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Bar News - March 19, 2004 NHBA Board Candidates Offer Reflections on Serving the Bar Vice President  Richard B. McNamara practices complex civil litigation, general business litigation, defense of legal malpractice claims and complex personal injury actions, both in New Hampshire and nationally. He has been with the firm of Wiggin & Nourie in Manchester since 1979 and is Chair of the Commercial Litigation Group He also has substantial experience with injury trials in state and federal courts on behalf of plaintiffs and defendants and has defended criminal cases in state and federal courts; he has tried over 60 civil jury trials to verdict and successfully defended a capital murder case, State v. William Gagne, at the request of the New Hampshire Superior Court. McNamara received his JD degree from Boston University Law School in 1975 and was admitted to the NH Bar in that same year. He is also admitted to practice in Massachusetts and in several federal trial and appellate courts. McNamara began his career in the Office of the NH Attorney General and has been an active member of the NHBA holding many offices and serving on many committees. He has also published extensively in both books and journals. I am seeking the opportunity to serve my fellow members of the New Hampshire Bar Association as Vice President for 2004-2005. 1 have chosen to do so because I believe that the Bar Association is an important and positive force for both the profession and the community in which we work and, in most cases, live. While I was admitted to the New Hampshire Bar in 1975, and have always been a New Hampshire lawyer, I have been involved in numerous cases involving out-of-state attorneys and handle cases in courts outside of New Hampshire. My view of the New Hampshire Bar Association is colored by my experience in other states. My experiences in other states and my conversations with lawyers in those states have led me to a greater appreciation of our Bar Association and what it does, and can do for the profession. The New Hampshire Bar Association needs to perform three important functions. First, it needs to provide services to its members in an unpredictable and rapidly changing world. Second, it should provide the opportunity for all members of the Bar to share information, to network, and to maintain that collegiality which has always been a hallmark of the practice of law here in New Hampshire. The collegiality of New Hampshire lawyers benefits not only lawyers themselves; it benefits our clients, because New Hampshire lawyers do not spend time disputing unimportant issues at unnecessary expense to clients. Finally, the New Hampshire Bar Association exists to educate the public about the legal system and to improve the administration of justice. The legal system itself is the subject of political discourse and is changing rapidly. This is not surprising; in Hericlites’ words, nothing endures but change. There is little doubt that the legal system will continue to change and that the pace of change will likely be exponential, which will result in more and more pressure on lawyers and on their clients. I believe that the most important role of the Bar Association is to manage change; to help lawyers manage that change; and to provide information to the public so that the changes in the legal system lead to a just society. I would like to work toward that end. Treasurer Robert R. Howard III  Robert Howard Law Offices, Henniker; JD, Boston University, 1969; admitted to the NH Bar in 1969; NHBA treasurer since 1993; member NHBA Finance committee and Technology Task Force; member various NHBA sections and on faculty panels of a number of CLE’s; former Merrimack County governor and governor-at-large on NHBA Board of Governors; served nine years as part-time district court judge; recipient of NHBA President’s Award for Outstanding Professionalism in 1996. The Bar Treasurer works with the redoubtable Tom Manter, Director of Finance at the Bar Center, and the other members of the Finance Committee, to develop a budget for the Board. During the year, I review the current budget performance with Tom and keep the Board informed, usually through reports to the Board Committee on Administration. The job sounds dry (it is), but it also requires me to participate in Board decisions, which is very interesting - especially in the last few years. Our fraternity is under attack. Nothing new in that, except that the attack has lately broadened to include the judicial system. It is exciting to work with Russ, Jim, Rich, Jeannine and the rest to inform the membership of the issues, and develop responses. I thank all who are not running for Treasurer, for the opportunity to enjoy another year in this position. Secretary  Eleanor Wm. Dahar graduated from Boston College Law School in 1987 and was admitted to the New Hampshire Bar in 1988. She practices with the law firm of Victor W. Dahar, P.A. in Manchester. Dahar is also a member of the Massachusetts Bar and the American Bar Association, the Trial Lawyers of America and the New Hampshire Trial Lawyers’ Association. For the past three years, I have served as Governor-at-Large on the Board of the NH Bar Association. During that time I have gained new insight into the issues that face practicing attorneys and the Bar Association. I have also noted the dedication and hands-on approach that the officers of the Association give throughout the year. I am determined to continue these commitments to the New Hampshire Bar Association and the membership. I pledge that your interests will always be my primary objective. Governor-at-Large Lawrence A. Vogelman Lawrence Vogelman is a graduate of Brooklyn College and Brooklyn Law School. He was admitted to practice in New York in 1974 and started his legal career as a Public Defender in New York City’s Legal Aid Society. In 1979, he joined the faculty at Benjamin N. Cardozo Law School of Yeshiva University and spent 15 years as a full-time law professor at Cardozo.  