Our clients often ask this question about appeals before the Law Court. And so we decided it was time to look at what the data say. Our summer associate, and part-time blogger, Sage Shaheen thoroughly reviewed the information available and, while her findings are interesting, what is perhaps more illuminating about this exercise is
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Death Knells, Due Process, and Democracy: May 2026 Law Court Roundup
A brief introduction from the author: My name is Sage Shaheen and I am a summer associate here at Pierce Atwood. I am a rising 2L at Vermont Law School and, as a long-time reader of the Maine Appeals blog (before ever setting foot at the firm), I am thrilled to now be guest authoring
March/April 2026 Law Court Roundup: Dentists and Vodka and Weed, Oh My!
Welcome to our second roundup of recent notable Law Court decisions (our previous roundup for January and February of 2026 is available here). Lots of interesting stuff here on legal topics as far-ranging as qualified and sovereign immunity, the First Amendment, liquor regulations, and, one of our favorites, the final judgment rule. Many of
The Devil’s in the (Jurisdictional) Details: Facts Matter in Establishing Personal Jurisdiction
Issues of personal jurisdiction are inherently fact specific. But the First Circuit’s recent decision in Putnam v. EPR Properties, No. 25-1857 (1st Cir. Apr. 28, 2026), offers broader lessons applicable to future disputes over personal jurisdiction—both before the district court and First Circuit.
What follows is a somewhat lengthy factual recitation. With apologies to
Please Read the Rules (and Other Good Advice): A Day With the Maine Supreme Judicial Court
Buckle up for a long (but informative!) post, everyone.
On March 30, 2026, the Maine State Bar Association hosted an all-day seminar on appellate practice before the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. The seminar featured ten separate educational sessions, each led by one or more current Law Court Justices. Court staff, a Maine Law professor, and
Dear Alaska: We know our own constitution, thank you very much.
On April 6, 2026, the Justices of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court handed down their respective opinions in the latest “solemn occasion” proceeding, this one concerning ranked-choice voting. If this sounds familiar to you, it’s because this is the second such solemn occasion concerning ranked-choice voting, with the last one in 2017. In both solemn
January/February 2026 Law Court Roundup
While we will write lengthier posts for cases that merit a broader discussion, as we did in our last post with respect to the Xamplas decision, we also will write brief updates for notable cases issued recently. Here goes for Law Court decisions issued in January and February 2026:
- Jellison v. Jellison, 2026
My Big Fat Greek Divorce – The Collateral-Order Exception to the Final Judgment Rule
The Law Court typically may only consider an appeal of a “final judgment”—that is, a decision that fully decides and disposes of the parties’ entire case and leaves no further questions for consideration. However, this “final judgment rule” is subject to exceptions which, under certain circumstances, may allow a party to bring an appeal on
We’re Back – And (Hopefully) at Least as Good as Ever
Hello, loyal readers. Six years ago, readers of this blog were greeted by a passing-of-the-torch post, when Pierce Atwood partner Cathy Connors became Associate Justice Catherine R. Connors of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court and handed the reins of this blog to Pierce Atwood partner Josh Dunlap. The torch now has been passed again,
May v. Must – The Scope of Agency Permitting Review under Statutory Standards
The Law Court recently issued a decision in Eastern Maine Conservation Initiative v. Board of Environmental Protection that contains an enlightening discussion of what an agency must consider—as opposed to what an agency may consider—in issuing a permit. In so doing, it adopted an important limit on how far agencies must go in reviewing a