The area of law that interests graduating 3L Mark Sayre could change significantly between the time he takes his final exams and the time he begins as one of Pierce Atwood’s newest attorneys later this summer.
In fact, it most likely will, and Sayre is counting on it.
The ever-shifting nature of privacy law, specifically as it relates to artificial intelligence (AI), is what attracted Sayre to Maine Law and its nationally ranked information privacy program.
Before Maine Law, Sayre worked in the insurance industry as an actuary, work irrevocably tied to algorithms, data, and the encroachment of AI capabilities. He said there were a lot of people making technical decisions without a legal background and vice versa. He had the technical expertise and decided that with a legal background he could leverage both skills to more effectively guide the use of AI in industries like insurance.
“It’s the rapidly evolving landscape of AI that really draws me to it,” he explained.”I’ve spoken to a lot of lawyers who began their careers when the GDPR (Europe’s comprehensive privacy law) was first coming on the scene and it dramatically accelerated their career. There was this brand new law that everyone was struggling to interpret, which provided early career lawyers with a unique opportunity to quickly differentiate themselves.”
Sayre’s commitment to privacy law was only deepened by his experiences at Maine Law. In addition to the curricular offerings and mentorship of faculty, he said experiences like Moot Court and externships with the International Association of Privacy Professionals and Match Group broadened his horizons and reinforced his choices.
For the last two years Sayre participated in Moot Court competitions, the Helsinki Information Law Moot Court last year and the Bryant-Moore Civil Rights Competition, hosted by Howard University School of Law in 2024. Sayre and his teammates advanced to the Quarterfinal Round and also took home the award for Best Brief.
“In both years when I did Moot Court, the best part was all of the people from the community that came in to help coach and mock-judge our practices,” he added. “To me, that’s indicative of the Maine Law community and the state’s legal community, which is why I am excited to practice in the state.”
Although Sayre isn’t from Maine, he said it’s felt like home since he relocated here in 2020. Between its proximity to Boston, concentration of higher educational institutions, including The Roux Institute, and tight-knit legal community, Sayre said Portland is an ideal place to begin his legal career.
“I’m excited to see what opportunities there are for AI and cybersecurity work in the coming years,” he continued. “I think Portland has the potential to become an even greater legal hub for these issues.”
