Pine Tree Legal Assistance will mark its 45th anniversary on October 9, 2012 with celebrations at its offices in Presque Isle, Machias, Bangor, Augusta, Lewiston and Portland.
The Maine Volunteer Lawyers Project joins in this celebration of service. VLP is a joint project of Pine Tree Legal Assistance and the Maine Bar Foundation.
Originally organized by attorneys troubled by the lack of legal assistance for Maine residents with limited incomes, the program opened its doors on July 19, 1967, in Portland. It was funded by the Office of Economic Opportunity as part of the War on Poverty. During its first decade, the organization grew to a staff of 10 lawyers who "rode circuit" to grange halls and local meeting spots throughout their geographic service areas from eight regional offices. Today, PTLA has a staff of 52, including 28 attorneys.