By Tom Jarvis Jack Middleton, a towering figure in New Hampshire’s legal community whose career encompassed trial practice, judicial service, Bar leadership, and mentorship, died September 8. He was 97. Middleton was the Granite State’s oldest practicing attorney and had recently marked his 70th anniversary with McLane Middleton. Middleton’s legacy is marked by professional excellence, … Read more
By Tom Jarvis Gordon J. MacDonald resigned as chief justice and as a justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court on September 15 after admitting that his handling of a Judicial Branch personnel matter violated three provisions of the Code of Judicial Conduct. The resignation took effect immediately after a specially assigned panel approved a … Read more
By Tom Jarvis Judge Joseph Laplante of the US District Court for the District of New Hampshire will receive the 2026 Frank Rowe Kenison Award at the New Hampshire Bar Foundation’s Annual Dinner on Wednesday, October 21, at Pembroke Pines Country Club in Pembroke. The Bar Foundation presents the Kenison Award annually to recognize substantial … Read more
By Tom Jarvis The New Hampshire Bar Association will bring attorneys, judges, educators, and other members of the legal community together on November 6 at the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law for “Counsel for the Future: Building a Foundation for Practice Readiness,” a symposium focused on mentorship and preparing the next … Read more
By Tom Jarvis In a historic jury verdict, William Kelly became the first person in New Hampshire to be convicted under the state’s 2018 fetal homicide law. A Carroll County Superior Court jury convicted Kelly, 40, on July 9 of two counts of second-degree murder for the December 17, 2023, deaths of his girlfriend, Christine … Read more
By Tom Jarvis A nationwide class action filed in federal court in Concord became the vehicle through which the United States Supreme Court resolved the constitutional dispute over President Donald Trump’s effort to restrict birthright citizenship. In a 6–3 ruling issued June 30 in Trump v. Barbara, the Court affirmed an order from the US … Read more
By Tom Jarvis An international delegation of judges, prosecutors, attorneys, academics, and government officials visited Hillsborough County Superior Court–North on July 6 for a roundtable discussion on how constitutional principles are applied in New Hampshire’s courts and how the state’s criminal justice system compares with legal systems abroad. The six-member delegation, representing Bosnia and Herzegovina, … Read more
By Megan Koerber Fifteen New Hampshire educators gathered at the New Hampshire Bar Center on July 14 and 15 for a Street Law Professional Development workshop that combined United States Supreme Court education, hands-on learning, and lawyer-teacher partnerships aimed at strengthening civics education across the state. Led by Street Law consultant and senior fellow … Read more
