Request Legal Assistance
Before submitting your request for legal assistance by the ACLU of Maine – using the link provided below – please carefully read ALL of the following information.
The ACLU of Maine receives hundreds of requests for assistance each year. Although we read every request, we do not have the resources to respond to every one. We will contact you only if we believe we can provide you with assistance or if we need additional information.
If your case is not pursued by our office, it does not mean it is without merit. We are unable to take most cases, even those concerning real injustices.
About the ACLU of Maine's Legal Assistance Process
The ACLU of Maine works to protect the civil rights and civil liberties guaranteed by the U.S. and Maine Constitutions and laws.
Even when we cannot get directly involved in a specific case, learning about your experiences with civil rights violations helps us set priorities for our advocacy in the courts, in the Legislature, and in the community. Sometimes, individual cases help alert us to a systemic issue that we need to focus on.
Unless there is a clear civil liberties violation, we generally do not accept:
- Employment-related cases, unless there is a significant First Amendment claim or discrimination-related matter
- Landlord-tenant cases, unless there is a significant First Amendment issue or discrimination-related matter
- Criminal cases
- Family law cases (related to divorce, child custody, child support, etc.);
- Property disputes
- Tax problems
We generally do not represent individuals unless an individual case relates to a broader systemic civil rights issue. We do our best, however, to provide suggestions of other resources you may want to contact.
How to Submit a Request for Legal Assistance
Please use our online form available here:
The completion of this intake form does not mean that the ACLU of Maine is providing, or will provide, you with legal advice or legal representation.
We do not accept requests for legal assistance by phone, email, or in-person, unless an accommodation is requested.
Please do not send us your request by mail unless you are incarcerated, or it is otherwise impossible for you to submit your request online. We cannot return documents, so please do not send us any documents you may need back. If you meet these criteria, you may mail a letter of no more than 1 page to ACLU of Maine, Attn: Legal Intake; PO Box 7860, Portland ME 04112.
To request a reasonable accommodation to submit your legal assistance request in a different format, or to request interpreter services, please state your request on the online form or leave a voicemail message with your request.
Our office only handles matters arising in Maine. If you live in another state, you can find your local ACLU affiliate here.
An Important Note About Deadlines
All legal claims have deadlines, called statutes of limitation. The deadlines may be different depending on the type of claim, who violated your rights, and which rights were violated. For some kinds of legal claims, you must file a claim with a government agency first, and these agencies have their own deadlines and processes. If you do not comply with the applicable statute of limitations, you may be legally barred from pursuing your claim in court.
Contacting the ACLU with a request for legal assistance does not mean the ACLU represents you and will not stop the statute of limitations from running. To protect your rights, please consult another attorney promptly to find out what deadlines may apply to your case. Please understand that unless and until the ACLU agrees to take your case, you are solely responsible for any and all statutes of limitations or other deadlines that might apply to your situation.
Legal Resources
As we mentioned above, if the ACLU of Maine is not able to pursue your case, that does not mean it is without merit. We have assembled a list of legal organizations and resources that may be more equipped to handle your complaint or answer your questions.
Any content or links to these resources exist solely for informational purposes. The ACLU of Maine does not promote or exclusively favor any of the listed resources, but instead mentions them as a neutral, separate third party. The ACLU of Maine also cannot guarantee that the information provided is up to date.