Cynthia Ann Dill was born in New York, grew up in Rhode Island and now is a business owner, award-winning civil rights lawyer and journalist living in Maine.
Dill has been practicing law for over 20 years, and as a policy advocate worked to expand high-speed Internet to rural Maine, having sponsored the first-in-the-nation “dark fiber” law that helped create the renowned public-private Three Ring Binder project.
Dill also was one of the early proponents of the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, and at the national level worked to reform the military justice system. She currently represents individuals, businesses, and veterans in complex civil litigation, before governmental bodies and in the media.
In addition to practicing law, Dill writes punchy and engaging political commentary, has a popular podcast and is regular analyst for News Center WCSH. She is president of Cyndicate Media LLC, owner and creator of the On My Mind blog, Keep Up with Cynthia Dill podcast, and Smugsy brand. Dill has appeared on state, national and international news shows including the BBC, CBC News, Boston Public Television, WGME13, WCSH6, Bangor Daily News, WVOM, 560WGAN, among others, offering audiences engaging and intellectually fair analysis of news and current events through the lens of experienced trial lawyer and former politician.
In Maine politics from 2006 - 2012, Dill served as both a state representative and state senator. As a lawmaker, she was the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee and appointed Vice Chair of the National Conference of State Legislature’s Communication, Financial Affairs and Interstate Commerce Committee, and was a member of the Executive Committee Task Force on State and Local Taxation of Telecommunications and Electronic Commerce.
In 2012, Dill won a statewide primary in a crowded field and was the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in the race against Charlie Summers and Angus King.
Dill has been a panelist at several national conferences on broadband and net neutrality. In addition to her legal, legislative and public policy work, she worked as the Director of the Common Cause Digital Democracy Project in Washington, DC, and served as an adjunct faculty member at Southern Maine Community College.
Cynthia Dill earned her B.A. from the University of Vermont and her J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law. She is married to Tom Clarke, has two great kids, and lives in Cape Elizabeth, Maine with her family.