The Firm

Pro Bono

A Commitment to Our Community

The spirit and pursuit of justice is inherent in all that we do. Throughout our more than 50-year history, Preti has been more than a law firm. We’ve been an active member of the community. To us, that means working hard for social causes and nonprofit partners as well as our clients. In service to the cities and towns we serve, we provide high-quality pro bono services and promote justice for organizations and individuals who lack the legal knowledge and financial resources to achieve it.

Lawyers for Civil Rights, Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, ACLU-NH—these are just a few of the organizations we’re proud to partner with to provide pro bono services. Each Preti attorney commits to 50 hours of pro bono and community service each year, contributing to our firmwide goal of 3,000 hours. To achieve this goal, we have established key initiatives offering support, inspiration, and recognition, including our Pro Bono Committee; our annual Preti Flaherty Pro Bono Award; and membership in organizations such as the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, Maine Justice Foundation, Volunteer Lawyers Project, and many others.

Since 2020, Preti has committed significant pro bono hours and more than $30,000 to organizations throughout New England that actively promote racial justice and foster equal opportunity. We’ve also had more than a dozen attorneys working with ILAP to help more than fifteen young immigrants secure permanent citizenship in the United States.

It’s our honor and privilege to give back to our communities and to use our time and resources to help those in need. We look forward to our continued work with current partner organizations, and to new opportunities ahead.

The Pro Bono Committee

The members of Preti Flaherty’s Pro Bono Committee serve as the first line of advocacy for our deep involvement in providing pro bono services. The committee members are tasked with seeking out pro bono opportunities, community service projects, fundraising initiatives, and maintaining communications with our partner organizations to better anticipate and address their needs.

Pro Bono Committee Members

Nelson Larkins

Bodie Colwell

Benjamin Piper

Daniel Rich

Preti Flaherty Pro Bono Award

To further promote the importance of pro bono service, the Firm has established the Preti Flaherty Pro Bono Award. The annual award recognizes the Preti Flaherty attorney who has gone above and beyond in their dedication to their community. Our hope is that award recipients will lead by example, inspiring other Firm attorneys to realize the reward that comes from helping those in need in the pursuit of justice.

Our Pro Bono Partners and Charitable Organizations

Our attorneys are now or recently have been members of, support, provide pro bono services for, and in most instances, have held leadership positions in the following organizations, among others:

  • Campaign for Justice
  • Campaign for Legal Services
  • Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project (ILAP)
  • Justice Action Group
  • Kids in Need of Defense (KIND)
  • Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
  • Lawyers for Civil Rights
  • Maine Bar Foundation
  • Maine Equal Justice Partners
  • Maine Justice Foundation Racial Justice Fund
  • Maine State Chamber of Commerce’s Standing in Solidarity Pledge
  • Maine Volunteer Lawyers Project (MVLP)
  • New Hampshire Bar Foundation
  • Pine Tree Legal Assistance
  • Refugee and Human Rights Clinic at University of Maine School of Law

Campaign for Justice

In addition to providing pro bono legal services, Preti is proud to be an active fundraiser for the Campaign for Justice. The Campaign for Justice raises money to support six legal aid providers in Maine that collectively provide legal aid to an average of 30,000 adults and children annually:

  • Pine Tree Legal Assistance
  • Legal Services for the Elderly
  • Cumberland Legal Aid Clinic
  • The Maine Volunteer Lawyers Project
  • Maine Equal Justice Partners
  • Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project

The Campaign for Justice supports these organizations that provide essential legal services for low-income Mainers in civil matters. These services improve living conditions, health, security, and food safety for thousands of Maine families, as well as work to advance laws affecting the poor in Maine.

Firm Highlights

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...

News

Attorney Jeffrey Thaler Named to 2023 Lawdragon Green 500: Leaders in Energy Law

For the second time, Preti Flaherty attorney Jeffrey Thaler has been recognized by the esteemed legal publication Lawdragon as an elite practitioner in the field of energy law. Jeff is the only Maine-base lawyer...

Event

Bodie Colwell will be a Featured Panelist at ABI Annual Spring Meeting

Bodie Colwell will be a featured panelist on "Danger Ahead! Avoiding and Addressing Ethical Landmines in Attorney Engagement and Compensation" at the American Bankruptcy Institute's Annual Spring Meeting. The panel focuses on disputes regarding engagement...

Publication

Maine Workers’ Compensation New Year Update 2023

The new year brings proposed legislation, an update to the Medical Fee Schedule, and two recent decisions from the Appellate Division. Proposed Legislation Workers’ compensation bill LD 53 (HP 28) would amend 39-A M.R.S.A...

News

Benchmark Litigation Names Preti Flaherty 2023 “Maine Firm of the Year”

Benchmark Litigation has named Preti Flaherty as 2023 Litigation Firm of the Year in the State of Maine. The Benchmark Awards honor distinguished litigators and law firms in all 50 states and 10 practice...

Publication

Enforcers Make It Easy to Report Cartels

This article was originally published in the American Bar Association  Antitrust Newsletter  on February 8, 2023.  Did you know that global competition enforcers have easy-to-find websites to encourage reporting of anticompetitive conduct? Not only...

Event

Jeff Talbert to Moderate Panel on PFAS Regulatory Action at ABA Toxic Torts & Environmental Law Conference

Jeff Talbert, Chair of Preti Flaherty's Environmental Law Group, will moderate "Regulatory Action: History & Horizon" at the ABA Toxic Torts & Environmental Law Conference. This panel will discuss the 2016 EPA health advisory, the...

News

Maine Lawyers and Judges Once Again Show Overwhelming Support of Campaign for Justice

2022 proved to be another challenging year for Mainers. Skyrocketing inflation, an uncertain economic future, an ongoing housing crisis and more factors continue to push more at-risk individuals into a tight spot. Maine’s civil...

Press Coverage

What’s Inside Maine Freight Trains? Public Can Only Hazard a Guess

Due to an exemption from the state's Freedom of Access Act, Maine residents are prevented from reviewing information regarding the transportation through their communities via freight trains of potentially hazardous materials. Rail industry officials...

Publication

FY2024 H-1B Registration Fact Sheet for Employers

Registration Process To file H-1B petitions subject to the FY2024 cap for an employee, you must first electronically register and pay a $10 fee for each electronic registration. The electronic registration includes basic information about...