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Bar News - June 21, 2002 Concluding a Year of Endurance and Accomplishment By: Peter E. Hutchins President's Perspective It is with mixed emotions that I pen my last "Perspectives" article as your president. During the past seven years as a member of the Board of Governors and an officer of this Association, I have had the distinct honor and privilege or working with some of the brightest and best lawyers and judges of this state on issues of critical importance to both our profession and to the administration of justice in New Hampshire. I have witnessed first-hand the tireless dedication of your Bar Association staff - people who are committed to making this the best state bar association in the country. The job of Bar president has, at times, been both the most exhilarating and humbling experience of my life. It was an opportunity that I will always cherish, and will never forget. It is an experience, however, that has left me tired, and ready to pass the torch and move on. We have both endured and accomplished much over the past year. On the negative side, we began the year with the horror of Sept. 11, and the haunting question of how we as lawyers could possibly play a positive role in something so big, unimaginable and devastating. We endured a legislative session that featured an unprecedented assault on our profession and the judicial branch of government by "public officials" driven by malice and unaffected by truth and reason. The unauthorized practice of law continues to haunt our profession and the consumers of legal services, and our efforts to enjoin this conduct have, to date, been thwarted. Our judiciary faces a budget crisis that threatens its ability to provide the citizens of this state with full access to the judicial system. Finally, we watched in horror and disbelief as a beloved friend and member of our Supreme Court fell victim to an unexplainable attack, and was left to recover not only from physical injury, but emotional trauma as well. On the positive side, bench-Bar relations are at an all-time high. Within months, every lawyer in New Hampshire will have free access to state and federal computerized legal research. We have turned a potential crisis in the area of professional liability insurance coverage into the positive development of a member-service-oriented insurance agency operated under the auspices of the Association. More lawyers than ever are volunteering to serve the Association. Our Board of Governors is strong, and Professionalism Day drew record attendance for a Continuing Legal Education program. Our two-year struggle in a hostile Legislature has resulted in our success in turning back the most insidious and destructive anti-lawyer, anti-court initiatives, including bills imposing judicial term limits, establishing legislative control of lawyer discipline, legalizing the unauthorized practice of law, and a blatantly unconstitutional bill seeking to impose the will of the Legislature on the internal workings of this Association. I would like to take this opportunity to thank some of the people who have made these successes possible and this year as president so personally rewarding. First, I want to thank my wife, Kathy, daughter, Jamie, and parents, Ed and Joyce Hutchins, for their understanding and support throughout this most demanding year. I want to thank the Bar staff, including Jeannine McCoy, Denice DeStefano, Marilyn Barbetta, Melissa Childs, Brenda Thomas, Tom Manter, and my trusted editor, Dan "Flash" Wise, for their unwavering help and unselfish support. With loyal friends like these wonderful people, it is easy for a Bar president to look good. In addition, my heartfelt appreciation goes out to all members of the Board of Governors for their hard work and nearly perfect participation all year, through seemingly countless board and board committee meetings, as we struggled with issues of tremendous importance to the future of the practice of law in this state. In particular, I wish to thank the officers, Greg Robbins, Marty Van Oot, Russ Hilliard, Rich Uchida and Rob Howard, and our stalwart legislative representative, John MacIntosh. Their wisdom and counsel throughout the year have served to keep "Your Humble Bar President" focused on the important issues and out of too much trouble! I would like to especially thank all of these people for their help over the last three months. As most of you are probably aware, since mid-February, I have become involved in cases that, at least initially, forced me to confront what appeared to be a direct conflict between my lifelong faith and religion and the very principles and goals that drive me as a lawyer. While I was able to resolve this internal conflict and sincerely hope to play a role in resolving a terrible human tragedy in a positive way, these cases have dominated my life over the last 10 weeks of my term as your president. As a result, I was unable to meet my own standards regarding the amount of time and effort necessary to effectively and properly lead this Association. The people I mentioned above, as well as many others, have readily and unselfishly "stepped up" to more than fill any gap left by the suddenly extraordinary time demands of my practice. For the unconditional support and understanding that these wonderful people have shown me and this Association during this difficult and demanding few months, I will be eternally grateful. I will sorely miss being president of this Association. At the same time, I am ready for a break from Bar leadership. Serving as your Bar president, without a doubt, has been the single most meaningful experience of my professional career. There is no other job where you can develop lifelong, meaningful friendships and also play a leadership role in promoting and protecting the greatest of the learned professions and the clients we serve. Now, more than ever, I can say without any reservation that I am proud to be a New Hampshire lawyer. My best wishes to my successor, Marty Van Oot. I know she will do a great job, and will use her many talents to continue the fine traditions of a great Bar Association of which we are all privileged to be a part. In the meantime, I want to thank you all for having given me this opportunity, and can only hope that I have been worthy of your trust. Have a great summer, and let's keep doing what we do best. Peter E. Hutchins is the 2001-2002 president of the New Hampshire Bar Association. He practices with the law firm of Hall, Hess, Stewart, Murphy & Brown in Manchester. He will serve another year on the NHBA Board of Governors as immediate past president.
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