HOULTON — Lawyers across the state will spend time in local libraries on Law Week May 1-7 to provide resources and assistance to people in need, talk about statewide legal issues and meet with library patrons. Lawyers in Libraries: Law Day 2016 is a free event that is open to the public.
Houlton lawyer Steve Nelson will be at Cary Library Thursday, May 5, from noon to 2 p.m.
Organizers of the series are the Maine Justice Action Group Collaboration on Innovation, Technology and Equal Access to Justice (the Collaboration) which includes Maine’s public libraries, the Maine State Bar Association, the Maine Bar Foundation, the State of Maine Judicial Branch, Maine’s legal aid providers and other organizations interested in helping people access the legal resources they need, all working under The Maine Justice Action Group.
The goal of the day is to provide Maine citizens with access to legal advice and information so that they are better prepared to face legal issues that arise. Legal access is critical to a community’s well-being; an entire community suffers when neighbors and friends go through foreclosure, are not safe in their homes, or cannot afford heat or food.
“Access to justice is about fairness,” explains Hon. Andrew M. Mead, Associate Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, “so that, regardless of your income, you have access to our society’s system of justice. When we say the Pledge of Allegiance, we close with the promise of ‘justice for all.’ If individuals lack access to legal assistance, it profoundly affects their lives, the lives of their children, and the stability of their communities.”
Participants in Lawyers in Libraries: Law Day 2016 will have an opportunity to meet with a lawyer based in their community and receive information about free resources, low-cost legal assistance and legal referrals. In addition, some attendees will have the opportunity for a brief private consultation with an attorney about personal legal matters.
