By Tom Jarvis
More than 150 attorneys, judges, and community leaders gathered at the Manchester Country Club on October 9 for the New Hampshire Bar Foundation’s (NHBF) 2025 Annual Dinner. The evening highlighted the Foundation’s ongoing commitment to civic education, access to justice, and public service, while honoring distinguished members of the New Hampshire Bar for their contributions to the profession and the community.
NHBF Board Chair Scott Harris opened the evening by reaffirming the Foundation’s mission as the charitable arm of the New Hampshire Bar. He reported that Leadership Banks’ continued participation in the Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA) program helped the Foundation raise $2.1 million this past year – nearly double the amount of recent years – to fund civil legal services and related programs statewide.
“As you all know,” Harris said, “in the district courts where the most cases are filed in New Hampshire, 85 percent involve one or both parties who are unrepresented. Those dollars make a significant difference in our state.”
Harris thanked the Foundation’s Leadership Banks for their support and urged attorneys to consider banking their IOLTA funds with those institutions. He also recognized dinner sponsors without whose generosity, he said, “we would not be able to put on events like this to celebrate the important work of the Foundation.”
The program’s first award presentation honored retired US Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter, who received the Frank Rowe Kenison Award posthumously. Harris described Justice Souter as “a hero to the Bar of the State of New Hampshire” and reflected on the award’s legacy of recognizing individuals who make substantial contributions to the betterment of New Hampshire’s citizens through the administration of justice, the legal profession, or the advancement of legal thought.
He then introduced former New Hampshire Attorney General Tom Rath, who presented the award and spoke about Justice Souter’s profound influence on the law and his enduring respect for judicial independence.
“David loved the New Hampshire Bar,” Rath said. “He never really left New Hampshire, even when he was working in Washington.”
Rath recounted Justice Souter’s appointment to the Supreme Court under President George H.W. Bush and reflected on the modesty and moral clarity that defined his life and work.
“His career – but more importantly, his life – is a model for what one person can do,” Rath said. “I believe strongly that character, in the end, prevails.”
Rath also spoke about Souter’s deep civility and respect for others, qualities that, he said, were shaped by his New Hampshire upbringing and the collegial Bar that supported him.
“David did all these things, but he never forgot where he came from or who he was,” said Rath. “He was one of us. If you want to emulate anything he did, take from his life the sense of civility, decency, and respect.”
Pamala Custer, a veteran social studies teacher at Hanover High School, spoke next about the importance of civics education. Custer, whose courses include constitutional law, international relations, and sociology, emphasized the need to rekindle civic imagination among students.
“If we cannot imagine a thriving democracy grounded in the rule of law, then no wonder younger generations view democratic governance with cynicism,” Custer said. “We have to reignite their imagination – and I believe studying the law in high school is the way to do that.”
She highlighted her students’ experiences visiting federal and state courts and meeting with judges, including US District Court Judge Landya McCafferty and New Hampshire Supreme Court Chief Justice Gordon MacDonald. Custer shared how one student, inspired by a statistic MacDonald mentioned about unrepresented litigants, decided to pursue law school to “help fix” the problem of limited legal access – an example Custer called “powerful civics education.”
Harris returned to the podium afterward to outline several Foundation initiatives aimed at strengthening understanding of the legal system and supporting public service. He described the Law School for Legislators program, which helps lawmakers better understand the judicial branch and its role in family and civil law; the High School Civics Essay Contest, which last year drew more than 120 submissions from students across the state; and the Law School Loan Repayment Assistance Program, which helps public interest attorneys manage student debt. He also announced a new interactive, computer-based educational program being developed in partnership with the New Hampshire Supreme Court to illustrate the role of an independent judiciary.
Harris noted that the Foundation is seeking to raise funds for these projects, which together total more than $200,000.
“If you give us a little money, we can do a little good,” he told attendees. “And the more money you give, the more good we can do.”
That spirit of generosity was already on display earlier in the evening. Before the program began, L. Jonathan Ross of Primmer, Piper, Eggleston & Cramer, PC, presented a $5,000 donation check to the Bar Foundation to support its ongoing work, and a $5,000 check to the Campaign for Legal Services – for a total of $10,000.
Following his remarks, the program transitioned to Assistant Attorney General Brendan O’Donnell, who presented the Robert E. Kirby Award to Nicholas Chong Yen, senior assistant attorney general in the Criminal Justice Bureau. The award honors a young lawyer who demonstrates civility, courtesy, perspective, and excellent advocacy.
O’Donnell, a longtime friend and classmate of Chong Yen, described him as “the perfect candidate for the spirit of the Kirby Award,” citing his professionalism, compassion, and kindness – even in high-stakes situations. He recounted a homicide case in which Chong Yen stepped in shortly before trial to ensure the victim’s family felt supported and represented.
“Nick works hard, he does his job, and he does it well,” O’Donnell said. “But he never lets that get in the way of being courteous and kind to the people he’s dealing with.”
In his acceptance remarks, Chong Yen expressed gratitude to his colleagues, friends, and family.
“Traits like civility, courtesy, and perspective are not earned alone,” he said. “If there is anything I deserve in receiving this award, it’s owed to those I’ve had the honor of working with and practicing alongside.”
To conclude the evening, Harris announced the induction of 13 new Fellows into the New Hampshire Bar Foundation Fellows Program – an honorary organization of attorneys, judges, teachers, and community leaders who have demonstrated outstanding achievement and dedication to public service.
“Fellows support the aims of the Foundation through annual contributions, pro bono work, and participation in activities that advance the mission and work of the Bar Foundation,” Harris said.
The 2025 Annual Dinner celebrated the Foundation’s continued impact through its grants, educational programs, and recognition of excellence in public service. The Bar Foundation thanks the attendees, sponsors, and donors for their continued support in strengthening justice for all.
Those wishing to contribute to the Bar Foundation’s ongoing work may do so at nhbar.org/new-hampshire-bar-foundation/annual-appeal.
