ME · rules
M.R. Civ. P. 90
LEGAL ASSISTANCE BY LAW STUDENTS
(a) Permitted Activities. An eligible student may appear in court, in any
civil action, or before any administrative tribunal in this State, on behalf of any
indigent person receiving legal services through an organization providing
legal services to the indigent, which organization has been approved by the
Supreme Judicial Court, if the person on whose behalf the student is appearing
has indicated in writing consent to that appearance and the supervising lawyer
has also indicated in writing approval of that appearance. An eligible student
may appear in court in any civil action or before any administrative tribunal in
this State on behalf of the State or an agency thereof with the written approval
of the lawyer who is supervising the student in that appearance.
The written consent and approval referred to above shall be filed in the
record of the case and shall be brought to the attention of the judge or justice
of the court or the presiding officer of the administrative tribunal.
(b) Requirements and Limitations. In order to be an eligible law student
under this rule, the student must:
(1) Be duly enrolled in a law school approved by the American Bar
Association.
(2) Have completed legal studies amounting to at least three
(3) semesters.
(3) Be certified by the dean of the student’s law school as being of
good character and competent legal ability, as being adequately trained to
perform as a legal intern and as having met the other requirements of this
subdivision (b).
(4) Neither ask for nor receive any compensation or remuneration
of any kind for services from the person on whose behalf such services are
rendered, but this shall not prevent a legal aid bureau, law school, or the State
from paying compensation to the eligible law student, nor shall it prevent any
agency from making such charges for its services as it may otherwise properly
require.
(5) Certify in writing that the student has read and is familiar with
the Maine Bar Rules, the Maine Rules of Civil Procedure, the Maine Rules of
Criminal Procedure, the Maine Rules of Appellate Procedure, and the Maine
Rules of Evidence.
(c) Approved Organization. Upon application of any organization located
in this State providing free legal services to indigents in this State for
permission to allow eligible law students to practice under its supervision
pursuant to this rule, the Supreme Judicial Court may grant permission by filing
an order authorizing such practice with the Clerk of the Law Court.
(d) Certification. Certification of a student by the law school dean:
(1) Shall be filed with the Clerk of the Law Court.
(2) May be withdrawn by the dean at any time by mailing a notice
to that effect to the Clerk of the Law Court. It is not necessary that the notice
state the cause for withdrawal.
(3) May be terminated by the Supreme Judicial Court without
notice or hearing and without any showing of cause. Notice of such termination
shall be filed with the Clerk of the Law Court.
The dean may refuse certification of a law student to practice in a
position which the dean considers of insufficient educational benefit to the
student.
(e) Other Activities. Subject to the limitation of subdivisions (b) and (c)
of this rule.
(1) An eligible law student may also engage in other activities
authorized by law, under the general supervision of a member of the bar of this
State, but outside the personal presence of that lawyer, including:
(i) Preparation of pleadings and other documents to be filed in any
matter in which the student is eligible to appear, but such pleadings or
documents must be signed by the supervising lawyer.
(ii) Preparation of briefs and other documents to be filed in the Law
Court in any matter in which the student is eligible to appear, but such
documents must be signed by the supervising lawyer.
Each pleading, document or brief must contain the name of the
eligible law student who has participated in drafting it. If the student has
participated in drafting only a portion of it, that fact may be mentioned.
(2) An eligible law student may participate in oral argument in the
Law Court in any matter in which the student is eligible to appear, but only in
the presence of the supervising lawyer.
(f) Supervision. The member of the bar under whose supervision an
eligible law student does any of the things permitted by this rule shall:
(1) Assume personal professional responsibility for the student’s
guidance in any work undertaken and for supervising the quality of the
student’s work.
(2) Assist the student in preparation to the extent the supervising
lawyer considers it necessary.
(g) Miscellaneous. Nothing contained in this rule shall affect the right of
any person who is not admitted to practice law to do anything that the person
might lawfully do prior to the adoption of this rule.
Provenance
- Source
- courts.maine.gov
- Retrieved
- 2026-09-24
- Edition
- 2026-09-24
- Content hash
ee8e7503a10120603b87cee716e5bc77c9dc3892152a5ffe6b9ee5d6d2e35494
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