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Save the Date: August 8, 2014
NCWBA's Summit
at
Suffolk Law School
Boston, MA
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Find us on the web:
www.nhwba.org
"Like" us on facebook!
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Welcome New and Returning Members
Maria P. Gavin
Bradley & Faulkner, P.C.
Jamie A. Rogers
The Crisp Law Firm PLLC
Laurie Smith
Wyskiel, Boc, Tillinghast, & Bolduc, P.A.
Claire Zopf
Z IP Law PLLC
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NHWBA Officers and Directors
Executive Director:
Gretchen E. Pyles
President: Holly J. Barcroft
Nixon Peabody LLP
Immediate Past President:
Holly B. Haines Abramson, Brown & Dugan, PA
Vice President:
Karyl Roberts Martin Sheehan Phinney Bass + Green PA Secretary: Sabrina C. Beavens Iurillo Law Group, PA Treasurer: Christina A. Ferrari Bianco Professional Association
Public Relations Officer:
Christina A. Ferrari
Bianco Professional Association
Networking Director:
Talesha Caynon
Bernstein Shur
Programming Director:
Kathleen M. Mahan
Cook, Little, Rosenblatt & Manson, PLLC
Membership Secretary:
Kara M. Simard
NH Public Defender
Vice Membership Secretary:
Clara Dietel
Shaheen & Gordon, PA
Member at Large:
Heather A. Flanner
NH Attorney General's Office
Belknap:
Lynne Sabean
Boutin & Altieri, PLLC
Viktoriya Kovalenko
Hastings Law Office PA
Coos:
Sandra Cabrera
Waystack Frizzell
Hillsborough North:
Heidi A. Ames
Moore Devlin Law, PLLC
Hillsborough South:
Catherine E. Shanelaris
Shanelaris & Schirch, PLLC
Merrimack:
Marcia Brown
NH Public Utilities Commission
Rockingham:
Catherine P. McKay
Parnell & McKay, PLLC
Strafford:
Jeanine Kilgallen
Shaheen & Gordon, PA
Out of State Liaison:
Hannah Zaitlin
McLane, Graf, Raulerson & Middleton, PA
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News and Events:
March 2014
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Greetings!
Those of you who like to catch up on your legal news (read: gossip) by following Above the Law may know that the attire of female lawyers has recently been a hot topic of discussion.
Judge Richard Kopf (D. Neb.) blogs at www.herculesandtheumpire.com. On March 25, 2014, he published a blog entry "On being a dirty old man and how young women lawyers dress." His blog entry, the even more interesting comments it elicited, and the post-script Judge Kopf has posted since are all great reads. Amanda Hess's Slate article, cited by Judge Kopf, is also thought-provoking.
I found my own opinion on this subject constantly evolving as I read through all that Judge Kopf, Ms. Hess, and their haters and admirers alike had to say. There are valid points to be made by all who have spoken publicly on the subject (perhaps with a tad less brutal honesty when it comes to appreciation of certain "attributes"), but for me, the point I keep coming back to is this: why are we even having this discussion?
It should go without saying that men and women alike, litigants, citizen observers, and attorneys alike, should be offering our courtrooms and those who preside over them the respect to which they are entitled by engaging in proper behavior and dressing ourselves appropriately when we enter those courtrooms, whatever our purpose may be. It should also go without saying that when any one of us wants to be heard, when we want attention to be paid to the words and arguments we so carefully put out into the world (and to an important audience we wish to sway, no less), we ought to take care not to divert attention away from our words and onto our physical appearance or any other distraction.
These are matters of common knowledge, things that we expect people of a certain age to have learned and absorbed. So, why has it become common practice for people to deliver this advice over and over again (even when it is unsolicited) to female attorneys, and not male attorneys? Is it less important that a male attorney be dressed appropriately in a courtroom? Are judges and jurors making fewer observations and forming fewer opinions about the physical appearance of male attorneys?
I offer you this food for thought and welcome you to reach out and share your own opinions. In the meantime, I wish you a happy weekend, and hope to see many of you at our upcoming Work Stress Relief Weekend!
