Public Forum
Standing up for the Rule of Law: How do we save it?
On October 14, 2025, lawyers, scholars, and public officials gathered at the University of Southern Maine’s Hannaford Hall. The event brought together leaders from across Maine’s legal community and beyond to examine how the rule of law can be protected at a moment when public trust in institutions is being tested.
Governor Janet T. Mills opened the program with a call to action, urging Mainers to defend the Constitution and the systems that safeguard fairness and accountability, reminding the audience that “the law is neither red nor blue… it is the greatest achievement of our society.” Her remarks set the tone for the evening’s discussion, highlighting the shared duty of citizens and government to preserve the independence of the courts and the integrity of legal institutions. Harvard Law Professor and constitutional scholar Noah Feldman followed with a keynote emphasizing that the rule of law depends as much on culture as on written rules, warning that it can no longer be taken for granted. He urged attendees to embrace civic engagement as essential to sustaining a healthy democracy.
We are in a completely new environment where large number of Americans are expressing healthy skepticism about the rule of that’s why we need to talk about the rule of law.
That’s why we need to talk about where it comes from, why it’s valuable because it’s not obvious movement and here’s the key point. Because it’s no longer a given that our way of life substantiates the rule of law. It’s no longer a given. Once you lose that it’s very hard to get it back.”
– Noah Feldman
For Maine Lawyers for the Rule of Law, the event represented a powerful reaffirmation of its mission to defend the principles that uphold our democracy. Bringing together leaders from law, government, and academia, it underscored the organization’s belief that safeguarding the rule of law requires both vigilance and participation from every corner of society. The forum served not only as a call to action but also as a reminder that the strength of our legal system depends on shared commitment from citizens, lawyers, and public officials alike to fairness, accountability, and the independence of the courts.
