As loyal readers of this blog already know, Cathy Connors – the former author of this blog and my former colleague here at Pierce Atwood – has moved on to bigger and better things: an appointment to Maine’s Supreme Judicial Court. My hat is off to her for this well-deserved achievement.  Her formidable intellect will be a credit to the bench (and her sharp questions doubtless a scourge to any lawyer who is less than fully prepared!). All of us here at Pierce Atwood will of course miss her inimitable talents and presence.

So what does this mean for you, who have benefitted over the years from this blog? Happily, you should expect Maine Appeals to continue, with posts addressing issues of appellate law and practice in Maine and the First Circuit. But there will be a new voice (and likely more than one, as Cathy leaves big shoes to fill).

So allow me to introduce your new blogger: I’m Josh Dunlap, a partner here at Pierce Atwood. My bio is available here, so I won’t bore you with a rehash. Suffice it to say that I have had the privilege of some great experiences, and the opportunity to practice with some fantastic lawyers. I’m a Notre Dame Law School alum (so you might expect some Fighting Irish references during football season), where I was a member of the law review. I then clerked for the Honorable Paul J. Kelly, Jr., on the US Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. Since then I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside some great legal minds. After coming aboard here at Pierce Atwood, I had the very unique chance to be appointed as law clerk for special masters in (two!) original jurisdiction proceedings before the US Supreme Court – once for now-Judge Kayatta of the First Circuit and once for (the now departed and greatly missed) Ralph Lancaster. (Time doesn’t allow for a full explanation, but the latter original jurisdiction proceeding also gave me the chance to serve as special assistant to Judge Kelly, ten years after my clerkship, when he was appointed by the Supreme Court to oversee the conclusion of the proceeding – a very enjoyable development.) And, of course, I had the privilege of working with Cathy Connors. My own practice has included both trial and appellate work, and I have a particular passion for the latter.

Which brings me to this new role, blogging about all things appellate. I look forward to this new endeavor, and I hope the readers do too.