Best regards,
Holly J. Barcroft, President
New Hampshire Women's Bar Association
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Spotlight on our Members
Our spotlight this month is on our members who received the New Hampshire Bar Association's Awards for Outstanding Pro Bono Service in 2013, including: Maria P. Gavin, Sarah E. Lavoie, Molly M. Lynch, and Dawn E. Worsley.
 Maria P. Gavin is a shareholder and director at Bradley & Faulkner, PC in Keene. She is a longtime volunteer with the NHBA Pro Bono Program, accepting referrals in family law matters, estate planning and eviction defense. She also joined the DOVE Project. Attorney Gavin is also a member of the New Hampshire Bar Association's Ethics Board. She is involved in her community and is a volunteer usher at the Colonial Theater, and a member of the Keene Elm City Rotary Club and an Interact Advisor. She was formerly the President of the Center Stage Cheshire County Board of Directors, a director on Home, Hospice, Healthcare and Community Services, and the Cheshire County Representative to the New Hampshire Bar Board of Governors.
 Sarah E. Lavoie is an attorney with Burns Bryant Cox Rockefeller & Durkin PA in Dover. Pro Bono work has long been important to Attorney Lavoie. One look at her bio on her firm's website shows it. She received the Law Alumni Award for Pro Bono Service from Villanova University School of Law, the Dorothy Day Award for Pro Bono Service from Villanova University School of Law, and Philadelphia Bar Association's Law Student Pro Bono Award. Attorney Lavoie accepts numerous cases for the NHBA's Pro Bono Program and co-authored a successful Amicus Brief to the New Hampshire Supreme Court on behalf of NHAJ in Desclos v. Southern New Hampshire Medical Center.
 Molly M. Lynch is a contract attorney with the Legal Advice and Referral Center in Concord. She was recognized as one of the 2014 Pro Bono Rising Stars. Upon graduating from UNH School of Law, Attorney Lynch accepted a fellowship with the Nashua Public Defenders' Office. She has already taken on at least nine Pro Bono cases. She volunteers several hours per week within the Pro Bono Referral Program with the Low-Income Taxpayer Project and the Domestic Violence Emergency Project.
 Dawn E. Worsley is a sole practitioner in Nashua and focuses her practice in the areas of criminal law, family law, juvenile law, and personal injury law. Beginning in 1999, Attorney Worsley began accepting cases through the Pro Bono Program. She dedicates her time to the DOVE Project and the Foreclosure Relief Project, and also willingly mentors other volunteers.
Congratulations to all of these distinguished attorneys.
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Plan to Attend the NCWBA's Leadership Summit in Boston on August 8, 2014
where the NHWBA will Receive the
2014 Public Service Award
The National Conference of Women's Bar Associations' Leadership Summit will be held on Friday, August 8, 2014 at Suffolk University Law School. The theme of this year's Summit is Breaking Barriers - Building Bridges. The Awards Luncheon where the NHWBA will receive the 2014 Public Service Award for its "Overcoming Cancer's Legal Challenges" program will be held at the Boston College Club.
The Leadership Summit provides a wonderful opportunity to meet in person with peers from all over the country who are engaged in making women's bar associations the very best they can be. This year's opening speaker will be Lauren Stiller Rikleen. The luncheon speaker will be the Honorable Nancy Gertner, who was selected as one of this year's recipients of the Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award from the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession.
Please mark your calendars now to attend this year's Summit and help the NHWBA celebrate its selection as the 2014 Public Service Award recipient.
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NHWBA's Annual Food Drive
Starts April 14, 2014
For the sixth consecutive year, the NHWBA will be collecting food and monetary donations to help feed hungry families here in New Hampshire. From April 14th to May 9th, the NHWBA will be collecting canned or boxed food items and monetary donations for the New Hampshire Food Bank. Checks should be made payable to "NH Food Bank" and sent to NHWBA at P. O. Box 915, Manchester, NH 03105.
