PORTLAND, Maine – Bernstein Shur attorney James Houle was honored with the Service Leadership Award at the Easter Seals of Maine "Celebration of Giving" Annual Dinner on October 26, 2006, for his work on The Maine Trust for People with Disabilities. Jim founded the trust as an easy and affordable way for families to set up a special needs trust for disabled family members.
The Service Leadership Award is presented to an individual who has helped further the Easter Seal’s mission to ensure that all people with disabilities or special needs and their families have equal opportunities to live, work, and play in their communities.
Jim Houle, a resident of Scarborough, practices law in the areas of estate planning and employee benefits. He is a 1981 graduate of the University of Maine School of Law, and in 1984 earned a degree of LL.M. in Taxation from Boston University School of Law. He received his B.A. with honors in 1971 from Boston College and an M.F.A from the University of Massachusetts in 1976. He is the founder of MTPD and a founding member and past president of the Maine Employee Benefits Council. He is also a member of the Maine Estate Planning Council, the American Bar Association, and the Maine State Bar Association.
Mr. Houle is a member of the Board of Directors of Creative Work Systems, an organization that assists developmentally disabled individuals, and the Portland Museum of Art. Mr. Houle is recognized by Best Lawyers in America for his work in trusts and estates, as well as employee benefits. He is also a volunteer instructor at the University of Maine Osher Lifelong Learning Institution where he teaches courses in estate planning and legal ethics.