Thank you for joining us

We gathered for our annual Stories under the Stars event earlier this month, and are so grateful to everyone who joined us and helped make it such a special evening.

This year, two clients shared stories from their own personal experiences. Hearing directly from the people whose lives are at the heart of our work offered a powerful reminder of how lifechanging access to justice can be, and how important legal aid is to the fabric of our communities.

Annie and Melissa's stories of strength and resilience

Read short excerpts from our client storytellers below:

Annie (left) shared her experience seeking support from Pine Tree's Family Law and Victim Rights Unit.

"Survivors should not have to choose between paying a lawyer to protect themselves and their children or affording the basic necessities of life. But because Pine Tree Legal was there, I didn’t have to make that choice. . . . Because they were there, my children and I were able to rebuild our lives. Today, we are not just survivors. We are free. We are rebuilding. And we are thriving. Today, my children get to be just kids—in a safe and secure home."

Melissa (right) shared her experience working with Pine Tree to avoid an eviction that may have otherwise left her and her daughter unhoused.

"They were able to prove that the failure was not mine and my case was dismissed. I was elated, relieved, and so, so grateful. Unfortunately, some of my neighbors weren't as fortunate, and suffered great emotional and financial hardship when they attempted to resolve the management issues without any legal assistance. I don't know why they didn't call Pine Tree Legal. I wish they had."

We extend our warm thanks to Annie and Melissa for sharing their powerful stories and for helping to spread awareness of the important role that legal aid can play in our communities.

Thank you to our Mission Partners

Mission Partners are businesses that support our work and, in so doing, help Maine families stay housed, survivors find safety, veterans access earned benefits, children receive an education, and individuals protect their livelihoods.

We grateful to Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Camden National Bank and Spinnaker Trust for supporting our work as Mission Partners and for joining us at Stories under the Stars this year!

Interested in becoming a Mission Partner? Learn more here.

Matt Dyer, a staff attorney based out of our Presque Isle office, appeared in a story published in the Maine Monitor this month. Read a short excerpt here, and follow the link below to read the rest of the story:

Matt Dyer, an attorney with Pine Tree Legal Assistance who is representing the Berrys, said the Manser Drive apartments are an option of last resort for many tenants. His group, which provides legal services to low-income residents throughout Maine, is representing the Berrys and another resident of a nearby apartment who is also suing the authority and the property management company for not maintaining the properties.

“A lot of tenants are afraid to complain because they don’t want to get evicted, and that is just what is happening to Mr. Berry now,” he said. “They went in, and they complained, and what happened? Did someone show up to fix things? No, they got an eviction notice, and that’s very typical.”

Paralegal Paula Fontes-Paul Sworn in to

Penobscot Nation Tribal Court

Earlier this month, Paula Fontes-Paul was sworn in to the Penobscot Nation Tribal Court, becoming the first paralegal in Pine Tree history to be admitted to the bar.

"It is an honor to be part of the embodiment of our mission of access to justice -- particularly for the Indigenous people in our Maine Tribal Courts," Paula says. "I want to thank my wonderful colleagues. Without their support and encouragement, this success would not have been possible."

Paula has worked out of our Bangor office for more than 15 years, and recently graduated with a Certificate in Tribal Court Legal Advocacy from the National Tribal Trial College at the University of Wisconsin Law School.

Now that Paula has been sworn in to the Penobscot Nation Tribal Court, she will soon begin to represent clients in certain types of cases, expanding our capacity within our Indigenous Peoples Unit.

Please join us in congratulating Paula!

In recent school years, between 4,300 and 4,800 students in Maine have been identified as homeless. This includes youth staying with friends or relatives, living in shelters or hotels, moving from place to place, or sleeping in tents and other unstable situations.

To help these youth understand their rights, Pine Tree Legal Assistance partnered with Baker McKenzie and volunteers from Avangrid to launch the Maine Homeless Youth Handbook, a free online guide that became available this month.

"We are thrilled that youth and the adults who support them will now have access to a practical handbook that can help them navigate issues related to education, housing, healthcare, employment and personal safety," said Katherine Tarpley, Managing Attorney of KidsLegal at Pine Tree Legal.

"We're thankful for the partnership in creating a resource that will help young people across Maine make informed decisions and access critical support."

We're thrilled to welcome the following new fellows and staff to our team!

Ash Bliss joins our Machias Office as the ‘26 - ‘28 Elinor and Charles Miller Rural Justice Fellow. A recent graduate of Maine Law, she previously worked at Pine Tree as the 2024 Hirshon Legal Fellow and as a National Association of Consumer Advocates (NACA) Fellow. 

Jamison Rhoads-Doyle joins our Augusta Office as an attorney in our Family Law and Victim Rights unit. A graduate of the University of Maine School of Law, Jamison most recently spent a year clerking with the Law Court for the Honorable Julia M. Lipez. 

Brandon Dodds joins us as a Skadden Fellow out of our Bangor Office, where he will work to improve housing stability for people living in mobile home parks. A graduate of Emory University School of Law, Brandon most recently worked as a law clerk for the Maine Superior Court in Bangor.

Zoe Evans joins us as a Coffin Fellow in our Portland Office, where she is working in our Family Law and Victim Rights Unit. A graduate of Saint Louis University School of Law, Zoe has held internships with Pine Tree and the Migrant and Immigrant Community Action Project (MICA) in Saint Louis. 

Sofia Durdag joins our Portland Office as a Paralegal in our Family Law and Victim Rights unit. A graduate of Carleton College, Sofia recently worked as a Legal Support Assistant with the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project. 

Libby Riggs joins our Bangor Office as a Paralegal. A recent graduate of Bowdoin College, Libby has interned at Disability Rights Maine and worked this past summer to build an arts-based advocacy workshop for young Mainers with disabilities. 

Members of the Maine Bar can support PTLA’s work by donating to the Campaign for Justice, a special collaborative fundraising effort by Maine’s legal community to support legal aid.