New England Bar Association Annual Meeting 2025

Schedule of Programming

Thursday, November 6th

Friday, November 7th

Saturday, November 8th

Artificial Intelligence Panel

Robert Lucic – New Hampshire

Robert Lucic serves as chair of the Litigation Department at Sheehan Phinney Bass & Green, PA in Manchester, New Hampshire. He has represented a wide range of manufacturing clients, including aerospace, defense, and high-tech companies, as well as municipal governments for more than 25 years. His practice focuses on environmental litigation and arbitration, and he provides strategic counseling to industrial clients and small businesses.

Lucic is President-Elect of the New Hampshire Bar Association and chair of the NHBA’s Special Committee on Artificial Intelligence. He is also a member of the Environmental & Natural Resources Law Section and a Fellow of the New Hampshire Bar Foundation. He serves as Sheehan Phinney’s liaison with Lex Mundi, where he chairs the North American Environmental Practice Group, and is president of the board for the Squam Lakes Association. He earned his BA from Dartmouth College and his JD from the University of Chicago School of Law.

Stephen Chow – Massachusetts

Stephen Chow, practicing as Stephen Y. Chow, PC, in Boston, Massachusetts, has counseled technology companies from start-up to Fortune 50 for more than 40 years across competition, financial, governance, and intellectual property issues, as both a litigator and transactional lawyer. He currently serves as a neutral in related disputes and has taught at Suffolk University School of Law and Boston University School of Law.

A longtime leader among the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws and the American Law Institute, he has helped shape intellectual property, information privacy, and electronic commerce law. Chow currently leads artificial intelligence policy development for the American Bar Association’s Intellectual Property and Science and Technology Law sections, as well as for the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers. His revised version of the Uniform Trade Secrets Act was adopted by Massachusetts in 2018.

He earned his JD as a Stone Scholar from Columbia University School of Law, his SM in applied physics from Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and his AB, cum laude, in physics and philosophy from Harvard College. He practices in Massachusetts and New York and before the US Patent and Trademark Office and holds a CIPP/US privacy certification.

Justice Erin Lynch Prata – Rhode Island

Justice Erin Lynch Prata of Warwick, Rhode Island, was nominated to the Rhode Island Supreme Court by Governor Gina Raimondo, confirmed by the General Assembly, and sworn in on January 4, 2021. Justice Lynch Prata graduated from Boston College in 1997 and the Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law, magna cum laude, in 2000. Following law school, she clerked for the Honorable Maureen McKenna Goldberg of the Rhode Island Supreme Court before entering private practice in Warwick with a focus on family law.

She served in the Rhode Island Senate beginning in 2009, representing Warwick and Cranston, and chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee. Justice Lynch Prata has received numerous awards, including the Ada Sawyer Award of Excellence from the Rhode Island Women’s Bar Association, Lawyer of the Year from the Kent County Bar Association, the Civic Leadership Award from the National Association of Secretaries of State, and the Equal Justice Award from Rhode Island Legal Services.

Colin Black – Massachusetts

Colin Black is an Associate Professor of Legal Writing at Suffolk University Law School, where he teaches Legal Practice Skills, Professional Responsibility, and Generative AI in the Law. His scholarship focuses on legal ethics, professional identity formation, and the ethical use of generative AI, including a forthcoming article on disclosure duties in AI-assisted lawyering.

A former Boston litigator and US Air Force veteran, Professor Black frequently presents at national conferences on the impact of emerging technologies on legal practice.

IOLTA Panel

 Deb Seltzer – New York

Deb Seltzer is the executive director of the National Association of IOLTA Programs (NAIP), a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization for funders of civil legal aid throughout the United States and Canada. NAIP supports the growth and development of IOLTA programs and works to increase access to justice by supporting the work of more than 60 funders.

Prior to joining NAIP, Seltzer served as the executive director of the Maryland Legal Services Corporation, Maryland’s IOLTA program. She also served on the NAIP Board, the Maryland Access to Justice Commission, the Access to Counsel in Evictions Task Force, and the Delivery of Legal Services Section Council of the Maryland State Bar Association.

Seltzer holds a Master of Public Affairs with a concentration in nonprofit management from Indiana University and a bachelor’s degree in public relations and policy studies from Syracuse University.

Sarah Mattson Dustin – New Hampshire

Sarah Mattson Dustin is the executive director of New Hampshire Legal Assistance (NHLA), a statewide nonprofit law firm providing civil legal aid to people with low income and older adults from offices in Concord, Manchester, Portsmouth, Claremont, and Berlin. A career legal aid lawyer, she has been with NHLA for more than 18 years, first as a staff attorney and later overseeing policy advocacy before becoming Executive Director in 2018.

She began her career as a law clerk for US District Judge Paul Barbadoro after earning both her undergraduate and law degrees, with honors, from Harvard University. She was a Skadden Fellow, received the New Hampshire Bar Foundation’s 2010 Robert E. Kirby Award, and participated in the New Hampshire Bar Association’s inaugural Leadership Academy.

