Joseph McLean

JoeMcLean
jmclean@firmspf.com
(802) 660-2555

Areas of Practice

  • General Municipal Law
  • Environmental and Land Use Matters
  • Zoning Bylaw Enactment and Enforcement

Education

  • Vermont Law School, South Royalton, VT, 1995 J.D.
    Honors: Cum Laude
  • Bowdoin College, 1990 A.B.
    Honors: Magna Cum Laude
  • Author: Streamflow Policy in Vermont: Managing Conflicting Demands on the State’s Waters, 19 Vt. L. Rev. 191 (1994)

Bar Admissions

  • Vermont Supreme Court, 1995
  • U.S. District Court, District of Vermont, 1996
  • U.S. Supreme Court, 2004

Joined Stitzel, Page & Fletcher

  • 1996

Shareholder

A lifelong Vermonter, Joe McLean sees something unique in the way the state’s municipal entities operate. In his view, local government in Vermont isn’t as much about politics as it is about controlling quality of life.

“With a few exceptions, the people with whom we work on a daily basis aren’t career politicians, they’re small business owners, farmers, and others who are just trying to make their communities better places to live, work, and raise kids. That’s something that resonates with everyone at the firm. In a large sense, we see what we do as rolling up our sleeves and helping the democratic process along.”

When conflicts arise that cannot be resolved through compromise, Joe is well experienced in guiding municipalities and other governmental entities through the complexities of litigation. He has represented Vermont municipalities before the United States District Court, the Vermont Supreme Court, the Environmental and Civil Divisions of the Vermont Superior Court, and before administrative boards and tribunals, including the Public Utility Commission, the former Water Resources Board and in Act 250 proceedings.

Joe’s recent experience includes the representation of a Vermont municipality in a public infrastructure condemnation proceeding that involved issues of both necessity and damages. He also assists on education law litigation matters, advises local boards and commissions, and addresses general municipal matters, including open meeting law and public records act questions.