ALTHOUGH THE ROOM reservation deadline of May 11 for this year’s NH Bar Association Annual Meeting, to be held June 21-24, has passed, a limited number of rooms at The Balsams Grand Resort are still available. Those interested in attending should call the hotel directly for reservations.

A highlight of this year’s meeting will be the presentation of five awards recognizing Bar members for their contributions to the public and the justice system in New Hampshire. These awards, in past years presented at the Mid-Winter Meeting, will be presented the evenings of Friday, June 22 and Saturday, June 23 at the Annual Meeting. Refer to the schedule-at-a-glance on page 9 for the awards presentation schedule.

Among the honorees to be recognized at the dinner are attorney Charles A. DeGrandpre, who will be given the 2001 Award for Distinguished Service to the Public; NH Supreme Court Clerk Howard J. Zibel, who will receive the 2001 President’s Award for Distinguished Service to the Legal Profession; attorney Randall F. Cooper, who will be given the E. Donald Dufresne Award for Outstanding Professionalism; attorney Peter J. Loughlin, who will be honored with the Vickie M. Bunnell Award for Community Service; and Hon. Gerald F. Giles, a 40-year municipal court judge who will be recognized with the Justice William A. Grimes Award for Judicial Professionalism.

DeGrandpre, of the law firm McLane, Graf, Raulerson & Middleton, is being recognized for his efforts in "ensuring…equal justice under law is a reality and not merely a noble goal;" for enhancing the public’s understanding of the justice system and the rule of law through law-related education; and for his commitment to charitable service.

In his many years of Bar Foundation service, DeGrandpre has been instrumental in creating and building an endowment, planning and launching a giving program and developing the joint legal services campaign. He’s been a 15-year member of the IOLTA Grants Committee, which he chaired in 1997, served as chair of the Bar Foundation from 1998-2000 and has served as chair of the Advancement of Justice Committee since 2000. He has also been involved in other charitable work, both in the legal community and the community at large.

Zibel will receive the 2001 President’s Award for Distinguished Service to the Legal Profession in recognition of his service to the bench and Bar, and for his "integrity, courage and dedication to the rule of law as a higher calling."

Zibel has been deeply involved in the creation of the Bar’s Law-Related Education program, serving as the first chair and as a longtime member of the LRE Advisory Board. Through the LRE program, Zibel has also been greatly involved in the "We The People" competition in which students learn extensively about the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. Zibel is also being honored for his commitment to professional responsibility—which sometimes comes at great personal cost. His reporting of what he believed to be unprofessional behavior in the Supreme Court—a difficult choice for him personally—demonstrated his dedication to the rule of law.

Cooper, of the North Conway firm Cooper, Deans & Cargill, served as NH Bar president in 1998-99. He will receive the E. Donald Dufresne Award for Outstanding Professionalism for his efforts on the state and national levels "to ensure that professional integrity remain the watchwords of the legal profession." The award recognizes Cooper’s history of leading by example in his practice; dedicating himself to ethics, integrity and professional standards; and providing caring and competent service to clients while maintaining independent judgment.

In the four years before and after serving as Bar president, Cooper made professionalism a central theme of his service on the Board of Governors. He initiated the professionalism conclave in the fall of 1998, called for and served on the Bar’s Standing Committee on Professionalism and, throughout his career, has practiced law with the highest level of professionalism Cooper last year was elected to the ABA’s National Conference of Bar Presidents, and serves on its Professional Reform Initiative Committee.

Portsmouth attorney Peter Loughlin will be honored with the Vickie M. Bunnell Award for Community Service for his ability to balance the demands of a small firm practice with a dedication to public service. A former legal aid attorney and former city attorney for Portsmouth, Loughlin, now runs a successful solo practice and has authored a number of municipal law entries in the NH Practice Series. He has also dedicated much time to Portsmouth area community organizations, including serving on the board of the Pease Development Authority, paying weekly visits to the elderly, and serving on the Foundation for Seacoast Health.

Judge Giles is a 40-year municipal court judge who will be recognized with the Justice William A. Grimes Award for Judicial Professionalism. He is receiving the award for consistently demonstrating "the necessary attributes of integrity, knowledge, temperament, diligence, civility, compassion and leadership, which has distinguished him among his peers."

Giles served for 40 years as judge of Rye Municipal Court. Although the municipal courts no longer exist, it has traditionally been in the municipal and district courts where many people have had their first contact with the court system and formed their impressions of NH’s judiciary. Giles has often been recognized by his peers as a highly principled, dedicated, fair and honorable judge.

Each awards dinner and reception will begin at 6:00 p.m. on June 22 and 23. If you haven’t already reserved your spot at The Balsams, see the box below for information on last-chance reservations.

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