NOW THAT MY service as bar president is over, and I have gone back to my prior status of irrelevancy, I have had some time to reflect on that service. It occurred to me that certainly the members of the association would like to know more about what it is like to run for and then serve as a bar president. I mean, who wouldn’t want to know that?

First, why did I want the job? I wanted it because of my burning desire to serve and also because that way I’d get my picture in Bar News. I also figured maybe that way I could get people to occasionally return my calls.

However, if I’d have known about the agony of the election process, I’d certainly have had second thoughts. The political infighting is a savage, no-holds-barred horror, and then there is the expense of it all. Dollars, sometimes tens of dollars, can be spent in lining up votes, holding your focus groups and spreading malicious rumors about your opponent.

My first campaign against George Moore was an especially bitter one. Not only did he refuse to withdraw from the contest despite the fact that I called him up and pleaded with him not to run, he also sent a letter to every lawyer in New Hampshire asking for his or her vote. (Actually, it was a pretty good letter. After reading it, I dictated a reply saying he had my vote. Fortunately, my secretary reminded me I was running before my response went out, so that embarrassment was avoided.)

Anyway, George did manage to win a narrow victory by only a couple thousand votes. It was a bitter pill for me, and I fell into a deep depression – to have come so near! Life lost its color; nothing seemed to matter much anymore. Not even that first Jack Daniels in the morning tasted the same.

Then I rallied and decided to run again. This time I heard that Peter Hutchins was thinking about running, too. It was a terrifying thought. Greg Robbins against Peter Hutchins. My God, I thought, what if they held an election, and nobody voted? I called Hutch up and fortunately, he saw my point and graciously decided to wait a year, in return for my promise to release all my delegates to vote for him when his turn came. So I ended up running unopposed.

Let me tell you, my friends, that was no bargain either. Can you imagine the humiliation of losing an uncontested election? So I ran as hard as I could, and it all turned out well. This time, when all the votes were counted, I had won! (Actually, I came in fourth. However, it turned out that the top three write-in candidates were ineligible: Judge Fairbanks was dead, Bozo the Clown was not a member of the bar association, and in a brief, per curiam opinion, our Supreme Court ruled that "anybody but him" was void for vagueness.)

The next thing I knew I was being sworn in as president at the Mount Washington. I only wish more of you could have been there to see it. It is a truly moving and impressive moment. Think of it – the awesome power of the bar presidency peacefully being transferred. The effect on those there was plain. When all the people actually realized that George Moore was no longer their president and that I was, believe me, there was hardly a dry eye in the place. It was so moving, in fact, that I am told that many people couldn’t finish their dinners (though the drink tabs were strangely about double what they usually were) and some were so overcome with emotion that they literally had to run for the restrooms. It was a night I’ll never forget.

The rest, as they say, is history. We are now in the capable hands of my good friend and co-conspirator, Peter Hutchins. Hutch assures me that my legacy will remain intact. It looks like we will have coverage for those few dozen defamation suits filed because of some unfortunate remarks I made, the National Council of Bar Presidents has decided not to revoke our membership upon being assured our bar constitution limits all presidents to a single term, and the suicide watch ordered for some of our senior bar staff was called off just after the meeting at The Balsams.

So I look back at my three years of service with pride and a fond recollection. In fact, I have wanted to savor the feeling of my presidency for as long as possible, so I have held off opening a parting gift I received from the bar at The Balsams until now. Hey, it’s ticking! Must be a clock! Let me just unwra . . .

Home | About the Bar | For Members | For the Public | Legal Links | Publications | Online Store
Lawyer Referral Service | Law-Related Education | NHBA•CLE | NHBA Insurance Agency | NHMCLE
Search | Calendar

New Hampshire Bar Association
2 Pillsbury Street, Suite 300, Concord NH 03301
phone: (603) 224-6942 fax: (603) 224-2910
email: NHBAinfo@nhbar.org
© NH Bar Association Disclaimer