Food donations made within individual firms and offices will be collected by NHWBA representatives from May 9th to May 13th. If you would like to collect items at your office or would like to donate items and need to know where to bring them, please contact Gretchen Pyles or Heather Flanner.
All food items and monetary donations collected during the drive will benefit the New Hampshire Food Bank to help with the increased need for food during the summer months. Specifically, the New Hampshire Food Bank and local food pantries have the added strain of families needing more food because they cannot rely on the schools for hot lunches for their children.
Donations of all sizes are welcome and encouraged. Thank you to all who donate to the NHWBA's Food Drive!
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NHWBA Seeking Nominations for Ballot for
2014-2016 NHWBA Board of Directors
Elections for positions on the NHWBA's Board of Directors will take place in May, 2014. If you or someone you know is interested in being on the ballot for any position, please contact our Executive Director, Gretchen Pyles at Gretchen@nhwba.org by no later than April 23, 2014. A complete listing of our current board positions can be found on our website by clicking here. We are eager to have representatives on our board for each county and especially need representatives in the following counties: Grafton and Strafford. Please consider joining our board to help direct the future of the NHWBA.
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Nominations for the 2014
Marilla M. Ricker Achievement Award
Now Being Accepted
The NHWBA is now accepting nominations for the 2014 Marilla M. Ricker Achievement Award. The Ricker Award honors outstanding women lawyers in New Hampshire who have achieved professional excellence, and who have paved the way to success for other women lawyers, advanced opportunities for women in the profession and/or performed exemplary public service on behalf of women. The award is named in honor of Marilla M. Ricker, who was the first woman to apply for admission to the New Hampshire Bar. If you would like to nominate someone for this award, click here. Nominations will be accepted through June 13, 2014. If you have any questions about the nomination process, please e-mail our Executive Director, Gretchen Pyles.
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Consider Applying for Judicial Vacancies
in Circuit Court and Superior Court
The NHWBA encourages and supports qualified women to apply for several openings in the judiciary. The Judicial Selection Commission has posted notice of judicial vacancies in both the New Hampshire Circuit Court and Superior Court for 2014. There is one vacancy in the Circuit Court for Grafton County. There are two vacancies in the Superior Court. All applicants must submit the application and all accompanying documents, including writing samples, via e-mail only to jscapplications2013@gmail.com. To download the revised 2014 application, click here. Completed applications must be received by no later than 5:00 p.m. on April 21, 2014. If you have questions about the application process, please contact co-chairs Emily Rice at (603) 665-8824 or Jim Rosenberg at (603) 225-7262.
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The NHWBA's Listserv is a Valuable Resource
The NHWBA's listserv is up and running. We encourage you to take advantage of this wonderful resource and the diverse expertise of our members. The listserv is a great way to get guidance on issues that arise in your practice and can also be a source of referrals. If you are not a member of the NHWBA's listserv and would like to join, please contact Gretchen Pyles.
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Join us for our Rainmaking Series:
Reserve Your Seat at the Table for Eight with Jennifer Parent to Discuss Silencing your Inner Critic to Succeed in Business Development
When: Thursday, April 17, 2014 
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Where: Cotton Restaurant
75 Arms Street
Manchester, NH
Cost: Dutch Treat
Our fourth Table for Eight in the Rainmaking Series will feature Jennifer Parent of the McLane Law Firm. Attorney Parent is a Director in the Litigation Department of McLane, Graf, Raulerson & Middleton, and serves as the Chair of its Employment Law Practice Group. She is also a member of the firm's Management Committee. Attorney Parent represents large and small companies in litigation of business and employment disputes. She has received several awards and honors. She is the 2003 recipient of the New Hampshire Bar Foundation's Robert E. Kirby Award and a 2007 40 Under Forty Honoree. Attorney Parent was named Trailblazer in the Law by the NHWBA in 2008. She received the New Hampshire Bar Association's Philip S. Hollman Gender Equality Award in 2010. Attorney Parent has frequently been recognized as a leading lawyer by Chambers USA, Best Lawyers, and New England Super Lawyers. She is a Past President of the New Hampshire Bar Association. She serves as a member of the New Hampshire Supreme Court Rules Advisory Committee and is a member of the Women's Business Committee of the Smaller Business Association of New England. She is the President of the New Hampshire Alumni Association of Suffolk Law School, a founding member of the Loan Assistance Program for Suffolk Law School New Hampshire Alumni, and on the Suffolk Law School Dean's Advisory Committee. She currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Palace Theatre, and is a member of the Executive Council of the National Conference of Bar Presidents.
