11 more licensed attorneys in cities associated with Cumberland County during January compared to the previous month

Cities within Cumberland County saw an increase in the number of lawyers with active licenses during January compared to the previous month, according to the Maine Board of Overseers of the Bar.

In total, there were 2,007 active legal licenses registered in cities in Cumberland County in January, compared to 1,996 in the previous month.

The only city in Cumberland County to grant licenses during the month was Portland, with one license granted.

In January 2025, a Kennebec County Superior Court judge ruled that Maine failed to provide legal representation to indigent defendants. The decision followed a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union of Maine, which challenged the state’s system of court-appointed counsel and argued that gaps in public defense violate the Sixth Amendment.

As of May 2025, the ACLU of Maine reported that 358 people in the state faced criminal charges without legal counsel, a 238% increase from November 2023. The organization has called for the release of defendants who remain jailed without an attorney and for the Maine Commission on Public Defense Services to guarantee continuous legal representation from a defendant’s first court appearance through the conclusion of the case. 

In March 2025, a state court ruled in Robbins v. State of Maine that the state must implement measures to ensure timely access to counsel and consider release or dismissal of charges when representation is not provided within reasonable time limits.

As of December 1, 2025, average lawyer salaries in Maine ranged from $97,587 for an entry-level attorney handling routine legal work (Attorney I) to $246,815 for highly experienced attorneys managing complex cases with significant autonomy (Attorney V). Mid-level attorneys, such as those in Attorney III roles—who handle highly complex legal work with moderate supervision—earned on average $182,762 in Maine, compared to $187,448 nationwide.

Data refers to all lawyers who were actively practicing during this period.