Michael Robinson Establishes the Maren Robinson ’87 Legal Fellowship at the Roux Institute

07.24.26 — Michael Robinson has established the Maren Robinson ’87 Legal Fellowship at Northeastern University’s Roux Institute, honoring the memory of his mother, Maren Robinson, a 1987 graduate of Northeastern University School of Law and a lifelong advocate for the underserved.

The Maren Robinson ’87 Legal Fellow serves as a trusted legal advisor to startups across the Roux Institute’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, helping founders navigate the legal groundwork needed to build sustainable, ethical, and scalable companies. The role directly advances the Roux Institute’s mission: applying Northeastern’s signature experiential learning model to strengthen Maine’s economy and position the region as a rising hub for innovation in artificial intelligence, data science, and biotechnology.

“The Robinson family’s gift to support a legal fellow for the startups at the Roux Institute Incubator is an investment in the next generation of innovators here in Maine,” said Warren Adams, managing director of entrepreneurship and venture creation at the Roux Institute. “The legal fellow role is a key part of our team and provides startup founders with pro bono legal guidance as they build their new ventures. In return, the legal fellow gains invaluable frontline experience navigating the legal issues founders face. We’re deeply grateful to the Robinson family for recognizing how essential this role is to the success of the startups we support.”

Maren Robinson built her career in service of others. After graduating from Northeastern Law, she practiced poverty law with the Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association, rising to managing attorney over the course of her tenure.

Michael Robinson, whose family has deep ties to Maine and who is also the parent of two current Northeastern students, made the gift to honor his mother’s memory while investing in the next generation of Northeastern-trained lawyers.

“Northeastern University School of Law provided my mother with the opportunity at a second career supporting disadvantaged communities in Boston, a cause to which she had been devoted since receiving her Master of Social Work. She was equally devoted to the state of Maine, where she spent her retirement years at the family home of my father. I am proud to support both Northeastern Law and the next generation of innovators in Maine in her memory,” said Michael Robinson.

Created in 2021, the fellowship places a recent Northeastern Law graduate within the Roux Institute’s entrepreneurial network, offering early-stage companies essential legal counsel and giving the fellow an invaluable career-building opportunity. The Robinsons’ gift secures the fellowship’s future for the next three years and, for the first time, establishes it as a named position.

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