The NHBA Professionalism Committee is best known as the convenor of the Bar Association’s “Statewide Professionalism Day” events, held simultaneously at 11 county courthouses in 2001, 2003, and 2005.  When I explained to Bar President Richard Uchida that the Committee would not be holding the statewide event again until February 2007 (we do it every other year, on the “odd” numbered years), he gave me specific orders:  “Find ways to keep professionalism on everyone’s radar screen through 2006.”  The Committee’s veterans, as well as its new members, hope to continue its strong momentum throughout this bar year, leading up to 2007’s 11-site statewide event.

Professionalism presentation/CLE on Professionalism Day 2006.

The Committee is planning a professionalism presentation for Feb. 10, 2006.  The goal of the presentation, which will provide CLE ethics credits, will be to apprise Granite State attorneys of the many traditional and, just as important, the less well-known avenues for promoting professionalism in the practice of law in NH.

Professionalism “road shows.”

Also under discussion is the possibility of tailoring a version of the Professionalism Day program for presentation to local and county bar associations, and chapters of New Hampshire’s various Inns of Court, or, as an alternative, dispatching members of the Committee to local and county bar associations to present programs on issues chosen by the local associations themselves.

Interaction with other bar committees and sections.

For the first time, the Professionalism Committee plans to offer programs to and for other bar sections (Business Litigation, Corporate, Domestic Relations, etc.) on professionalism issues.  Specifically, designated committee members will be assigned to coordinate with interested section chairs to develop professionalism presentations for section meetings.

Pro Bono.

Committee members Ken Barnes and Marilyn McNamara are continuing their efforts to encourage more attorneys to take on pro bono work in areas outside the traditional family law areas, such as bankruptcy, domestic violence, landlord/ tenant, real estate, estate planning (including planning for members of the military who are “shipping out”), special education, and taxation.

Bar News Articles.

Finally, as always, members of the Committee will continue to author periodic articles and columns on professionalism for publication in the Bar News.

Anyone with questions, comments, or concerns regarding the Committee’s work during the coming bar year, or regarding any other issue related to professionalism, please e-mail me at joseph.laplante@usdoj.gov.

Joseph N. Laplante is an assistant US Attorney and Supervisor of the Violent Crime Section of the United States Attorney’s Office in Concord.  He chairs the Committee on Professionalism.

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