Melinda Sheehee ’98 is not your typical Maine Law alumna. Melinda was born and raised in Florida and earned her undergraduate degree from Florida State University. Upon her graduation, Melinda knew she did not want to live in Florida. After receiving her acceptance letter from Maine, as well as a few other law schools far from Florida she made a trip to Portland and fell in love with the vibrant city and recognized she wanted to join the engaged students she met on her visit. She never looked back and has been a “Mainer” since arriving at Maine Law in the fall of 1995.
Melinda loved law school. She enjoyed tackling the challenging courses with her classmates who quickly also became good friends. In between study sessions with her peers, she relished experiencing the wild Maine outdoors. Following her graduation, she spent a year clerking at the Kennebec County Superior Court. She then went into private practice briefly before working as a real estate developer at Hannaford Bros. Co. Before joining Diversified Communications as their very first in-house attorney she spent time some time at the Law Offices of Robert E. Danielson | Old Port Title honing her corporate governance and contract drafting skills, while leveraging her real estate experience Melinda is currently the Vice President and General Counsel for Diversified Communications. Like many graduates of Maine Law, Melinda didn’t start giving back to the school immediately. As a new professional, funds were tight while she bought a home and started a family. As she progressed through her career her resources increased, and her appreciation grew for what she had gained from Maine Law both personally and professionally. Her gifts to the annual fund grew larger over the years as Melinda’s career, capacity and interests evolved.
In the spring of 2024, after attending some events at Maine Law’s new home on Fore Street, learning of its past challenges to survive and its future plans to expand its programs, Melinda made an appointment with her estate planning attorney to update her will. One of the charities she had designated had dissolved and she wanted to make other updates that reflected her changed life circumstances It was an easy decision add a new designation for Maine Law. In addition, she has increased her support to the annual fund and recently joined the University of Maine School of Law Foundation Board and the Campaign Steering Committee. Especially in these challenging times where the rule of law is more important than ever, Melinda is eager to using her energy and enthusiasm to assist Maine Law., Its mission of advancing justice and leadership in a changing world is more important today than ever and she hopes her example will encourage others to join her in philanthropically supporting Maine Law.