NH DEPUTY ATTORNEY General Steven M. Houran of Laconia and Durham attorney John M. Lewis have been confirmed by the Executive Council to fill two vacancies in the NH Supreme Court.

Lewis was sworn in by Gov. Jeanne Shaheen on July 13. He is currently observing operations in various Superior courthouses across the state and expects to take his spot on the bench in late August.

Lewis began his law career in 1973 as a law clerk for a federal judge and then went into private practice. He was admitted to the NH Bar in 1982. He practiced with the Portsmouth law firm Borofsky, Lewis & Amodeo-Vickery until being appointed a Superior Court judge. He was also chair of the state Board of Education, a position he resigned upon being confirmed.

Lewis said he sees being a judge as a "craft" that he will work hard to master. "I’ll work to become a craftsperson, a master of trying to resolve people’s problems so that they are resolved. I want them to look at the court as a place where things get decided," he said.

Lewis’ goal as a judge is "day in and day out to make fair, thoughtful and principled decisions, taking the time to think about what both sides have presented," he said.

Lewis said that he expects he’ll have to work hard to acquire the skills to become a good judge. "As an advocate you have different skills," he said.

Houran joined the NH Dept. of Justice in 1981 and he was admitted to the NH Bar in 1982. He has served in various capacities with the NH Dept. of Justice. He was promoted to associate attorney general in 1992 and to deputy attorney general in 1996 and was re-appointed in 1999. He was sworn in as a Superior Court justice on July 25 and will begin his courtroom training August 6.

Houran said that he is looking forward to his new role as judge and "being able to continue to serve as a public service lawyer."

"I have always viewed the judiciary as the highest calling for public service lawyers and always viewed myself as a public service lawyer," said Houran.

One of the challenges that Houran expects he’ll face is the ongoing effort of the Superior Court to address caseload "and the speed with which litigation is resolved." He said he is looking forward to being part of that endeavor. He also welcomes the chance to help address the issue of the profusion of pro se litigants in the courts.

Confirmation of Gov. Shaheen’s third pick for the court, Stephanie T. Nute, a Superior Court marital master from Lee, has been postponed. Three of the five councilors have to vote in Nute’s favor for her to be confirmed.

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