Governor Janet Mills today nominated Superior Justice Valerie Stanfill as Chief Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. Justice Stanfill has served on the Maine Superior Court and the Maine District Court for more than a decade. If confirmed, Justice Stanfill will be the second woman to serve as Chief Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court in Maine’s history.
“Justice Stanfill’s sharp intellect, vast legal experience and expertise, and commitment to administering justice fairly and impartially make her an exceptional candidate to serve as Maine’s Chief Justice,” said Governor Janet Mills. “I firmly believe that the Court will benefit considerably from her skills and that our state will be well-served with her at the helm of Maine’s Judicial Branch.”
“It is the honor of a lifetime to receive this nomination, and, if I am fortunate enough to earn the trust of the Legislature and be confirmed, to serve the people of Maine in this important role,” said Justice Valerie Stanfill. “I pledge to the people of Maine that I will serve them honorably and faithfully, that I will uphold the rule of law, and that I will work every day to deliver fair and impartial justice.”
Since February 2020, Justice Stanfill has served on the Maine Superior Court presiding over Androscoggin, Oxford and Franklin Counties, a position to which Governor Mills nominated her. Prior to that appointment, she served on the Maine District Court from January of 2007 to February 2020. Justice Stanfill was first nominated to the District Court by Governor John Baldacci and renominated by Governor Paul LePage.
Prior to serving the State of Maine in the Judicial Branch, Justice Stanfill worked as Acting Director of the Cumberland Legal Aid Clinic and as Visiting Clinical Professor of Law for the University of Maine School of Law. Before that, she had a substantial career in private practice.
She has served as the Chair of the Judicial Branch Advisory Committee on Domestic Violence and Protection Orders and as a member of the Maine Commission on Domestic and Sexual Abuse, the Judicial Branch Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics, and the Maine Domestic Homicide Review Panel. She has also served as a volunteer mock trial coach for Lewiston High School.
Justice Stanfill, 63, graduated Magna cum Laude from the University of Maine School of Law and received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania. She lives in Wayne.
Justice Stanfill’s nomination is subject to confirmation by the Legislature’s Joint Standing Committee on the Judiciary and the Maine State Senate. Justice Andrew M. Mead has served as Acting Chief Justice since former Chief Justice Leigh Saufley stepped down to serve as Dean of the University of Maine School of Law.
Justice Stanfill is Governor Mills’ third nomination to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court since taking office. Associate Justices Catherine Connors and Andrew Horton were nominated by the Governor in 2020 and confirmed unanimously by the Legislature.