While at Cardozo, Vogelman, along with Barry Scheck and Peter Neufeld, started working on DNA cases. This work turned into the Innocence Project that has been instrumental in freeing well over a hundred wrongfully convicted inmates over the last ten years. During the past 20 years, Vogelman has handled civil and criminal cases in over half the states in this country, in both federal and state courts. He has tried over 200 cases to verdict and argued many appeals. Vogelman came to New Hampshire in 1994 as Deputy Director of the New Hampshire Public Defender and was admitted to the New Hampshire Bar that year. In 1997, Vogelman left the Public Defender’s office to join what was then Shuchman & Krause-Elmslie. He is now a partner in the firm Shuchman, Krause & Vogelman, where his practice concentrates in criminal defense, civil rights litigation, complex federal litigation, employment rights, alternative dispute resolution, school law, and professional malpractice. He has been very active in the Bar and related activities; he is a long time member of both the Ethics Committee and the Dispute Resolution Committee. He is also the secretary of the Federal Practice Section. Vogelman is a Master of the Daniel Webster Inn of Court, on the board of the New Hampshire Civil Liberties’ Union, and a member of its Board of Directors. He is also on the Steering Committee of the New Hampshire Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty and participates in a number of national legal organizations. I have been privileged and honored to represent clients all over this country. I am proud to be a lawyer, and very proud to be a lawyer here in New Hampshire. As someone who has practiced extensively in other jurisdictions, I know too well how lucky we are to be practicing here in New Hampshire. Both in New Hampshire and nationwide, the practice of law, is under attack in ways we could not even have imagined a few short years ago. As a member of the Board of Governors, I would devote much of my time and energy trying to turn this around. I would hope that the Bar Association would continue this struggle and redouble its efforts as a strong and constant voice in support of our profession, and most importantly, in support of our clients. To that end, I would work to establish as much of a public presence as possible—to educate the public, the state legislature, and our clients about the importance of what we do. The unfortunate reality is that the more we as professionals are attacked, the more it is our clients that suffer the consequences. The New Hampshire Bar Association has an obligation to stand up to those attacks. I believe my professional experience will be an asset to the Bar Association. I have seen the practice of law from virtually every angle, and through every conceivable prism. I know how law should be practiced, and how it is practiced. I know the consequences to the citizens of our state when the legal profession is under attack. If elected to the Board of Governors, I will be a presence to be reckoned with on behalf of each of you, our profession, and our clients. Governor-at-Large James J. Tenn of Tenn and Tenn, Manchester, earned his JD degree from The Catholic University of America—Columbus School of Law in 1991. He was admitted to the NH Bar in 1991 and to the Mass. Bar in 1992. Tenn is vice chair of the Pro bono Advisory Board; he is a past chair of the New Lawyers’ Advisory Committee.  In the capacity of Governor-at-Large for the New Hampshire Bar Association, I will continue to work on behalf of the attorneys in our state to promote an effective, responsive, and well-regarded state Bar Association. Over the past four years, I have served as the Hillsborough County Delegate to the Bar Association, and for the last two years have served as the Delegate from the Northern District of Hillsborough County. Prior to serving as Hillsborough County Governor, I was Chair of the New Lawyers’ Committee and involved in a variety of projects, including revitalizing the mentor program, designed to make introduction to the New Hampshire Bar a congenial and worthwhile experience. During the past several years, I have participated in the NHBA’s Local Bar Outreach Task Force and have had the opportunity to interact with attorneys from across the State. During those exchanges, I learned about the varying demands facing attorneys in diverse areas of our state and the role that the Association can play to help our members. I am committed to making our Bar a productive organization for attorneys throughout the state. In addition, the NHBA plays a critically important role in dealing with the public. At a time when lawyers and the legal profession often face public criticism, it is vitally important that our Bar Association represent the highest qualities of our profession. I recently served on the New Hampshire Bar Foundation Steering Committee Campaign for Legal Services to raise funds in