By Tom Jarvis
Sixty attorneys, judges, and family members gathered at the Bedford Village Inn on April 13 for the New Hampshire Bar Association’s annual Celebration of 50 Years in Practice luncheon. This year, the NHBA recognized 68 members of the Bar who have reached a half-century in the legal profession, including 31 who attended the luncheon.
The occasion provided an opportunity to honor attorneys whose careers have spanned decades of change in the law, the courts, legal education, technology, and the profession itself.
“Celebrating 50 years in practice is about much more than a milestone – it’s about recognizing a lifetime of dedication to the profession and to the people it serves,” NHBA Executive Director Sarah Blodgett says. “These attorneys have helped shape the culture, values, and collegiality of the New Hampshire Bar, and it’s an honor to bring everyone together to recognize their impact.”
During the event, Blodgett also acknowledged the honorees’ longtime commitment to clients, the legal system, and the integrity of the profession, noting that their leadership has helped guide firms, influence courts, strengthen institutions, and set standards for future generations of attorneys.
NHBA President Derek Lick addressed the honorees, recognizing the depth of knowledge and experience represented in the room. As part of his remarks, Lick invited the 50-year practitioners in attendance to share one or two pieces of advice they would offer to new members of the Bar being sworn in this year.
The exercise gave the program a forward-looking element, connecting the experience of attorneys who began practicing in 1976 with those of attorneys just entering the profession. It also reflected one of the recurring themes of the event: that the value of 50 years in practice is measured not only in longevity, but in what is passed along to others.
“This year’s group of 50-year Bar members includes some of the most respected and revered practitioners in the state, and they are a true inspiration,” Lick says. “It was wonderful to hear their advice about how to have a successful legal career, with the benefit of hindsight sharply focused by their years of experience. Their mentoring continues.”
All five members of the New Hampshire Supreme Court – Chief Justice Gordon MacDonald and Justices Daniel Will, Melissa Countway, Patrick Donovan, and Bryan Gould – attended the luncheon.
“This has quickly become an important and meaningful event for members of the Court,” says Chief Justice MacDonald. “It is a privilege to be in the presence of so many accomplished professionals, to have them share their memories and perspectives, and to join with them in celebrating such a remarkable milestone.”
After lunch, Justices Melissa Countway and Daniel Will presented commemorative plaques to each of the 50-year practitioners individually.
For Fred Coolbroth Sr., the luncheon brought him back to the people and institutions that shaped the beginning of his legal career.
Coolbroth, who has served on the New Hampshire Board of Bar Examiners since 1987 and participated in the adoption of the Uniform Bar Exam and the development of the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law’s Daniel Webster Scholar Honors Program, says the event had personal meaning.
“It was wonderful to reconnect with colleagues who were around at the outset of this 50-year adventure, including a law school classmate and a high school classmate,” he says.
The sense of connection among those gathered also stood out.
“New Hampshire truly is a special place to practice law, and the collegiality that characterizes the New Hampshire Bar could be felt throughout the event,” Coolbroth says.
Russell Hilliard, a former NHBA president and New Hampshire Bar Foundation chair, says the luncheon placed the passage of time and the arc of a legal career in perspective.
“My overwhelming thought was gratitude that I was there and still enjoying life and practice,” he says. “It placed in perspective that all of us were fortunate to have experienced a half century of changes and challenges, and were together to celebrate and reminisce.”
The gathering also highlighted the different paths attorneys followed after starting from a common point.
“There were about 30 of us there, and I was struck by our different paths since studying together for the bar examination,” Hilliard says. “I had professional contact over the years with only a handful of them, yet we had arrived together at this spot.”
As in past years, the event also served as a reminder of the changes the honorees have witnessed since entering practice. Over five decades, the profession has moved from typewriters and paper files to computers, electronic filing, virtual hearings, and artificial intelligence. Law firms, courts, and legal organizations have changed in size, structure, and technology, while the New Hampshire Bar has continued to evolve.
For those in attendance, the luncheon offered a chance to reflect on the relationships, experiences, and professional values that have connected them across five decades.
A special commemorative booklet recognizing all 68 members celebrating 50 years in practice was distributed to luncheon attendees. The booklet can be viewed at nhbar.org/50-year-member-booklet.