AUGUSTA — In a Thursday vote, the State of Maine Senate unanimously confirmed Justice Valerie Stanfill as Maine’s next Chief Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, according to a news release. 

The Senate’s unanimous confirmation vote followed a unanimous vote by the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee.

“The unanimous vote to confirm Justice Stanfill is a recognition of her sharp intellect, vast legal experience, and commitment to administering justice fairly and impartially,” said Governor Janet Mills. “I firmly believe that she will be an exceptional Chief Justice and that the Court will benefit considerably from her skills and expertise. I congratulate Justice Stanfill and look forward to swearing her in so she can take the helm of Maine’s Judicial Branch.”

The Governor will swear in Justice Stanfill later this month, on a to be announced date. 

Governor Mills nominated Justice Stanfill just shy of a month ago, May 10.

Justice Stanfill was 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.

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.