Sean R. Turley

Biography

Sean’s transition from the classroom—where he spent ten years as a history teacher—to the courtroom began when he recognized that the problems facing his students and their families could only be remedied through someone advocating directly on their behalf. Always a problem-solver, Sean applies the same analytical and communication skills that made him an effective educator to help his clients articulate their needs and attain the justice they seek.

Sean maintains a dynamic and wide-ranging land use practice, advocating on behalf of clients before municipal boards and state agencies; litigating complex real estate disputes; interpreting and drafting deeds and covenants; and advising clients as to the viability of proposed developments. A significant portion of Sean’s practice involves forensic real estate work, which concerns the resolution of real property disputes arising because of conflicting deeds, surveys and plans, often ancient and unrecorded. Sean is also well-versed in the intricacies of administrative law and thoroughly enjoys the opportunity to assist clients in navigating appeals of agency and municipal action.

Prior to joining MPM, Sean served as a law clerk for the Maine Superior Court and as a fellow at the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project.

When not lawyering, Sean dedicates himself to preserving and expanding Maine’s rich apple culture. He scours Maine’s backroads as a forager for potential cider fruit during the fall; works with local chefs and orchards to present an annual public apple tasting; helps in the development and management of the Maine Heritage Orchard; and travels the country to photograph the wide array of heirloom cultivars still grown today. Sean has also served as a columnist for the Portland Press Herald, where he wrote about apples and their many uses. You can read about Sean’s apple pursuits in the October 2022 issue of Down East Magazine.

Practice Areas

• Land Use & Environmental Law
• Litigation

Education

• University of Maine School of Law., magna cum laude, J.D. — 2019
  • Articles Editor, Maine Law Review
  • American Bankruptcy Institute Medal of Excellence recipient
  • Class of 2019 Human Rights and Refugee Fellow
  • Maine Association for Public Interest Law Fellow
  • Cumberland Bar Association Public Interest Fellow
  • Laurie A. Gibson Award for Excellence recipient
• Harvard University, Ed.M. — 2006
  Bowdoin College, magna cum laude, B.A. — 2005

Clerkships

• Hon. Wayne R. Douglas, Maine Superior Court
• Hon. John O’Neil, Maine Superior Court

Bar & Court Admissions

• Maine
• U.S. District Court for the District of Maine

Publications

• Death by Fifty Cuts: Exporting Lunn v. Commonwealth to Maine and the Prospects for Waging a Frontal Assault on the ICE Detainer System in State Courts, 70 ME. L. REV. 235 (2018).

Videos

More resource videos.