PORTLAND, Maine — Maine Gov. Janet Mills nominated District Court Judge Rick E. Lawrence to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court on Monday.
If confirmed by the Legislature's Joint Standing Committee on the Judiciary and the Maine Senate, Lawrence would become the first Black justice on the high court.
Lawrence, 66, serves as deputy chief judge of the district court. Since 2000 he has presided over courts primarily in Androscoggin, Franklin, and Oxford counties, Mills' office said in a news release.
“Judge Lawrence’s extensive legal experience, measured temperament, strong intellect, and proven commitment to upholding the law and administering justice impartially make him an exceptional candidate for the Maine Supreme Judicial Court,” Mills said. “I am honored to nominate him and believe his service on our highest court will greatly benefit the people of Maine.”
“I am deeply honored by Gov. Mills’ nomination to serve on the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, a nomination that comes with formidable responsibility and unparalleled opportunity to serve the people of our great state,” Lawrence said in the release. “If confirmed by the Legislature, I promise to work tirelessly to serve the people of Maine and to administer justice fairly and impartially to the people of Maine, just as they deserve.”
Lawrence graduated from Yale University and Harvard Law School. He was first nominated to the District Court by Gov. Angus King, then nominated again by Gov. John Baldacci, Gov. Paul LePage and Gov. Mills.
Lawrence serves as presiding judge for the Androscoggin County Domestic Violence Judicial Monitoring Program. Among other duties, he served as chairman of the Judicial Branch Advisory Committee on Children & Families, which created a Guardian ad Litem program for the state, according to Mills.
He was an adjunct professor at the University of Maine School of Law.
Before his appointment to the District Court, he was an attorney and vice president and managing counsel at Unum and an associate at Pierce Atwood.
If confirmed, Lawrence will replace Associate Justice Ellen Gorman, who announced in January that she will retire.
Four previous nominations by Mills were confirmed: Chief Justice Valerie Stanfill in May 2021, Associate Justice Catherine Connors and Associate Justice Andrew Horton in January 2020, and Associate Justice Andrew Mead, who Mills nominated again in May 2021.
