Preti Flaherty partner to lead 2012 Campaign For Justice fundraising efforts

Charles Dingman, a partner with the Portland-based law firm Preti Flaherty Beliveau & Pachios LLP, has agreed to serve as the 2012 chairman of the Campaign For Justice, an annual fundraising push among lawyers that benefits six civil legal aid providers in Maine.

Charles Dingman company photo by Jeffrey Stevensen

The Campaign For Justice sounds like something that should be chaired by Superman or Batman — or at least Green Lantern — but don’t let Dingman’s cape-free attire fool you. As president of the Maine Equal Justice Partners board of directors and a board member with the Justice Action Group, Dingman’s no slouch.

For his full bio, including notes about public service in his hometown of Leeds and key roles in state agencies over the years, click here.

As for the Campaign For Justice, Dingman picks up the mantle for an effort that raised $375,000 in 2011 and aided 24,000 clients through the Cumberland Legal Aid Clinic, Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, Legal Services for the Elderly, Maine Equal Justice Partners, Maine Volunteer Lawyers Project, and Pine Tree Legal Assistance.

Here’s a statement by Dingman on the value of the Campaign:

Access to justice is essential to the fabric of any free society. Without legal aid for those who cannot afford to pay for representation, the integrity of our whole system of justice, and ultimately the social order on which our happiness and prosperity depend, are placed at risk. Current economic conditions have caused a decline in other sources of funding for civil legal services, even as the needs for representation grow. Because Maine lawyers value equal access to justice and have a tradition of supporting it, I’m confident that they will respond by participating generously in the 2012 Campaign.

Seth Koenig

About Seth Koenig

Seth has nearly a decade of professional journalism experience and writes about the greater Portland region.