Grady R. Burns

Here’s why you’ll enjoy working with him.

Training as a civics teacher before serving as one of the youngest members of the Auburn City Council in its history, Grady’s zeal for local government led him to, and followed him into, his legal practice. Having understood the practical challenges municipalities face before ever setting foot in law school, Grady counsels his clients with an eye toward simplifying the complex demands placed on towns and cities today and those who interact with them. From drafting ordinances, to defending local decisions in court, to helping companies and individuals navigate the local permitting process, Grady combines a deep knowledge of the law with a results-oriented attitude.

But that’s not all. Grady is also experienced in:

• Counseling and training local boards and committees on the many aspects of their roles and responsibilities
• Administrative and judicial appeals
• Shoreland zoning and general land use matters
• Providing general legal advice to municipalities and those who appear before them

In his former life, Grady was:

• An Associate at a large firm in Portland, Maine
• An at-large City Councilor in Auburn, Maine
• A deputy field director for a congressional campaign
• A substitute teacher
• Editor in Chief of the Maine Law Review

When Grady isn’t working, he is…

Serving as a volunteer assistant coach for the Auburn Middle School football team, trying to keep his backyard beehive alive through the winter, or riding around on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

Press and Publications

Grady R. Burns, Who Takes a Dam: Regulatory Confusion and Surging Opportunities for Small Dam Removal in Rural Maine, 71 Me. L. Rev. 361 (2019).