The New Hampshire Bar Association has been asked to submit the following request to its members: Volunteer attorneys are needed to serve on screening panels to review medical injury claims as called for under RSA 519-B:3 (also known as SB 214), which went into effect Aug. 29. (See page one for related article on the new process.)

The statute calls for panels, usually consisting of three people to review claims made when medical injury cases are filed in NH Superior Court. According to the legislation, their purpose is:

(a) To identify claims of professional negligence which merit compensation and to encourage early resolution of those claims prior to commencement of a lawsuit; and

(b) To identify claims of professional negligence and to encourage early withdrawal or dismissal of nonmeritorious claims.

The members of the panels will be chosen by the superior court judge in the court where the case was filed, from lists made available by the Chief Justice of the Superior Court. A retired judge will chair each panel and a healthcare professional and an attorney with litigation experience will also serve on the panel.

The New Hampshire Bar Association has agreed to ask its members to consider serving on such panels and to refer those volunteers to the Superior Court.

The legislation calls for the chief justice of the superior court to maintain lists of health care practitioners and of attorneys with litigation experience who are recommended by their respective professional organizations.

Given the lack of clarity as to the precise qualifications that an attorney should possess to be a member of such a panel, the NHBA Board of Governors has elected not to make recommendations at this time, nor is the chief justice of the superior court requiring the Board to do so.

However, interested attorneys should provide the following information to Joan Bishop, Coordinator, NH Superior Court Center, Suite 1, 17 Chenell Drive, Concord, NH 03301-8539 or e-mail jbishop@courts.state.nh.us.


Name
Address
County
Phone
E-mail
Profession/Area of concentration
Educational background
Professional experience

In the event that the case for which you are selected requires hearings that extend beyond one day, would you be willing to serve for more than one day? _____Yes    _____No


The above information will be made available to the parties in a case and to any member of the public who asks to review it.

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