Attorney Parent is a founder of the NHWBA and served as its second President. She currently serves on the Past Presidents' Council of the NHWBA and the Winifred "Winnie" McLaughlin Scholarship Committee.
To register for this exciting Table for Eight with Attorney Parent, click here.
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Join us for a Joint Networking Event
with NHAJ and TDLA
When: Tuesday, April 15, 2014 
Time: 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Where: Sulloway & Hollis
29 School Street
Concord, NH
Join us for an opportunity to network with members of the New Hampshire Association for Justice and Tri-State Defense Lawyers Association as well as sample some beers from New Hampshire's own microbreweries including Henniker Brewing Co., Throwback Brewery, and White Birch Brewing. Appetizers will be served.
Special thanks to our sponsors, CED Technologies Incorporated and Landy Insurance.
To attend this event, please RSVP by clicking here by Thursday, April 10, 2014. Space is limited.
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Join us in Supporting Kids in Need
While Having Fun at the Same Time
When: Various dates from Wednesday, May 14, 2014
through Saturday, May 17, 2014 
Time: Varies depending on date selected
Where: Spare Time
216 Maple Street
Manchester, NH
The NHWBA is forming one (or more) teams to participate in the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Manchester's 31st Annual Bowl for Kids' Sake at Spare Time in Manchester.
Bowl for Kids' Sake (BFKS) is the largest fundraising event of the year for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Manchester, and 100% of the funds raised through this event goes directly to their programs providing one-to-one mentoring for children facing adversity in the Greater Manchester and Greater Concord communities. Partnering with Big Brothers Big Sisters through Bowl for Kids' Sake makes a positive, long-lasting impact on children right here in our community.
We are creating one or more teams of up to 6 people. Each bowler is asked to raise at least $50; people who raise over $100 are entered into raffles for great prizes.
We will also create a donations webpage, so that even if bowling is not for you, you can make a donation to the NHWBA team.
Available bowling dates and times are:
Wednesday, May 14th from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 15th from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 17th from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 17th from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
If you are interested in bowling or donating, please contact Gretchen Pyles at Gretchen@nhwba.org and let her know your preferred date and time.
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Join NHWBA's Team in the
Walk Against Hunger
When: Sunday, May 18, 2014 
Time: 12:00 p.m.
11:00 a.m. - Registration
Where: Veteran's Memorial Park
Corner of Elm and Merrimack Streets
Manchester, NH
Join us for a four mile walk through Manchester to help end hunger and homelessness in our community. For the 24th consecutive year, New Horizons' Walk Against Hunger will take place rain or shine on Sunday, May 18th. Donations can be collected through May 18th and will benefit New Horizons for New Hampshire Soup Kitchen, Food Pantry, Homeless Shelter and Angie's Shelter for Women.
If you'd like to be a member of our team, please e-mail our Executive Director, Gretchen Pyles, at Gretchen@nhwba.org.
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Other News and Upcoming Events
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NHBA Gender Equality Committee Presents
Get Paid What You're Worth
When: Wednesday, April 9, 2014 
Time: 5:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Where: NH Bar Center
2 Pillsbury Street, Seminar Room 2
Concord, NH
Cost: $25 - Law Students
$35 - Attorneys - Unemployed
$50 - All other Attorneys
Join the Gender Equality Committee for a seminar on negotiating pay, promotion and terms and conditions throughout your legal career. Led by nationally recognized author and speaker, Lauren Stiller Rikleen, this comprehensive workshop is designed for attorneys who want to:
- Be fairly compensated
- Negotiate a flexible work schedule
- Get the best work assignments
- Advocate for yourself if you are unfairly excluded from opportunities
- Get recognized for achievements
To review the brochure for this event, click here. To register, click here.
