Attorney and Maine Law alumna Susan Faunce was recently interviewed for school’s alumni news.
In her new role as MSBA president, Susan is looking forward to supporting statewide initiatives focused on increasing access to justice for all Mainers, particularly for those in rural Maine communities. She is also committed to supporting women in legal profession.
Here is the Maine Law article:
Maine Law alumna Susan Faunce takes the helm of the Maine State Bar Association
Susan Faunce ‘06 appreciates the many merits of a Maine Law education. During her time at Maine Law and after she was easily able to recognize the exceptional education she received and the fact that it came without the inflated price tag of many other law schools. This education served as a springboard for numerous opportunities during and after law school including a clerkship with the Maine District Court, joining Berman & Simmons, one of Maine’s top law firms, and, as of January 2025, serving as President of the Maine State Bar Association (MSBA).
In addition to the professional opportunities facilitated by a Maine Law education, Faunce said she cherished her time there because of the sense of connection and community endemic to the law school. These are also values that, in her new role as MSBA President, she hopes to boost throughout the Maine legal community.
That community has always been small and connected, Faunce said, but during the COVID-19 pandemic, many of these ties frayed or disintegrated and have yet to be restored.
“I feel like since the pandemic we have all retreated into our own niche areas, and you see the same people over and over again,” she added. “I’d like to see the relationship between County Bar Associations and the MSBA restored, build stronger connections with law students, and offer opportunities for less formal interactions, whether those are lunchtime lecture series or happy hours.”
In addition to fostering community, Faunce said she is looking forward to supporting statewide initiatives focused on increasing access to justice for all Mainers. Through events, Faunce hopes to promote awareness about the lack of access to justice in rural Maine as well as initiatives aimed at solving it, like Maine Law’s Rural Practice Clinic and the Maine Commission on Public Defense Services.
Faunce is also committed to supporting women in legal professions. This is an issue she has cared about passionately since she graduated, thinking about the best way to make her own forays into the law. And before her role as President of the MSBA, Faunce served as co-chair of the Women’s Law Section. In this role she conducted a compensation survey to gather data about salary inequities by gender. Faunce also advocated for the Women’s Law Section to have a seat on the MSBA board, which it was eventually granted.
Being an effective advocate for women in law requires having the support of peers and mentors, Faunce added, admitting that she still returns to a Maine Law mentor, Professor Jenny Wriggins for occasional advice.
“Throughout my career, I have returned to her for advice, which she is always happy to offer,” Faunce said. “I think that speaks to how close the community is at Maine Law and how strong our connection to each other is.”