support of legal services for the poor. During that effort, I was impressed with the dedication and generosity of attorneys. Big firm or small, many attorneys gave generously of their time and resources to make the Campaign a success—and this is just one example of how attorneys throughout New Hampshire come together to lead by example. The Bar Association must endeavor to make certain that it remains useful and productive to its members. Likewise, the Bar Association is challenged to be an ambassador of the profession and be a meaningful community resource. I am committed to helping the Bar Association fully meet those challenges in the years ahead. Belknap County A native of Alexandria, New Hampshire, Ned Gordon, graduated from the University of New Hampshire and also received an MBA from Boston College. After being employed by AT&T for 15 years, he decided to fulfill a life-long dream to become an attorney. While attending Franklin Pierce Law Center, he served as an intern to Judge Hugh H. Bownes of the First Circuit Court of Appeals. After graduation in 1989, he served as law clerk to Chief Justice David A. Brock of the New Hampshire Supreme Court. Gordon is a partner with the Laconia law firm of Wescott, Millham & Dyer, LLP; his is a general practice which includes litigation and estate planning.  While a State Representative, Gordon served on the House Judiciary Committee and continues as a public member of the Legislative Ethics Committee. He has served four terms (1995 - 2002) as State Senator for District Two (then comprising 32 towns in Grafton and Belknap Counties), one term as Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and three as Vice Chair. Ned has been active in local church and community organizations and was twice elected Selectman for the Town of Bristol. He is currently Moderator for both the Town of Bristol and the Newfound Area School District. The New Hampshire Bar Association serves its membership well. It promotes high professional standards, advocates for a responsible system of justice and educates the public about issues important to the practice of law. The many benefits we receive from participation in the Association often go unappreciated. Still, the Bar Association faces many pressures, including continued growth, number of members, legislative attempts to undermine the existing professional structure and demands placed on the justice system by unrepresented litigants. If elected to serve on the Board of Governors, I will do my best to see that the Bar Association continues to serve its membership well in light of these current challenges. Carroll County Donald M. Smith Donald M. Smith graduated from Franklin Pierce Law Center in 1997 and was admitted to both the New Hampshire and Maine Bars in 1998. He is a partner at Helme, Cole & Smith, P.C. in Ossipee; his practice areas are Real Estate, Family Law and General Litigation. Smith is a member of the American Bar Association and Secretary to the Carroll County Bar Association. I look forward to the opportunity to represent the lawyers of Carroll County on the Board of Governors. With this opportunity also comes the responsibility of sharing the concerns, ideas and satisfaction of my fellow attorneys in Carroll County with the New Hampshire Bar Association, the legal profession in general and the infrastructure that supports it before a statewide forum.  The practice of law in Carroll County is about to undergo a significant physical change as the grand old Carroll County Superior Courthouse is poised to close and move to a brand new facility to be shared with the Carroll County Probate Court and District Court for Southern Carroll County. With this transition comes the opportunity for attorneys practicing in Carroll County to experience and implement the use of new technology in the courtroom that attorneys in the other parts of the state have had at their disposal. Although improvements to facilities are important, the crucial issue still remains the financial resources to staff and administer this new facility to insure that the legal system is responsive to the needs of the citizens of this state. Carroll County is one of the fastest growing counties in the state and while communities feel the impact on their schools, safety departments and other public service providers, it should not be a surprise that the courts feel the same burden. The Board of Governors offers a forum for attorneys to raise the issue of whether or not the present state of the legal system is meeting the needs of the citizens of this state. I welcome the opportunity to be a voice for the attorneys in Carroll County as we go through this transition together, and as a member of the Board of Governors, I will be responsive to your ideas and concerns and make them known to the Board. Hillsborough County, North  Jennifer L. Parent is a director in the litigation department at McLane, Graf, Raulerson & Middleton, Manchester. Parent focuses her practice in the areas of commercial litigation, employment litigation, land use litigation, and school law. She is a member of the Finn’s Employment Law, Land Use, and School Law Practice Groups. Parent is a cum laude graduate of Boston College and summa cum laude graduate of Suffolk University Law School. She is also the 2003 recipient of the Bar Foundation’s Robert E. Kirby Award. A past President of the New Hampshire Women’s Bar Association, Parent is a member of the Manchester Bar Association, the Nashua Bar Association, and the New Hampshire Trial Lawyers’ Association. She is also a member of the American Bar Association, where she is active in the Employment and Litigation Sections. I have been an active member of the NHBA since my admission in 1995. 