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Bar News - November 22, 2002 Kathie Northrup to Retire From Federal Court After 31 Years KATHIE NORTHRUP, chief deputy clerk at the US District Court – District of NH, has announced that she will retire in January after nearly 32 years working at the federal court. Northrup has enjoyed a long, illustrious career at the federal court and over the years has been witness to scores of changes in the makeup of the court and the way it operates, as well as the many interesting cases it has tried. Northrup began her career with the court in 1971 as deputy clerk/calendar clerk, a position she held until 1975. She moved through the ranks, serving as magistrate courtroom deputy under Magistrate William Barry (1975-76); courtroom deputy under Judge Hugh Bownes (1976-77) and Judge Shane Devine (1978-89); interim clerk of court for six months in 1984; and finally as chief deputy clerk from 1989 to present. Judge Bownes, now on senior status with the First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston, hired Northrup in 1971 and was judge when she worked under Clerk William Barry. Bownes said that working with Northrup was "a pleasure." "She is friendly, bright. If you asked her a question, she’d give you a straight answer without considering your rank," he said. Bownes said that when Northrup began working in the Clerk’s Office some 30 years ago, she immediately adjusted to the demands of the job. "She rapidly accommodated to the rigors of the Clerk’s Office and has done a good job since," he said. "Kathie has meant what any valuable deputy clerk would mean to a court – you have to have somebody looking after the case records, understanding what’s going on, and doing so with a pleasant demeanor and smile. Kathie did just that." US District Court Clerk Jim Starr has worked with Northrup for 17 years, since 1984. Starr credited Nothrup with playing a key role in bringing the court to its current level of operation, and said that she will be sorely missed. "Kathie is the most hardworking, dedicated and loyal employee any organization could ask for. It is because of her work ethic, operational savvy and court-wide perspective that this office has been able to accomplish what it has over the last three decades," Starr said. "While no one is irreplaceable, it’s a close call when it comes to Kathie." A retirement ceremony for Northrup will be held during an open house at the Warren B. Rudman federal courthouse on Monday, Nov. 25, 2002 and a dinner reception honoring Northrup will be held in Concord Dec. 3. (See invitation on page 19 or visit the News section of www.nhd.uscourts.gov for information on these retirement events.) The following are reflections from Northrup on her long and memorable service to the court she wishes to share with those she worked and came in contact with over the course of her career. How Lucky I’ve Been… By Kathie Northrup HOW FORTUNATE I’VE been. I had worked with Bill Barry at Small Business Administration. Some years later, when he was clerk, he told me about the vacancy at the court. Other than for the first few weeks when I had no idea what anyone was talking about, accepting the deputy clerk position was the best work decision I ever made. I will have been here just shy of 32 years. As chunks of time go, I’ve always thought mine was one of the most interesting. Except for missing the opportunity to work in NH’s first official federal building (now the Legislative Office Building), I was lucky to be here for some pretty dramatic changes. When I started, because the office was so small (one part-time and three full-time deputies), everyone pretty much had to know how to do most everything. That was a wonderful foundation for the rest of my time here. It was a one-room Clerk’s Office; we had one judge, one courtroom and one court reporter. Then, in 1976, the courtroom deputy position was established. Before that, the clerk used to do the majority of the courtroom work. I loved working with Judge [Hugh] Bownes and later Judge [Shane] Devine. I respected them both so much, and again it was a great training ground. I also had the opportunity to work with several visiting judges in the 1980s. They came from other districts to help us with trials. It was pretty interesting to see how other judges worked, and I think they picked up a few tips from us, too. I’m also the last deputy that traveled to Littleton for court proceedings with our judges and visitors. The Littleton courthouse was closed in 1983. During my time as courtroom deputy, I was in court for some of the most interesting and historic cases that were tried. With Judge Bownes, I got to hear the Laaman prison conditions trial and with Judge Devine the Laconia State School case. When Mr. Barry was elevated to full-time magistrate in 1984, I was appointed clerk by Chief Judge Devine to serve until a permanent clerk was found. I hold the record for the shortest tenure of any clerk in the history of federal court – six months. In 1989, I assumed the duties of chief deputy, the first one at the court since 1966. Although I missed being in the courtroom and having daily contact with the bar, I looked at it as opportunity to continue learning. As chief deputy, going from working closely with one to judge to working with many was an interesting change. All of the judges I worked with – [Martin] Loughlin, [Norman] Stahl, [Joseph] DiClerico, [Paul] Barbadoro, [Steven] McAuliffe, and [James] Muirhead – graciously and willingly contributed to my continuing "court education." The court-related offices have grown so much. The Clerk’s Office now has 25 employees. The Probation Office went from two to 20 and the Marshal’s Office from five to 17. Bankruptcy matters were handled by a part-time referee, Joseph Betley, who operated out of his law office in Manchester. Chief Justice Brock was the U.S. Attorney then and had two assistants and three secretaries. That office now has over 50 employees. How lucky I was to be here for the start of automation. I began tracking pending cases on a handwritten list, graduated to 3-by-5 index cards, and later helped implement an automated docketing program. We used to run large quantity print jobs using a mimeograph machine; now I can print directly from my PC to a digital copier that punches holes and staples. Quite an evolution. As the time gets closer, it’s difficult thinking about not being here every day. It feels a little like I’m leaving home. I hope that my successor, Dan Lynch, is as happy here as I have been. He’ll be working with a clerk, Jim Starr, who is generous and will allow Dan to challenge himself. That makes the job very interesting. I look back and think, "How could I have worked in the same place for 32 years?" Thing is, it never has been the same place for very long. With all the changes in facilities and staff, and the different jobs I’ve held, it feels like I’ve worked at many different courts over the years. I’ve enjoyed every one of them. As for my plans for retirement – nothing definite planned yet. Is there life after federal court? I think so. I’ve been on the board of a nonprofit in Hooksett, Robie’s Country Store Historic Preservation Corp., for a few years. I’ll continue with that. There are so many worthy groups out there that need volunteer help. I’m really looking forward to some diversity. And to continued learning...
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