NHBA Board of Governors Elections

IT'S ALMOST THAT time of year again - time to cast your votes for officers and members of the New Hampshire Bar Association Board of Governors. The Bar Association's officers and members play a key role in representing the diverse interests of NH Bar members, balancing those interests with the organization's mandate "that the public responsibility of the legal profession may be more effectively discharged" (NHBA Constitution Article 1).

The nomination period for open positions on the Board of Governors for the 2003-04 term has ended. There will be no contested races this year. Under the Bar's Constitution, this year's president-elect, Russell F. Hilliard, will serve as the 2003-04 president of the NH Bar Association. The candidates for this year's open seats are:

Former NHBA Secretary Richard Y. Uchida of Hebert & Uchida in Concord, who has a long history of service on the Board of Governors, hopes to return to Board service with his bid for vice president. In addition to his prior service as secretary from 1999 to 2002, Uchida, who was admitted to the NH Bar in 1984, has also served as a governor-at-large and on numerous Bar Association and Bar Foundation committees. The following is Uchida's candidate's statement for the vice presidential seat. Biographical information about all of this year's candidates and the statements of the other candidates for office will appear in a Bar News Election Special on March 21.

Candidate's Statement of Richard Y. Uchida

The New Hampshire Bar Association is at a critical point in its old, or young, life, depending on one's perspective. As a unified bar, it is a relatively young organization; as a general bar association, it is over 125 years old. Whether young or old, the Association is no longer the small, intimate bar of years past. Its place as an important social, political and professional core in attorneys' lives passed years ago. Our membership numbers in the thousands, with interests as diverse as those of any large group of people in society. Some say the Association lacks relevance and is out of touch with its members. Others could not care less about the Association, and see it solely as another expense that an attorney must bear with little or no corresponding benefit. Still, others bemoan the loss of intimacy, friendship and professionalism that the Association once provided. They say the sense of common purpose or common bond seems to be missing.

Yet, this is no time or place to turn our backs on the Association. As NH Supreme Court Associate Justice John Broderick and the executive director of New Hampshire Legal Assistance, John Tobin, have counseled us in the past, if we do not lead our Association, someone else will do it for us. I believe that our challenge, as leaders of the bar - whether at the state, county or local level - is to create a setting among our professional peers that honors the best values of our past while recognizing the diverse needs of our members today. In doing so, we create an Association that members not only value, but need. And we create an Association that members want to be a part of, if not as leaders, at least as members.

Today, our members need the opportunities to find and use the best tools and techniques available to be the best lawyers in America. If I am fortunate enough to someday serve as president of your bar, I will continue the pledge of past bar presidents to bring the best services that we can to our members. The proliferation and growth of Casemaker, the offering of more regional and on-line CLEs, the enhancement of law office management advice, and other competitive, desirable membership benefits will be important. We want members to look to the Association as a clearinghouse for information and services about valuable tools, benefits, advice, technology and learning that make their practice of law better and more fulfilling. We also want to explore the diverse needs of lawyers who are not members of the private sector. The needs and voices of lawyers in the public sector, in-house counsel, legal services/public defender program lawyers, etc. - which have sometimes been overlooked - must be recognized.

At the same time, as an Association, we need to remember the values that bless our profession. Our past presidents and bar leaders have left us with a legacy we must continue to fulfill - that of professionalism in our service in the law and our commitment to equal access to a justice system of immeasurable quality. Our commitment to enhance the professionalism of lawyers in their interactions with clients, the courts and the public must not waver. And we need new programs and new ideas to continue to carry this message to everyone - not just the choir. Likewise, we have enjoyed our historical status as important players in the resolution of society's problems because of our commitment to equal access to justice and our unique ability as advisors, counselors, mediators and litigators to solve society's problems. Our service to the public, the poor and the less fortunate must be a mainstay of our profession if we expect to retain our cherished position. We need new ways to attract the talent in our Bar to provide these services. We also need to ensure that in an age of growth in alternative dispute resolution services, our courts do not become relegated to forums for those who cannot afford any other form of justice. Thus, at the same time that I intend to ask for a commitment of Association resources to enhance the value of our membership, I intend to enlist help from Bar members, old and new, to fulfill our legacy in different and new ways.

Until this past year, I was part of the Board of Governors for many years, as well as a leader in the New Hampshire Bar Foundation. I believe I understand what it takes to get new or improved ideas, programs and commitments in place. I played important roles in recent programming that has generated praise for the Association, including the county Outreach programs in the past two years and the Professionalism Conclave/Day events. I am or have been a member of the Association's Public Information Committee, Bar News Editorial Board, Ethics Committee, Professionalism Committee and numerous task forces. I am the first to admit that my ideas to enhance the Association's relevance, while honoring, cherishing and re-committing to our values, are ambitious, but we owe it to ourselves and our profession to be leaders in these areas. If we are not, we and our state will be the poorer for it. I hope I can count on your support.

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