THE New Hampshire Bar Association’s inaugural Professionalism Day event, held Nov. 16, 2001, has been elected to the 2002 "Associations Advance America" Honor Roll, a national awards competition sponsored by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) based in Washington, DC. The competition recognizes innovations in programming that advance education, public service, and standards-setting aims of professional or trade organizations.

The NH Bar’s Professionalism Day, held at 11 locations simultaneously around the state, convened Bar members for focused discussions on the definition of professionalism and on obstacles to appropriate conduct by lawyers in their dealings with clients, the courts and their colleagues. Approximately 800 Bar members participated in the program, which offered two hours of NHMCLE Ethics credit for a modest $25 (used to defray expenses).

The program, organized by the Bar’s Standing Committee on Professionalism in collaboration with the Bar’s Continuing Legal Education Committee, utilized locally produced videotaped scenarios of ethically challenging situations. Bar volunteers, trained as facilitators, used a common template of discussion questions at each location. Each program was held locally (most often in county courthouses) with members of the local bars providing on-site support, such as registration and refreshments.

The program also has been nominated for the ABA’s Gambrell Award honoring outstanding member service programs. The Gambrell winners will be named at the ABA’s Summer Meeting in August.

(The Bar’s ongoing efforts to promote professionalism in day-to-day practice are also represented by the adoption and promulgation of aspirational codes of conduct, including the Litigation Guidelines, adopted in 1999, and the "New Hampshire Lawyer’s Professionalism Creed," which are both available under the NH Practice Guidelines heading.

A plaque recognizing Professionalism Day’s inclusion on the Associations Advance America Honor Roll is on display at the Bar Center. The AAA Honor Roll, now in its 12th year, honors innovative projects in education and public service by organizations, according to the American Society of Association Executives, the nation’s largest organization of executives of nonprofit and trade associations.

"The New Hampshire Bar’s Professionalism Day program truly embodies the spirit of the AAA campaign," said ASAE President Michael S. Olson. "It is an honor and inspiration to showcase this activity as an example of the many contributions that associations make in advancing American society."

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