Portland based attorney Stacey Neumann has distinguished herself over her career as a litigator and has now been tapped for a rare judicial vacancy in Maine.
Background
Stacey D. Neumann attended James Madison University, where she received a B.A. magna cum laude in 2000. Neumann subsequently received a J.D. magna cum laude from Cornell University in 2005 and then clerked for Judge John Dooley on the Vermont Supreme Court and then for Judge Peter Hall on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
In 2007, Neumann joined the Office of the Defender General in Chittenden County, Vermont. In 2009, she moved to become an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine. In 2013, she left to go into private practice in Portland, where she currently serves as a Partner at Murray, Plumb, & Murray.
History of the Vacancy
Neumann has been nominated for a seat on the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine to replace Judge Jon Levy who took senior status on May 6, 2024.
Legal Career
Neumann started her legal career as a public defender in Vermont and then spent a few years as a prosecutor in Maine before joining Murray, Plumb, & Murray in 2013, primarily focused on civil rights law. At the firm, Neumann handled a significant pro bono docket, including asylum cases and employment discrimination suits. See Renee Cordes, Pro Bono Work a Labor of Love for Portland Attorney Stacey Neumann, Maine Biz, Feb. 4, 2019, https://www.mainebiz.biz/article/pro-bono-work-a-labor-of-love-for-portland-attorney-stacey-neumann. For example, Neumann represented a Black Lives Matter protester in a case that led to a settlement promoting restorative justice conversations. See id.
Among her more notable cases, Neumann was part of the legal team representing a student and his family in a suit against a Maine school district for violations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. See Ms. S. v. Regional Sch. Unit 72, 829 F.3d 95 (1st Cir. 2016). In another notable case, Neumann represented Charlene Richard, a teacher who sued her school district claiming that she was retaliated against due to her advocacy on behalf of students with disabilities. Richard v. Regional Sch. Unit 57, 296 F. Supp. 3d 274 (D. Me. 2017). After a five day bench trial, Judge Chandler Woodcock ruled that Richard was unfairly targeted by the school but that such targeting did not violate the law. See id. at 308. The First Circuit eventually affirmed the ruling over the dissent of Judge Juan Torruella. See Richard v. Regional Sch. Unit 57, 901 F.3d 52 (1st Cir. 2018).
Political Activity
Neumann has a handful of political donations to her name, all to Democrats.
Writings and Statements
In 2019, Neumann was profiled in an article discussing her pro bono work in Maine. See Renee Cordes, Pro Bono Work a Labor of Love for Portland Attorney Stacey Neumann, Maine Biz, Feb. 4, 2019, https://www.mainebiz.biz/article/pro-bono-work-a-labor-of-love-for-portland-attorney-stacey-neumann. In the article, Neumann discusses some of her work, and speaks particularly highly of her asylum cases noting that success in those cases is “the most wonderful feeling in the world.” See id.
Overall Assessment
Neumann’s long history with the relatively insular Maine legal community as well as her significant litigation experience are likely to be assets through the confirmation process. As long as she maintains the support of her home state senators, Neumann should be confirmed comfortably.