Verrill Receives 2024 Maine Volunteer Lawyers Project (VLP) Firm Pro Bono Achievement Award

PORTLAND, Maine – Verrill was honored for its pro bono work with the 2024 Maine Volunteer Lawyers Project (VLP) Firm Pro Bono Achievement Award. The award was presented by the VLP during the Maine State Bar Association Annual Business Meeting & Awards Luncheon on June 27.

The VLP’s decision is based on ‘several factors, including the pro bono hours donated by the Verrill attorneys, the number of Verrill attorneys volunteering through VLP, the firm’s continued commitment to a particularly challenging full representation family law case, and the firm’s support for VLP’s limited representation programs, as well as the Justice Andrew Mead Fellowship for Pro Bono Service.’

In 2023, attorneys and staff in Verrill’s Portland office provided over 830 hours of pro bono time through various VLP programs, including the Lawyer-to-Lawyer case referral program, the Small Claims Clinic, and the Maine Homeless Legal Project. In addition to work through the VLP, last year, Verrill hosted the MSBA New Lawyers Section Pro Bono Fair.

“Verrill remains committed to ensuring equal access to justice for members of its communities,” said Brett Leland, Pro Bono Coordinator at Verrill. “I am proud of all of my colleagues who dedicate time towards pro bono work this past year, including Marty Topol, Martha Gaythwaite, and Maye Emlein who contributed nearly 350 hours, 215 hours, and 133 hours respectively of pro bono work through the VLP in 2023.”

Verrill continues to serve as a leader in the provision of pro bono legal services and has received various honors over the years for its efforts. More than half of the firm’s attorneys, across its offices, provided pro bono legal services in 2023, donating more than 2,000 hours to people in need of legal aid.