Mattson Dustin currently serves on the New Hampshire Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission and co-chairs its Civil Legal Aid Task Force. She is also active in civic life, serving on boards including the New Hampshire Women’s Foundation, the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, Merrimack County Savings Bank, and New Hampshire Mutual Bancorp.

Committee on Legal Education and Admissions Reform (CLEAR) Report Panel

(See Chief Justice Panel Bios)

Chief Justice Panel

Chief Justice Gordon MacDonald – New Hampshire

Chief Justice Gordon MacDonald was sworn in as Chief Justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court on March 4, 2021, after nearly four years as New Hampshire’s Attorney General. Previously, he was a partner at Nixon Peabody LLP, in Manchester, where he chaired the New Hampshire Board of Bar Examiners and served as a Trustee of the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

Chief Justice MacDonald has long been active in Bar and civic affairs, including co-chairing the Supreme Court Commission on the New Hampshire Bar in the 21st Century and chairing the Campaign for Legal Services. He is the author of Wiebusch on New Hampshire Civil Practice and Procedure (Matthew Bender & Co.).

He earned his AB from Dartmouth College and his JD from Cornell Law School, where he was an article editor for the Cornell Law Review.

Chief Justice Valerie Stanfill – Maine

Chief Justice Valerie Stanfill received her undergraduate degree from Bryn Mawr College and her JD, magna cum laude, from the University of Maine School of Law in 1985. After clerking, she practiced as a trial lawyer for many years before joining the Maine Law faculty, where she taught trial advocacy and clinical practice and served as Acting Director of the Cumberland Legal Aid Clinic. She was sworn in as a District Court Judge in 2007, a Superior Court Justice in 2020, and Chief Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court in 2021.

Chief Justice Stanfill has served in numerous leadership roles, including on the Maine Trial Lawyers Association Board of Governors and the Maine Commission on Domestic and Sexual Abuse. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Conference of Chief Justices and co-chairs the Access and Fairness Committee of CCJ/COSCA.

Chief Justice Kimberly Budd – Massachusetts

Chief Justice Kimberly Budd is the 38th Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Appointed an Associate Justice in 2016 and elevated to Chief Justice in 2020, she previously served as a Superior Court Justice and Regional Administrative Justice for Middlesex Criminal Justice. Her earlier career included roles as a litigation associate at Mintz, Assistant US Attorney in the Major Crimes and Drug Unit, and Associate General Counsel at Harvard University.

Chief Justice Budd earned her BA from Georgetown University and her JD from Harvard Law School. She lives with her husband, William H. Thompson, Jr., and their two adult sons.

Chief Justice Paul Suttell – Rhode Island

Chief Justice Paul Suttell is the 40th Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court and a former President of the Conference of Chief Justices. Appointed to the Rhode Island Supreme Court in 2003 and elevated to Chief Justice in 2009, he has led the court system through the COVID-19 pandemic and established the Committee on Racial and Ethnic Fairness in the Courts.

Chief Justice Suttell previously served as a Family Court judge, a member of the Rhode Island General Assembly, and legal counsel to the House Minority Leader.

He earned his BA in political science from Northwestern University and his JD from Suffolk University Law School. He resides in Little Compton, Rhode Island, with his wife, Mary, and is the proud father of Will and Grace.

Chief Justice Raheem Mullins – Connecticut

Chief Justice Raheem Mullins became Chief Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court on September 30, 2024, after his nomination by Governor Ned Lamont. He is the youngest person ever appointed to the position. A graduate of Clark University and Northeastern University School of Law, Chief Justice Mullins previously served as a Superior Court judge, Appellate Court judge, and Associate Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court.

Earlier in his career, Chief Justice Mullins clerked for Judge Frederick Brown on the Massachusetts Appeals Court and served as an Assistant State’s Attorney and Assistant Attorney General in Connecticut. Chief Justice Mullins is admitted to the Bar of the United States Supreme Court and the Connecticut Bar.

Chief Justice Paul Reiber – Vermont

(No photo)

Chief Justice Paul Reiber was appointed to the Vermont Supreme Court as associate justice in 2003 and as chief justice in 2004. Before his appointment, he practiced law in Rutland, Vermont, for more than 25 years. As Chief Justice, he chaired the Vermont Commission on Judicial Operation, leading major court unification reforms, and continues to serve in national judicial leadership roles, including as former President of the Conference of Chief Justices.

Chief Justice Reiber earned his BA from Hampden-Sydney College and his JD from Suffolk University Law School. He and his wife, Sandi, have two daughters and six grandchildren.

Judge Linda Rekas Sloan – Rhode Island (Panel Moderator)

Linda Rekas Sloan is an Associate Justice of the Rhode Island Superior Court, appointed in 2020 by Governor Gina M. Raimondo. A graduate of Boston University School of Law, she previously practiced law in Rhode Island and Massachusetts and served as President of the Rhode Island Bar Association and the New England Bar Association. She chaired the Bar’s Task Force on Diversity & Inclusion and has taught as an adjunct professor at Roger Williams University School of Law, and Providence College.

Judge Sloan has also served as a West Greenwich Town Council member and is active in multiple civic and nonprofit organizations, including the Pawtuxet Valley Rotary Club.

