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Bar News - January 4, 2002 Court Budget Woes: How Will They Affect Your Practice? Mid-Year Meeting Preview JURY TRIALS SUSPENDED, mounting case backlogs, delays in court orders, rescheduled or postponed hearings, insecure court facilities – these are some of the known problems resulting from difficult financial choices being made as the state judicial branch struggles with a tight budget. New Hampshire Bar members, their clients and court staff are not alone in facing these problems: Cutbacks in court services are occurring in a number of other states where the recession and other factors are denting state government budgets. California, Florida, North Carolina and Washington are among the states seeing similar difficulties, according to the Dec. 10, 2001 issue of National Law Journal, which features on its front page a photo of a scowling Don Goodnow, director of NH’s Administrative Office of the Courts. The Law Journal wrote that of all the states whose courts are being impacted by budget cuts, "the picture may be most grim in New Hampshire," where the cut is of a greater magnitude proportionally and follows years of under-funding. According to Goodnow, the NH Legislature, after appropriating $52.7 million to the state’s courts (far below the $59.6 million requested), then cut an additional $4.4 million in the last stage of the budget process, making an already difficult situation even more bleak. How will these changes affect your practice? What will be the impacts in your courts? What impacts will you and your clients feel most? What should the Bar do about it? Come and hear from judges, court personnel and other experts on this issue and offer your own thoughts and questions in the morning session of the NHBA 2002 Mid-Year Membership Meeting on Jan. 24, 2002, at the Wayfarer Inn in Bedford. The morning session begins with a "Fresh from the State House" update on key legislation of interest to lawyers from the NHBA legislative liaison, attorney John MacIntosh. Then Don Goodnow, director of the Administrative Office of the Courts, will provide an overview of the budget process and explore the history of funding shortfalls and the gap faced this year. The Judicial Council is also facing cuts, which translates into inadequate funding for indigent defense work, a topic to be handled by Nina Gardner, executive director of the Council. Then, a provocative budget roundtable discussion and debate will ensue, featuring three of the court administrative judges - Superior Court Chief Justice Walter Murphy, Chief District Court Judge Edwin Kelly and Chief Probate Court Judge John Maher. Joining them will be several clerks and registers from the superior, probate and district courts, who, with the judges, will provide an in-depth look at the shortfalls and how they will affect services at your court. The audience, which will also include other state court judges, clerks and several legislators, will be encouraged to participate in the forum and add their own thoughts. As a change of pace, the afternoon features a program of interest to all legal practitioners that will explore where technology innovations are leading the legal profession. The program will take a look at the powerful tools available to help lawyers conduct electronic research and communicate more easily with clients, other lawyers and courts. These resources can help lawyers be more productive, lead more satisfying lives and provide better, more affordable services to their clients. The program will also examine the pressures such technological advances put on lawyers. The educational programming concludes with an update and forum for commenting on the Professional Conduct Committee’s proposal now before the NH Supreme Court to revamp the lawyer discipline process in New Hampshire. The Mid-Year Meeting will be held on Thursday, Jan. 24, 2002, and also includes an awards luncheon, the Gender Equality Breakfast, the annual Mid-Year Members’ Reception (free to all members) and the NH Bar Foundation 25th Anniversary Celebration )(click here for details on that celebration).
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