IN WHAT MAY have been the largest gathering of NH Bar members to occur in a single day, more than 800 attorneys and judges met in each county to participate in the NH Bar Association’s first Professionalism Day.

The two-hour program, which took place on the morning of Nov. 16 in each county courthouse (except in Merrimack, where the discussion was held at the Courtyard Marriott because of the size of the courthouse), brought attorneys and judges from all levels of the bench and Bar together to discuss how to improve the justice system and enhance the practice of law by raising the level of professionalism.

A project of the Professionalism Committee established by 1998-99 NHBA President Randall F. Cooper, the Professionalism Day program sought to have participants define professionalism, identify the impediments to professionalism, and seek out ways to encourage professionalism by attorneys. The county programs also featured the presentation of awards for outstanding contributions of lawyers and law firms to the Pro Bono Program (see article on page 9.)

Each site used trained facilitators and a common curriculum of discussion questions and video vignettes (produced by the committee), which entertainingly demonstrated some questionable ethical situations in order to stimulate dialogue. The conversations that ensued were informal, free flowing and candid. In larger counties, litigators sat elbow-to-elbow with transactional attorneys, discussing how common themes applied to different practice settings. In rural areas, where the bar is already close-knit and informality is prized, attorneys found themselves in a forum where philosophizing was the norm. Evaluations were overwhelmingly positive and many respondents offered detailed suggestions for improvements or follow-ups. In the future, the Professionalism Committee will identify further steps to take arising from the discussions. (See article by Russell F. Hilliard, Professionalism Committee chair.)

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