Lawyers Assistance Panel

Jill O’Neill – New Hampshire

Jill O’Neill is the Executive Director of the New Hampshire Lawyers Assistance Program, where she leads initiatives supporting the well-being of legal professionals and law students. With over 20 years of experience in the mental health field, she has worked extensively on recovery and criminal justice reform, including co-facilitating the Justice-Involved Veteran Task Force and helping establish New Hampshire’s Veterans Court.

O’Neill has testified before Congress and received the NAMI New Hampshire Annual Award for her impact at the intersection of mental health and justice.

Julia Teitel – Maine

Julia Teitel is the Executive Director of the Maine Assistance Program for Lawyers and Judges. Previously, she served as an Assistant Attorney General in the Child Protection Division of the Maine Office of the Attorney General. A graduate of the University of Maine School of Law, where she earned multiple awards for advocacy and clinical work, Teitel has long been active in Maine’s recovery community. She lives in Midcoast Maine with her family and pets.

Shawn Healy, Ph.D. – Massachusetts

Dr. Shawn Healy is the Director of Administrative Operations and a licensed clinical psychologist at Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers in Boston, Massachusetts. He provides clinical consultations and group support to law students, lawyers, and judges, and frequently presents on mental health topics affecting the legal community. Dr. Healy co-chairs the Massachusetts Bar Association’s Lawyer Well-Being Committee and is coauthor of The Full Weight of the Law: How Legal Professionals Can Recognize and Rebound from Depression (ABA, 2017).

David Williams – Connecticut

David Williams is the Executive Director of Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers Connecticut, Inc. (LCL-CT) in Rocky Hill, Connecticut. LCL-CT provides crisis intervention and referral services to the state’s legal community. A former family division professional with nearly 30 years of judicial branch experience, he has long been involved in the recovery community. Williams earned his JD from Quinnipiac University School of Law and a graduate degree from Southern Connecticut State University.

Joshua Simonds – Vermont

Joshua Simonds has been involved in lawyer assistance since law school, beginning with Massachusetts Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers while attending Boston College Law School. After moving to Vermont in 1996, he joined the Vermont Lawyers Assistance Program (VTLAP), where he became Director in the 2010s. A longtime private practitioner, he remains active in national LAP networks and provides direct peer support to Vermont attorneys.

Simonds is known for personally answering every call to the VTLAP hotline – sometimes even the “spam risk” ones – because, as he says, “once it was a lawyer, and picking up made a difference.”

Mike W. Kennedy – Connecticut

Mike Kennedy is the Assistant Executive Director of Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers Connecticut. A practicing attorney for more than 25 years, he brings to the role deep experience with recovery and peer support. Known for his empathy and resilience, Kennedy helps colleagues manage the emotional and physical challenges associated with mental health and substance use in the legal profession. He emphasizes outreach, trust, and action as keys to lawyer well-being.

Nicholas Trott Long – Rhode Island

Nicholas Trott Long serves as an arbitrator, investigator, and mediator, as well as a pro bono attorney for political asylees. He chairs the Rhode Island Bar Association’s Lawyers Helping Lawyers Committee and serves on the American Bar Association’s Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs. His career includes roles as the first General Counsel for Rhode Island’s higher education institutions, Chief Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division, and Assistant District Attorney in Philadelphia. Mr. Long earned his BA from Cornell University and his JD from Columbia University School of Law.

Ethics, Wellness, and AI

Mike Kennedy – Vermont

Mike Kennedy has served as Vermont Bar Counsel since 2012, assisting lawyers and judges in understanding and complying with the Rules of Professional Conduct. From 2000 to 2012, he was Vermont’s Disciplinary Counsel. He graduated from the University of Vermont and the George Washington University Law School. He has chaired and co-chaired numerous committees within the Vermont Judiciary on topics including legal education, well-being, and artificial intelligence.

Kennedy’s awards include the 2022 American Inns of Court Professionalism Award for the Second Circuit and the 2024 Vermont Bar Association Young Lawyers Division Peter J. Hall Award. Outside of the law, Kennedy is a pancreatic cancer survivor, a lifelong Red Sox fan, a retired high school basketball coach, and an avid marathon runner.

Emerging Legal Trends and What It Means for Bar Leaders

Chris Newbold

Chris Newbold is Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of ALPS Lawyers Malpractice Insurance, where he oversees business development and serves as the company’s chief liaison to the bar association community. He is nationally recognized for his leadership in bar strategic planning, the well-being in law movement, and advising regulators on malpractice insurance policy.

Newbold earned his JD from the University of Montana School of Law and his BA from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Candidate for ABA President-Elect

Laura Farber

Laura Farber is a partner focusing on employment and commercial litigation, counseling clients in employment disputes. She has been named among the “Top 50 Women Lawyers in Los Angeles” by the Los Angeles Business Journal. Farber currently serves as Immediate Past Chair of the American Bar Foundation Fellows and as California’s State Delegate in the American Bar Association House of Delegates.

A native of Argentina, she has held numerous ABA leadership roles since 1994 and was honored in 2023 with the Mary V. Orozco Abriendo Caminos Award for leadership, excellence, and public service. Farber earned her JD from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law.

Coming soon!