December 10, 2014

In this Issue


Due to the weather forecast, the monthly public Lawline legal advice service has been cancelled for tonight, Dec. 10. Lawline has been tentatively rescheduled for 6-8 p.m. next Wednesday, Dec. 17. Members of the public can receive free legal advice during Lawline by calling 1-800-868-1212.



The NH Bar Association is seeking nominations for positions on the NHBA Board of Governors for the membership year starting in June 2015. The petition is available on the Bar's website.

The membership will elect four at-large governors, including one from the public/public interest sector, and one representing out-of-state members. These board seats carry three-year terms.

Nominations for Vice President (one-year term), Secretary, and Treasurer (three-year terms) will also be made by petition.

Members in Cheshire, Coos, Grafton, Merrimack and Rockingham counties must nominate county governors, each for a two-year term. County Governor nominations require 10 signatures from voting members in the particular county; officer and at-large petitions require 25 signatures.

Petitions are due March 1, 2015; election to be through online ballots sent to eligible members starting April 1. For information about serving on the Board, contact NHBA Executive Director Jeannine McCoy.


Win with Professionalism!
Communication and interpersonal relationships - in real life and online - are critical factors in an attorney's ability to maintain a positive reputation in the New Hampshire legal community. Make a mistake and you could end up losing big time - your case, your client, your job, even your license.

Don't take a chance. Attend this year's NHBA Midyear Meeting to network with colleagues and learn how to:
  • work more effectively with clients, colleagues and professional acquaintances;
  • make better ethical decisions; and
  • follow ethics rules online and in marketing efforts.
National speakers Cynthia Sharp and Michael Rubin have developed engaging and entertaining (yes, entertaining) programs on professionalism that NHBA CLE is delivering at great value. Register by Jan. 27 for Early Bird pricing.



In the event of inclement weather, closings or delayed openings at the Bar Center will be communicated via the Bar's website at www.nhbar.org and on our voicemail greeting at the Bar Center.

If the Bar Center is experiencing a delayed opening, we will be open as soon as is reasonably possible for staff to safely get in to the office. If you are in doubt about the status of any meeting, please call the Bar Center at 603-224-6942 before you head out.



Next year's Bar Journal editorial calendar includes an open-topic issue - instead of centering on a specific theme, this issue will include a selection of articles on a wide variety of topics - and an issue focusing on privacy in the context of New Hampshire law. Bar Journal is looking for articles from a variety of practice areas on issues ranging from HIPPA to national security as they relate to personal privacy and the expectation of privacy.

Please contact Dan Wise with your article proposals.



Justice For All Challenge Members of the NH Bar Association give away their time and legal advice to people in need throughout the year. The Justice for All Challenge is an initiative created to help the NHBA quantify this generosity as a way to improve the image of the legal profession in the eyes of the public. Help us tell the real story. Using a simple online form, attorneys can report pro bono work performed during calendar year 2014 (30 hours per attorney is the minimum). Amounts can be reported individually or as a firm, by name or anonymously.



SOLACE SOLACE stands for Support of Lawyers/Legal Personnel All Concern Encouraged. Whenever you learn of a lawyer, judge, court or law firm employee or family member who has suffered a loss, illness or injury and has an unmet need, let us know and we will distribute a request for assistance through an email to all participating lawyers in the NHBA.

A SOLACE request can be, for example, a need for clothes due to a fire, a need for blood due to an injury or illness, or a need for transportation or lodging during a hospital stay in a city away from home. This is not a cash fundraiser or an employment recruiting tool. It serves only immediate needs that have arisen as a result of a crisis.



The Guide to Appellate Advocacy in New Hampshire by Lisa Wolford, of the Attorney General's Office, and Stephanie Hausman, of the Appellate Defender Office, is now available on the Bar's website and offers:
  • guidance for both civil and criminal appellate practitioners, and a useful discussion of briefing and argument;
  • a one-page checklist of the New Hampshire Supreme Court rules governing the required contents of the brief, organized in sequence from the table of contents to the appendix.
  • a table of contents that gives an overview of the main sections of the brief, providing an easy way to locate particular topics.
The Guide is offered for use by NHBA members and the public by the authors and is published as a courtesy by the NH Bar Association, which is not responsible for its content. The Guide is copyrighted by the authors and is available for individual use, not for commercial republication.



Are Parents Obliged to Pay for College?
Strangely it may depend on whether they're divorced. Slate reports.

Justice in Focus: Crime Bill @20
It has been 20 years since President Clinton signed the Crime Bill. The Vera Institute set up this site to look back through text, photos and video.

Some of these news sites may limit access to subscribers or registered users. (Many sites allow free trial access limited to the number of pages viewed.) Also, the Bar Association does not endorse the sites providing these links; these are provided for your information only.



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NH Charitable Foundation
Why let the billionaires have all the fun? Whatever your clients' philanthropic passions, we can help you design their own Giving Pledges. Contact us today!

New Hampshire Bar Association
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Suite 300
Concord, NH 03301
(603) 224-6942
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