and over the summer, internship, 
externship and other professional opportunities with organizations and other entities 
that provide legal services to individuals in underserved areas in the State for up to 6 
2nd-year or 3rd-year law school students who reside in underserved areas in the State 
or who have demonstrated a commitment to and aptitude for practicing law in those 
areas upon graduation, as determined by the school of law;
C.  Develop and implement a comprehensive marketing and communications plan to 
recruit and retain students from underserved areas in the State who demonstrate a 
commitment to and aptitude for practicing law in those areas upon graduation and 
support the placement or other employment of law school students and recent graduates 
in those areas; and
D.  Collaborate as necessary with the Finance Authority of Maine in its development, 
implementation and administration of the Access to Justice Loan Program established 
under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 12312.
No later than January 1, 2026, the University of Maine System shall submit a report to 
the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs and to the Joint Standing 
Committee on Judiciary outlining its plan for implementation of the rural practice track at 
the University of Maine School of Law, including any recommendations for legislative or 
other action.  After reviewing the report, either committee may report out legislation related 
to the report to the Second Regular Session of the 132nd Legislature.
SUMMARY
This bill establishes the Access to Justice Loan Program and Access to Justice Loan 
Program Revolving Fund under the Finance Authority of Maine for the purpose of 
awarding loans to and entering into loan repayment agreements with eligible Maine 
residents.  Eligibility is limited to Maine residents who demonstrate an interest in or 
commitment to providing legal services in an underserved area of the State and who are 
enrolled or intend to enroll in an accredited law school and demonstrate financial need or 
have graduated from an accredited law school within the prior 5 years, are licensed or 
eligible to be licensed to practice law in the State and have outstanding law school loans.  
The maximum amount of a loan to or loan repayment agreement with a program participant 
is $25,000 per year for a period of up to 4 years.  
The bill also directs the University of Maine System, to the extent sufficient funding is 
available, to establish at the University of Maine School of Law a rural practice track to 
support the practice of law in underserved areas in the State.  Among other things, the rural 
practice track must be designed to:
1.  Provide, in each academic year, a housing stipend sufficient to cover the cost of 
dormitory housing at the University of Southern Maine for up to 6 first-year or 2nd-year 
law school students who reside in underserved areas in the State or who have demonstrated 
a commitment to and aptitude for practicing law in those areas upon graduation; and 
2.  Provide, in each semester of the academic year and over the summer, internship, 
externship or other professional opportunities with organizations and other entities that 
provide legal services to individuals in underserved areas in the State for up to 6 2nd-year 
or 3rd-year law school students who reside in underserved areas in the State or who have 
demonstrated a commitment to and aptitude for practicing law in those areas upon 
graduation.
No later than January 1, 2026, the University of Maine System is required to submit a 
report to the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs and to the Joint 
Standing Committee on Judiciary outlining its plan for implementation of the rural practice 
track at the University of Maine School of Law, including any recommendations for 
legislative or other action.  After reviewing the report, either committee may report out 
legislation related to the report to the Second Regular Session of the 132nd Legislature.