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Register Now for the Campaign for Legal Services
Kick-off Breakfast
When: Thursday, April 17, 2014  Time: 7:30 a.m. - Registration 8:00 - 9:30 a.m. - Breakfast & Program
Where: Grappone Conference Center 70 Constitution Avenue Concord, NH Cost: $50 per person; $400 for reserved table for 10 guests
Plan to attend the Campaign for Legal Services' Kick-off Breakfast on Thursday, April 17, 2014. Jeffrey Toobin will be the keynote speaker at the event. Mr. Toobin is a staff writer for the New Yorker and a legal analyst for CNN.
Proceeds from this event benefit New Hampshire's three civil legal aid organizations: Legal Advice & Referral Center, New Hampshire Legal Assistance and New Hampshire Pro Bono Referral Program.
To purchase a ticket or for more information, e-mail Celina Hurley at churley@nhla.org or call 603-206-2228.
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New Hampshire Legal Assistance is
Seeking an Executive Director
The New Hampshire Legal Assistance (NHLA) is seeking an Executive Director to lead its award-winning nonprofit legal aid organization. NHLA offers its clients high quality civil legal services and is seeking an individual with a deep commitment to advocacy for the legal rights of low income and vulnerable clients. To learn more about NHLA and the Executive Director position, click here.
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Equal Pay Day is Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Equal Pay Day is held annually in April to signify the point into a year that a woman must work to earn what a man made the previous year. The AAUW reports that in 2012, as in 2002, among full-time, year-round workers, women were paid 77 percent of what men were paid.
Despite the passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in 2009, more must be done. The National Committee on Pay Equity suggests wearing red on April 8th to symbolize how far women and minorities are "in the red" with their pay. Also, the ABA has created a Toolkit for Gender Equity in Partner Compensation. Click here to learn more about the toolkit.
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Early Bird Registration for
New England Women's Leadership Summit is Now Open
When: Wednesday, June 11, 2014 
Time: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
(7:00 a.m. - Registration)
Where: St. Anselm College
100 St. Anselm Drive
Manchester, NH
Cost: $195.00 through April 14, 2014
This one day event is intended to "raise awareness of the personal and professional capacities and skills needed to advance in the competitive and changing world of the 21st century." The theme for this year's Summit is "Blazing the Trail."
This regional event is aimed at women interested in both personal and professional growth and in optimizing their career choices now and in the future. The Summit includes keynote addresses, three concurrent program sessions and lunch.
The keynote speakers for this year's Summit include Anna Maria Chavez, CEO of the Girl Scouts of the USA and Annabel Beerel, Ph.D., President and CEO of New England Women's Leadership Institute.
For more information or to register, click here.
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Ban Bossy is the New Public Service Campaign from Sheryl Sandberg and Anna Maria Chavez
to Encourage Leadership in Girls
In a recent Wall Street Journal article written by Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook, and Anna Maria Chavez, the CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA, they argue that girls and women are characterized as "bossy" or "too aggressive" if they are assertive or ambitious. They note that
"[p]owerful and successful men are often well liked, but when women become powerful and successful, all of us - both men and women - tend to like them less." They argue that "so called bossy women make great leaders." Together, Ms. Sandberg and Ms. Chavez created banbossy.com to encourage young girls to reach their full potential and to become leaders. To read the full article, click here.
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Save the Date: August 16, 2014
MooreMart's 10th Anniversary Celebration
When: Saturday, August 16, 2014
Time: 11:00 a.m.
Where: The National Guard Armory
154 Daniel Webster Highway
Nashua, NH
MooreMart will be celebrating their 10th year of service to our military with a reception on Saturday, August 16, 2014. The NHWBA has volunteered at MooreMart's care package events in the past. We salute MooreMart for its commitment to our troops.
If you would like to attend this event, please RSVP by July 10, 2014 to Carole@MooreMart.org.
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