Biography

Jon focuses his practice on appeals and complex motion practice in state and federal courts and arbitration. He has briefed and argued cases before the Maine Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.

Jon has a B.A. in English from Cornell University, a Ph.D. in Political Science from Yale University, and a J.D. from Boston College Law School, where he graduated summa cum laude and was ranked first in his class. Jon has served as a law clerk for Judge Kermit V. Lipez on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, as an adjunct professor at the University of Maine School of Law, and as a lecturer in Political Science at Yale University. He is the author of Debating War and Peace: Media Coverage of U.S. Intervention in the Post-Vietnam Era (Princeton University Press), has written numerous columns for the Maine Bar Journal, and has contributed to The Green Bag: An Entertaining Journal of Law.

Professional Activities

  • Maine Bar Association
    • Maine Bar Journal, member of editorial board and columnist

Civic and Charitable Activities

  • Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project

Publications

  • Debating War and Peace: Media Coverage of U.S. Intervention in the Post- Vietnam Era (Princeton Univ. Press, 1999).
  • "On the Importance of Headings and Subheadings in Judicial Opinions," 20 Green Bag 2D 97 (Autumn 2016).
  • "Bad Arguments," 17 Green Bag 2D 435 (Summer 2014).
  • "What’s Wrong with Summary Judgment: Dealing with Immaterial Facts and Deterring Unrealistic Motions," Maine Bar Journal, Vol. 26, No. 2 (2011).
  • "Free But Not Independent: The Real First Amendment Issue for the Press," 39 University of San Francisco Law Review 929-966 (2005).
  • "Remaking Law Review," 56 Rutgers Law Review 603-623 (2004).
  • "The Media’s Independence Problem," World Policy Journal (Fall 2004).

Firm Highlights

Publication

Municipal Update: Effect of Recent Supreme Court Decision on Sale of Tax Foreclosed Properties

Yesterday, the United States Supreme Court issued its opinion in  Tyler v. Hennepin County, Minnesota  (598 U.S. _____ (2023)). The Supreme Court held that Hennepin County had violated the Fifth Amendment’s takings clause by...

Press Coverage

Authorities Refuse to Release Records for Maine School Shooter Hoax Calls

On November 15, 2022, multiple law enforcement agencies in Maine received false calls alerting police to active shooter situations at several high schools throughout the state. In the wake of this widespread hoax, the Kennebec...

Publication

Bankruptcy Court Injects Uncertainty in Municipal Tax Foreclosures

Last October, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maine issued a ruling of concern for municipalities. The case ( In re Riendeau , 645 B.R. 321 [Bankr. Me. 2022] ) established that...

Event

Bodie Colwell joins ethics panel at the Northeast Bankruptcy Conference & Northeast Consumer Forum

An annual conference, this year's Northeast Bankruptcy Conference and Consumer Forum will focus on sophisticated financial scenarios practitioners often face and provide insights on current consumer bankruptcy issues. Preti Flaherty's Bodie Colwell is a...

Publication

H-2B Visa Program Summary

The H-2B classification allows foreign nationals who are citizens of certain named countries, with limited exceptions, to accept temporary non-agricultural employment in the United States, after the employer has obtained temporary labor certification by...

Press Coverage

Oxford Police Chief: Officer Tried to De-escalate Pursuit Before Fatal Crash

Officials from the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office have refused to provide documentation of the department's policy on police chases following the fatal high-speed crash of Nicholas Liebowitz in Gray, Maine, on Friday, April 28, 2023. Chief...

News

Maine Justice Foundation LGBTQ+ Fund Seeks Applications for 2023 Grants

The Maine Justice Foundation is pleased to announce a round of grants from the LGBTQ+ Fund. The Foundation will accept applications for grants from organizations working to advance awareness and understanding of LGBTQ+ issues...

News

14 Preti Flaherty Attorneys Selected as Chambers USA Leaders in Their Field

Fourteen Preti Flaherty attorneys and six practice groups have been selected for inclusion in the 2023 Chambers USA Guide to America's Leading Lawyers for Business , the highly regarded directory of leading attorneys and...

News

Maine Justice Foundation Opens Applications for the 2023 Access to Justice Tax Credit

The Maine Justice Foundation is pleased to announce that applications for the 2023 Access to Justice Tax Credit Program will open on June 1, 2023. The Foundation will accept applications from eligible attorneys from...

Publication

Post Sackett: What Is the Scope of the Clean Water Act?

The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) rendered a decision in Sackett et ux. v. EPA addressing what Justice Alito referred to as a “nagging question” of what water bodies are covered under...