Academics

  • Academic Requirements
  • Academic Calendar
  • Curriculum – The three-year curriculum at the University of Maine School of Law is intensive and challenging. Offering courses in subjects as diverse as international business transactions and environmental law, as well as traditional core courses. The underlying purpose of the curriculum is to give students a solid foundation in legal analysis and practical lawyering skills that will serve them well in any field they choose to pursue. View a list of courses offered at Maine Law.
  • Donald L. Garbrecht Law Library
  • Maine Law Review – The Maine Law Review is published twice annually by Maine Law students. The Law Review contains case notes and comments written by our students on current legal problems, as well as articles by judges, professors, and practitioners on a variety of legal issues.
  • Ocean & Coastal Law Journal – The Ocean and Coastal Law Journal is dedicated to facilitating discourse on legal issues related to domestic and international use of the sea and seashores. It is published by second and third year students at Maine Law in two volumes per year. These volumes include articles by practitioners and scholars, as well as comments and case notes written by students addressing issues of marine resource regulation, coastal zone management, marine environmental protection, and other topics of importance in the field of ocean and coastal law. In addition, OCLJ publishes a brief synopsis of major recent developments in the field, which is produced by editors on the OCLJ staff.
  • Clinical Programs & Externships
  • Exchange Programs

Accreditation, Approvals & Memberships

The University of Maine School of Law is fully accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA). For additional information, please contact:

Office of the Consultant on Legal Education
Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar

American Bar Association
321 N. Clark Street, 21st Floor
Chicago, IL 60654
Phone: 312.988.6738
Fax: 312.988.5681
legaled@americanbar.org

The University of Maine School of Law is a member of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS). For additional information, please contact:

Association of American Law Schools
1201 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. Suite 800
Washington, DC 20036-2717
Phone: 202.296.8851
Fax: 202.296.8869
aals@aals.org

The University of Maine School of Law is an ABA accredited law school within the University of Maine System, which is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).

Standard 509 Report and Enrollment Data

Bar Passage Data and Employment Outcomes Information

Faculty

Maine Law faculty place teaching as their first priority. Superb faculty mentoring and out-of-class contributions to student educational and professional development are as much a part of our curriculum as the actual classes themselves.

Members of our faculty participate in nationally and internationally recognized scholarship. Law faculty also act as consultants to the federal courts, to Maine’s Supreme Judicial Court, to the Governor and various legislative committees, and to the national and state bar associations.

Facilities

The University of Maine School of Law is housed in the beautiful coastal city of Portland, Maine. Located on the edge of the University of Southern Maine campus, the Maine Law building houses all Law School faculty offices, student services, administrative, and library staff offices. The Law building has three large classrooms as well as multiple seminar style classrooms all wired for laptop use. The law building houses the Donald Garbrecht Law Library which has over 500,000 volumes and offers students database access and trainings to HeinOnline, WestLaw, Lexis-Nexis, as well as many other electronic resources. Adjacent to the Law Building is the Cumberland Legal Aid Clinic which houses the General Practice Clinic, Juvenile Justice Clinic, and Prisoner Assistance Clinic. The Refugee and Human Rights Clinic is located in the Law Building on the 5th floor.

Mission Statement

The University of Maine School of Law is the state’s public and only law school, a vital resource serving our local, regional, national, and global community.

Maine Law is an institutional public servant committed to providing an accessible and affordable student-focused program of legal education and achieving the highest standards of ethical behavior.

Our rigorous doctrinal and experiential curriculum, influential scholarship, and signature programming prepare students to practice law, promote respect for the rule of law, and advance justice for all members of society.

Student Handbook

The Student Handbook contains information about the University of Maine School of Law’s general academic requirements and policies. The current versions of the Student Handbook are below:

The Handbooks also incorporate the University of Maine System’s Student Code of Conduct and Academic Integrity Policy.

Transfer/Visiting/International Students

  • Transfer Students – A student who has been accepted for transfer to the University of Maine School of Law will be given credit for the number of hours accepted in transfer as determined by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Courses completed with a grade of “C” or above are eligible for transfer, and a maximum of 32 hours of course credit may be transferred. The prior grades of a transfer student will not be computed into the student’s grade point average.
  • Visiting Students – We invite applications from students in good standing at other fully accredited ABA law schools to visit Maine Law for one or two semesters, subject to approval by their home school. The standards for admission and the application process for visiting students are the same as those for transfer students. In addition, students must also submit a letter of permission from their law school dean. Visiting students must comply with the academic procedures and standards of Maine Law.
  • International Students – We welcome applications from international students to our three-year J.D. program. To be eligible for admission a prospective student must have earned the equivalent of a U.S. baccalaureate degree.

Tuition/Financial Aid/Scholarships

Tuition

Tuition rates vary according to the student’s residency and are determined at the time of acceptance. Maine resident tuition rates are lower than out-of-state tuition rates. A number of New England residents, from states that do not have a state law school, are granted New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) rates. Canadian citizens are granted a tuition rate similar to the NEBHE rate. For additional information on determining your residency status, please visit the residency section of USM’s Student Accounts Office’s website.

Tuition Charges 2022-2023
Maine Resident: $23,190
New England Regional Program & Canadian Citizens: $31,650
Non-Maine Resident: $36,000
LL.M. Student: $35,000

In addition, full-time students pay approximately $950 per semester in a comprehensive fee. (LL.M. students also pay a $375 per semester Transition and Orientation Fee.)

Tuition Charges Per Credit Hour
For students registered for fewer than 12 credits

Maine Resident: $773
New England Regional Program: $1,055
Non-Maine Resident: $1,200
LL.M. Student: $1,459

Financial Aid

Financial aid for students at the University of Maine School of Law is administered through the Financial Aid Office of the University of Southern Maine. The USM Financial Aid Office provides substantial need-based financial assistance to many first-year law students in the form of Stafford Loans (Guaranteed Student Loans), Perkins Loans, and work-study employment. In addition, private loans (alternative loans) are also available.

Students are encouraged to apply for aid by January 15th. (Do not wait for an admissions decision to apply for financial aid!) This will enable the Financial Aid Office to determine eligibility before the first non-refundable tuition deposit is due.

Scholarships

All students admitted to the University of Maine School of Law are automatically considered for scholarships funded by the Law School; a separate scholarship application is not required. No scholarships awarded by Maine Law are conditional; they require only that the student remain in good academic standing. The scholarship committee begins awarding scholarships in late January, and decisions are made on a rolling basis.

Refund Policy

The charges assessed to students who withdraw from all classes at the University are adjusted in accordance with the date the student officially withdraws from classes. Thus, the date the Registrar receives written notification of withdrawal is used when calculating refunds. A semester begins with the first day of scheduled Law School classes and includes weekends and holidays.

Failure to notify the Registrar promptly will increase financial liability. A student who feels the withdrawal was caused by reasons beyond his/her control (extended illness or military service obligations, for example) may petition for special consideration up to 90 days after the close of the semester/session for which the student is claiming a refund. Charges will not be reduced for voluntary absence from classes.

Licensure Disclosure

The Juris Doctor (JD) program is accredited by the ABA, and as such, it meets the requirements for licensure in all fifty states and the District of Columbia. Visit the University of Maine System State Authorization and Licensure page to learn more about the licensure requirements in other states and territories, in addition to the contact information needed to inquire further into the licensure requirements associated with this program.