Frederic K. Upton, 94, passed away on Monday, Dec. 2.

A past president of the NH Bar and an icon of the legal community, Upton was 94.

His obituary has not yet been published; a memorial service is planned for Jan. 11 at 2 p.m. at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Park Street, Concord.

More details will be posted when available.

The New Hampshire Bar Association will hold a special business meeting and budget information session at 3 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12, at the Bar Center, 2 Pillsbury St., Concord.

All members are invited to attend and vote on proposed amendments to the NHBA Bylaws and Constitution and receive information about the association budget adopted for FY2014. Proposed amendments include the addition of an "out-of-state" board seat to the NHBA Board of Governors.

Read text and explanation of amendments and learn more about the budget in Bar News.

The Merrimack County Registry of Deeds will be installing a new computer system with enhanced search features on Monday, Dec. 16.

The new system has an index that will show all names associated with each document, and there will only be one database showing both verified and unverified index data. New search capabilities include a consideration (purchase price) search and a street search. The new system also enables document linking.

Software developer Pioneer Technology and staff are holding formal, one-hour training sessions this week, from Dec. 4 -Dec. 6, at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.

Due to the transition, the Merrimack County Register of Deeds will not be accepting ERecordings after 3:45 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12. The existing website will be down as of Friday, Dec. 13.

Access to the new website, merrimackcountydeedsnh.com, will be free for existing account holders with credit balances during the startup and learning phase. Other users must register for the site. Please note that this link will not work until the site goes live on Dec. 16.

The NH Civil Liberties Union holds its annual meeting from 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 8, at the Portsmouth Public Library, 175 Parrot Ave., Portsmouth. The public is invited.

The meeting includes a showing of the brief documentary, Defending Gideon, followed by a panel discussion on whether all people in New Hampshire are able to access legal counsel and the courts 50 years after Gideon v. Wainright was decided.

For more information call Sheila Pappas at 603-225-3080.

The New Hampshire Bar Association seeks nominations for the following awards, which will be presented at the NHBA Midyear Meeting on Friday, March 7, 2014:

Vickie M. Bunnell Award for Community Service
Presented to an attorney from a small firm (four or fewer attorneys), who has exhibited dedication and devotion to community by giving of their time and talents - legal or otherwise.

Distinguished Service to the Public Award
Presented to the nominee who best exhibits service to the public on behalf of the administration of justice.

Outstanding Service in Public Sector/Public Interest Law Award
Presented to a member of the New Hampshire Bar, or an organization employing eligible members, who, at the time of the nomination, has at least five years of service, up to and including the time of the nomination, in government service, military service, law enforcement, public interest law services (including prosecution, public defense, legal advocacy in low-income communities, or for individuals with disabilities at a nonprofit organization), or 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Qualified individuals/organizations may be nominated more than once.

Nomination forms and more information are available on the NHBA website. All nominations should be submitted by Dec. 20, to NHBA MYM Award, 2 Pillsbury St., Suite 300, Concord, NH 03301-3502.

Who might qualify? See descriptions of last year's recipients.

A retirement party for US District Court Clerk Jim Starr, celebrating his 35 years of service to the state and federal judiciaries, takes place starting at 5 p.m. on Jan. 9, 2014, at the Grappone Conference Center, 70 Constitution Ave., Concord.

There will be hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar. To RSVP, please send a check of $25 per person (payable to: "Jim Starr Retirement") to US District Court; 55 Pleasant St., Room 110, Concord, NH 03301. Attn: Debbie Eastman-Proulx. Deadline is Dec. 30.

Do you have a few hours to volunteer this holiday season at the Bar Center to help Pro Bono place cases? Please consider helping at one or more of the three Pro Bono year-end referral marathons on Thursday, Dec. 12, Tuesday, Dec. 17, or Friday, Dec. 20.

These marathons have successfully placed hundreds of clients with Pro Bono volunteer attorneys over the years. All it takes is your commitment of a few hours to come in and place calls to other volunteer attorneys. Pro Bono staff will provide the cases, the phones, and the lists of potential volunteers to call.

To sign up for a morning or afternoon session, or to learn more, please email Carolann Wooding.

* Health insurance marketplace

* Premium tax credit overview, eligibility, advance payment and credit amount

* Individual shared responsibility, minimal essential coverage, coverage exemptions, and reporting

Session 1 - 1:30-3 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 10.

Session 2 - 1:30-3 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11.

Session 3 - 1:30-3 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 17.

Session 4 - 1:30-3 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 18.

Join the NHWBA at noon on Thursday, Dec. 5, at Sheehan Phinney Bass + Green, 1000 Elm St., 17th floor, in Manchester, for a free lunch-and-learn session about information management and the preservation and collection of discoverable electronic data. Target Litigation Consulting will lead this one-hour tutorial on the ins and outs of eDiscovery. Enjoy a catered lunch while you learn ways to improve your practice as it pertains to electronic data that can be used as evidence. To register for this program, please email NHWBA Executive Director Gretchen Pyles by Dec. 2.

Not for CLE credit.

The next meeting of the Real Property Law Section will be 4-6 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 14. Location to be announced. It will be primarily a social gathering of members after the holidays. Additional details will be forthcoming to section members.

(Customarily, the e-Bulletin is not used for section announcements, but difficulties with the e-mailing list prompted this message.)

Shave, haircut and a simple will?
Lawyer opens "Law Cuts" combining barber shop and law office. Read more.

Opportunities for law grads in rural areas
The Maine Bar Association seeks to match new lawyers and retiring rural practitioners. Read more in Maine Business Journal.

Martin, Lord & Osman
Alternative Dispute Resolution - Mediation, Arbitration, Neutral Evaluation. David S. Osman, (603) 527-9154.

McLane Law Firm
The McLane Law Firm combines legal excellence with creative thinking and superior client service to construct innovative and winning legal strategies. email address: LAW@mclane.com, phone: (603) 625-6464.

Berman and Simmons Trial Attorneys
Lawyers throughout Maine and around the country regularly rely on the experience and resources that Berman & Simmons attorneys bring to personal injury cases. If you have clients that might benefit from working with us, please call. Think of us as your office "Down East." 800-244-3576. Learn more.