1 have also been a member of the Manchester Bar Association since 1995, and I welcome the opportunity to represent and to be a voice for Hillsborough County North. I have served on the New Lawyers’ Committee for several years, helping offer new lawyers programs and events of interest to them. Since 2002, 1 have served as the ABA Young Lawyers’ Division District Representative for New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Because of my interest in these groups, one of my goals in running for this position is to increase the involvement of new lawyers in Hillsborough County North in the NHBA. Hillsborough County, South  Kevin P. Rauseo is with Hamblett & Kerrigan in Nashua and concentrates his practice in the areas of civil litigation, medical malpractice, personal injury, insurance defense and family law. Rauseo graduated from Suffolk University Law School and joined Hamblett & Kerrigan in 1999. He is a member of both the New Hampshire Bar (1997) and the Massachusetts Bar (1996). He is also a member of the American Bar Association, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America and the New Hampshire Trial Lawyers’ Association. This is dynamic time for the legal profession, especially in New Hampshire. The issues that face the Bar are both exciting and challenging. With technological advances, the Bar will be able to continue to improve its service to clients and create a more streamlined and efficient judicial process. There are also significant challenges facing the Bar. Some people are calling for a change in the way the practice of law is regulated and conducted as well as attempting to place limits in the recovery of civil judgments. Also, a drastic increase in pro se litigants has had a significant impact on both the Bench and the Bar. These are only a few of the challenges facing us in the years to come. My practice allows me a perspective on many of these challenges and I can see how they presently impact the legal system. While understanding the constraints placed upon the Bar Association, I believe it can still be effective as a link between our clients and the legislature and the judiciary. I would be honored to be a member of the Board of Governors—and I hope to serve with honor and distinction. Strafford County  John E. Durkin is a partner at Burns, Bryant, Hinchey, Cox & Rockefeller, P.A. Durkin graduated magna cum laude from Columbus University Law School in 1994; he also holds a B.A. in Classics from Holy Cross College. He began his career as Clerk for Justice Sherman D. Horton, New Hampshire Supreme Court in 1994 and then joined the Public Defender’s Office in 1995, where he served until 1999. I am running for re-election as the Strafford County Governor to the New Hampshire Bar Association as I want to continue to represent the unique interests of the lawyers of Strafford County. I have enjoyed serving in this capacity and look forward to the challenges of the next term. I remain open and available to all constituents to share any comments and concerns. Sullivan County Lisa Wellman Ally  Law Offices of Wm. Howard Dunn, P.C., Claremont; JD Washington & Lee School of Law; admitted in NY 1990, NH 2002, VT 2003; member of Association of Trial Lawyers of America, New Hampshire Trial Lawyers’ Association, New Hampshire Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Vermont Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, American Bar Association. Although I am a relative newcomer to Sullivan County (less than 2 years), I have 12 years of practice in New York City behind me. Working in other jurisdictions provides me with insight into things that work or don’t work in both a bar association and in the public’s perception of lawyers. I hope that this insight will enable me to work with the bar association for the benefit of all members of the bar and the general public so that bar membership remains a privilege and a source of pride among its members. Being part of a general practice, which includes civil, criminal, family and other areas of law, I have vast experience dealing with clients, the courts, court personnel and members of the public. I look forward to the privilege of representing Sullivan County and thank you for your support. ABA Delegate  A graduate of Hobart College and Harvard University, Jonathan Ross earned his J.D. degree at Georgetown University Law Center and has been a member of the New Hampshire Bar since 1968. He is a Shareholder/Director of Wiggin & Nourie, P.A. in Manchester, practicing litigation and family law. Ross is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and a member of the Pro Bono Committee. He has been a member of the NH Bar since 1968. Ross was president of the NHBA in 1985-86. He has served on numerous Bar and Court committees and task forces over the years. Ross has also been active in the ABA and has been on its Board of Governors. In addition, he has been liaison to the IOLTA Commission and a part of the Senior Lawyers’ Division of the Law Library of Congress; he is on the Standing Committee On Legal Aid and Indigent Defendants and has been Chair from 2000 to the present; he is also a member of the Standing Committee for Pro Bono and Public Service.
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