SUSAN P. HERMAN

Susan Herman is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Maine School of Law. She has over forty years of trial and appellate experience in both the public and private sector. After law school, she joined the Maine Office of the Attorney General where she advised state agencies and represented the State of Maine in state and federal court on a variety of civil matters, including unemployment claims, wage and hour law claims, severance pay claims, tort claims, and workers’ compensation matters. After five years in the Attorney General’s Office, Susan joined a small Maine firm where her practice included corporate matters, domestic relations, civil litigation and employment matters. She became a partner in the firm in 1996.

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In 2000, after fifteen years in private practice, Susan returned to the Office of the Attorney General, joining the litigation division, focusing on employment and discrimination matters. She appeared in federal court, state court and before administrative agencies such as the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Maine Human Rights Commission and the federal Office of Civil Rights. Susan regularly made presentations on the topics of workplace harassment, the Americans with Disabilities Act, personnel investigations, and state and federal laws related to employment and discrimination issues.

Susan has served on the Maine Fee Arbitration Commission of Board of Overseers of the Bar, including a term as Panel Chair. She also served as the designee of the Attorney General to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court Advisory Committee on the Maine Rules of Civil Procedure, and as Attorney General designee to the Local Rules Committee of the United States District Court for the District of Maine. Susan also served on the Board of Governors of the Maine State Bar Association as the public service sector member-at-large.

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In 2015, Susan was named as Division Chief for the Civil Litigation Division of the Maine Attorney General's Office, which handles constitutional challenges to state laws and rules, civil rights cases, tort claims, civil appeals, amicus and multi-state litigation. While Division Chief, Susan handled complex civil litigation and was responsible for overseeing the work of the 23-member Litigation Division.

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In 2019, the Attorney General named Susan as Chief Deputy for the Office, where she handled the management of the day-to day operations of the over 200-person Office of the Attorney General. As Chief Deputy, Susan worked closely with the Attorney General on high priority and sensitive matters relating to client state agencies, the Governor’s Office, the Legislature, and members of the public. She also handled and oversaw requests for the issuance of official opinions of the Attorney General. As Chief Deputy, she was the primary attorney responsible for multi -state impact litigation and comment letters in matters involving immigration, reproductive rights, healthcare, and election issues, including high profile cases related to DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), the ACA (Affordable Care Act), the census, and reproductive rights. During her last year, Susan was primarily responsible for implementing policies and protocols relating to the pandemic for the Office of the Attorney General.

In February of 2023, Maine’s Governor, Janet T. Mills, nominated Susan to serve as a member of Maine’s Civil Service Appeals Board. This Board considers grievances of Maine state employees who are not covered by collective bargaining, holds hearings, and issues final decisions. Susan’s nomination was confirmed by the Maine Senate, and the Governor appointed her as Chair of the Board.

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Susan is active in municipal affairs, and has served on her local Select Board, School Board, Board of Appeals, Governance Committee, and Ordinance Review Committee. She enjoys puttering, gardening, and projects on the farm where, with her husband, she raised her three now grown sons and enjoys spending time with her expanding family, which includes four grandchildren.