THE ROCKINGHAM COUNTY Bar Association bid adieu to outgoing President Jennifer A. Lemire, welcomed incoming President James J. Troisi and announced the acquisition of lawyers’ conference room space at the County Justice Building at the Bar Association’s Annual Meeting and Spring Luncheon on May 8 in Hampton.

Before passing the gavel to Troisi, of the Salem law firm Troisi & Sullivan, Lemire reflected on the accomplishments of the Rockingham County Bar during her year as president. During that time, the Bar organized and conducted successful forums on family law and on probate procedures, and participated in the statewide legal history project and the well-attended Professionalism Day CLE program held last November in counties across the state.

Lemire, of the Portsmouth law firm Watson, Bosen, Harman, Venci & Lemire, also announced that the County Bar had successfully negotiated with the state the lease of space within the Rockingham County Justice and Administration Building in which to establish a lawyers’ conference room. The space is currently known as the "public viewing room" and is adjacent to the Family Division and probate court office. Lemire said that NH Probate Court Administrative Judge John R. Maher was instrumental in bringing the idea to fruition. She added that Donald S. Hill, commissioner of the Department of Administrative Services, and Peter J. Goodwin, administrator of the Bureau of Court Facilities, were also very helpful in the process.

The guest speaker at the Annual Meeting, NH Charitable Foundation President Lewis Feldstein, said that the return of a lawyers’ conference room to Rockingham County is an acknowledgement of the importance of "social capital" among lawyers – which refers to the formation of social organizations that bring community members together and offer a sense of kinship and cooperation. The establishment of the lawyers’ conference room will give lawyers a place to socialize, confer and work together, which "should serve to enhance social capital within the legal community," according to Feldstein.

The Rockingham County Bar will be looking to local law firms to make an annual donation of $200 each to help maintain the conference room. The Bar hopes to have the room furnished and available for use by Sept. 3, 2002.

Judge Maher announced that the lawyers’ conference room will be dedicated to attorney Gerald F. Giles, who Maher said has served as his mentor since he established his own legal practice in Portsmouth years ago. Giles continues to practice in Portsmouth at the Giles Law Office.

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