Pine Tree Legal Assistance (PTLA) is a left-of-center nonprofit offering free legal services to low-income individuals in Maine. It prioritizes civil legal cases regarding housing, domestic violence, farm workers, employment, safety, health, veterans, and Indigenous people. ¹

In is funded by left-of-center individuals and groups such as Mackenzie Scott, Equal Justice Works, Network for Good, the Skadden Fellowship Foundation, Maine Community Foundation, and the Legal Services Corporation (LSC). It is also supported by state and federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). ²

It implements Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) hiring practices and offers a fellowship to members of minority groups. It endorsed the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 and advocates for changing systems and policies it describes as “systemic racism.” ³

Financials

Pine Tree Legal Assistance had total revenues of $7.4 million and total expenses of $7.1 million with $5.5 million in total assets in 2021. ⁴ Since 2015, it has received $500,000 from the state budget annually. ⁵

In its 2022 annual report, state grants and contracts are the largest source of revenue, consisting of 43 percent of all revenue, worth $4,031,656. That same year, personnel costs were the largest expense consisting of 77 percent of all expenses, worth $6,738,089. ⁶

It received a grant of $2,041,517 from the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) in 2023, $1,400,000 from Mackenzie Scott in 2023, ⁷ $337,000 from John T. Gorman Foundation in 2021, $324,808 from Maine Justice Foundation in 2022, and $46,013 from the Skadden Fellowship Foundation in 2022. ⁸

Federal government funding was $826,712 in 2022, with $402,590 from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), $328,716 from the Department of Justice (DOJ), and $95,406 from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). ⁹

Background

Pine Tree Legal Assistance was founded in 1966 and is the oldest and largest legal aid organization in Maine. It offers free legal services to low-income individuals, prioritizing cases involving housing, domestic violence, farm workers, employment, safety, health, veterans, and Indigenous people. While limited to civil cases, it provides indigent criminal defense in Tribal Court systems. ¹⁰ It has six field offices in Portland, Lewiston, Augusta, Bangor, Machias and Presque Isle. In 2022, most of its cases involved housing (62 percent) followed by family law (14.9 percent), out of 7,582 total cases. ¹¹

It was structured and grew under the leadership of Nan Heald, who worked as executive director for 30 years from 1990 until 2022. ¹² In 1996, PTLA became the first legal aid organization in the country to implement a free online self-help legal website. Under her leadership, PTLA grew its revenues from $2.8 million to over $7 million. Nan established Maine’s only children’s law project, Kids Legal, which expanded support to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. She sat on the national Legal Services Corporation (LSC) Eviction Task Force, the LSC Veterans Task Force, and the Advisory Committee of Providers to Maine’s Justice Action Group. ¹³

Support for Legislation

Former executive director Nan Heald testified in support of Maine’s Legislative Document (LD) 221 to increase allocations and state funding for Pine Tree Legal Assistance. ¹⁴ The bill passed in June 2021. ¹⁵

Staff attorney Lynn Ward testified in support of legislation to increase tenant rights and limit rent increases ¹⁶ that passed in June 2023. ¹⁷

Executive director Thomas Fritzsche testified in support of legislation to increase state funding of civil legal services for low-income individuals. ¹⁸ The bill failed in July 2023. ¹⁹

DEI Advocacy

PTLA advocates for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) hiring practices, having declared “We commit to dedicating time and resources to assess Pine Tree’s current diversity, equity and inclusion practices and to develop a holistic strategy to meet the needs of our staff, clients and community,” in an official statement dated July 4, 2020. ²⁰

It has supported Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests and stated that legal aid organizations play a role in changing the systems and policies it describes as “part of a long history of oppression, hate, violence in our country, state, and local communities.” ²¹

PTLA offers the Nan Heald Black Fly Fellowship, a $7,000 fellowship encouraging applications from “people of color, people who identify as LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, immigrants, and people who have experienced poverty or homelessness.” ²²

1. “PTLA.” Pine Tree Legal Assistance. https://www.ptla.org/.
2. “PTLA Annual Report 2022” https://www.ptla.org/sites/default/files/PTLA%20Annual%20Report_2022_0.pdf.
3. “Pine Tree’s Statement on Racial Justice.” Pine Tree Legal Assistance. https://www.ptla.org/racial-justice.
4. “Pine Tree Legal Assistance Inc.” PINE TREE LEGAL ASSISTANCE INC – GuideStar Profile. https://www.guidestar.org/profile/01-0279387.
5. “PTLA is Maine’s oldest and largest provider of free legal services”  https://legislature.maine.gov/doc/6205.
6. “PTLA Annual Report 2022” https://www.ptla.org/sites/default/files/PTLA%20Annual%20Report_2022_0.pdf .
7. “3 Maine Nonprofits Receive $7.4M in Giving from Billionaire Mackenzie Scott.” Mainebiz. https://www.mainebiz.biz/article/3-maine-nonprofits-receive-74m-in-giving-from-billionaire-mackenzie-scott.
8. “Pine Tree Legal Assistance (PTLA).” Pine Tree Legal Assistance (PTLA) | Portland, ME | Cause IQ. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/pine-tree-legal-assistance,010279387/#form990s.
9. “Pine Tree Legal Assistance, Inc.” LSC grant recipient number 120000 https://www.ptla.org/sites/default/files/PTLA%202022%20Audited%20Financial%20Statements.pdf.
10. “Our Mission and Services.” Pine Tree Legal Assistance. https://www.ptla.org/our-mission-and-services#toc-our-priorities.
11. “Pine Tree Legal Assistance, inc.” – maine state legislature. https://legislature.maine.gov/bills/getTestimonyDoc.asp?id=169143.
12. Allen, Emily. “Pine Tree Legal Assistance Announces New Director.” Press Herald, June 30, 2022. https://www.pressherald.com/2022/06/30/pine-tree-legal-assistance-announces-new-director/.
13. “Remembering Nan Heald.” Pine Tree Legal Assistance. https://ptla.org/remembering-nan-heald.
14. “Ptla is Maine’s oldest and largest provider of free legal services” https://legislature.maine.gov/doc/6205.
15. “130th Maine Legislature, First Special Session.” LD 221, HP 156, Text and Status, 130th Legislature, First Special Session. https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/display_ps.asp?LD=221&snum=130.
16. “Maine Legislature.” Maine State Legislature. https://legislature.maine.gov/testimony/resources/JUD20230209Ward133204265630657406.pdf
17. “131st Maine Legislature, First Special Session.” LD 45, SP 37, Text and Status, 131st Legislature, First Special Session. https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/display_ps.asp?LD=45&snum=131.
18. “Pine Tree Legal Assistance, inc.” – Maine state legislature. https://legislature.maine.gov/bills/getTestimonyDoc.asp?id=169143.
19. “131st Maine Legislature, First Special Session.” LD 564, SP 235, Text and Status, 131st Legislature, First Special Session. https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/display_ps.asp?LD=564&snum=131.
20. “Pine Tree’s Statement on Racial Justice.” Pine Tree Legal Assistance. https://www.ptla.org/racial-justice.
21. “Pine Tree’s Statement on Racial Justice.” Pine Tree Legal Assistance. https://www.ptla.org/racial-justice.
22. “The Nan Heald Black Fly Fellowship.” Pine Tree Legal Assistance. https://www.ptla.org/blackfly.