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18 New Hampshire Bar News (n.s.) 1 (2007-2008)

handle is hein.barjournals/nhbn0018 and id is 1 raw text is: ...Supporting Members of the Legal Profession & Their Serice to the Public and Justice System An 0&a P cvai of the New H-ashie Bw Assciai VOL. 18, NO. 1 Tying Legal Knots: NH Has New Civil Union Law By Dan Tuohy Same-sex couples in New Hampshire will enjoy the same rights, responsibilities and obligations as married couples starting New Year's Day 2008. Gov. John Lynch signed into law RSA 457-A, on May 31, which establishes such unions in the state. During the signing ceremony, Lynch called the new law a matter of conscience and fairness. This is the New Hamp- shire way, he said in signing the bill into law. He said the law reflects the state's history of opposing discrimination, dating back to New Hampshire's role in the abolitionist move- ment. With the new law, gay spouses may find themselves navi- gating some complicated legal channels when it comes to benefits, pensions and estate planning. Attorneys specializing in those areas of the law are watch- ing with interest and wondering how New Hampshire will measure up to other states, such as Vermont and Massachu- setts, in the development of this new contract. How such legal arrangements will be dissolved is an- other question, said Douglas R. Chamberlain, an attorney at Sulloway & Hollis with extensive practice in employee law. He is interested in how a pension, for example, will be di- vided up or allocated for either a working or a non-working partner. We're definitely on a learning curve, and we're not that far up it, said Chamberlain. Uov. John Lynch signs into taw tSA 4./-A which establishes the rec- ognition of same-sex civil unions in the State of New Hampshire. Besides dissolution of a civil union, Susan Hassan, an attorney at Getman, Stacey, Schulthess & Steere with ex- pertise in estate planning and probate work, questions the applicability of the law in a case in which a company based in a state that does not recognize civil unions handles the distribution of benefits for civil-union spouses of field agents based in New Hampshire, CIVIL UNION continued on page 28 leeting Update Rudman: L iClerico, Came from 0. f.-lnrw Maher Honored Also... 50-year members profiled June 22-24, 2007 The BALSAMS Hotel See pages 12-15 Uld vcu ..,that you can get law prac- w,9 '/.tice management advice from ABA experts? See page 11. Did you know? is a recurring feature from the NHBA Member Services Department, providing answers to questions about your Bar that you didn't even think to ask. y LaI vYvIS Former US Sena- tor Warren Rudman, the keynote speaker at the New Hampshire Bar Foundation's 2007 Annual Dinner, pro- vided behind-the- scenes details of how he became a cham- pion of federal funding for civil legal services programs. Rudman, who NHBarFoundation served in the US Sen- Jack Middleton, part ate from 1980 to 1992 take die to reconnec and as NH Attorney General in the 1970s, also reminisced about his mentors in the NH legal com- munity and his satisfaction at playing a key role in making quality judicial appoint- ments. He was introduced by NHBA Presi- dent Richard B. McNamara, who served as assistant attorney general during Rudman's tenure. The Bar Foundation dinner, celebrating its 30 ' anniversary, was held May 10, 2007 at C.R. Sparks, Bedford. Rudman said that during his years as NH Attorney General he found that his office increasingly was defending lawsuits egal Services Support Conversion' while AG keynote speaker, Sen. Warren B. Rudiarn, and Attorney ar at the McLane Graf Raulersoan Middleton law firm, t at the Bar Foundation's 30 Anniversary Dinner. brought against various agencies of state government by civil legal services attor- neys, confronting such issues as the treat- ment of the mentally ill in the Laconia State School and conditions for inmates in the state prison system. I learned dur- ing the pendency of those cases, of situa- tions that should have been corrected by the system itself, Rudman said. After he completed his term as Attor- ney General, he worked in private prac- tice at the Sheehan Phinney Bass + Green RUDMAN continued on page 9 JUNE 8, 2007 1 O What's New With Dues? The NHBA dues and court fees mailing goes out this week. Changes are explained. Managing Partners. L. Jonathan Ross, president of the Wiggin & Nourie iaw firm, discusses trends in the legal profession in our series of interviews with managing partners. 24 Solo Exit Plans. Practical Ethics' article by the Ethics Committee provides advice for solo practitioners who are ready to wind down. 2 5 Advocating for Children. Attorney 2Michael Skibbie reports on the Children Law Section members' views on issues involving appointment of counsel for children. 2 6Legalese Reconsidered. Attorney 2Sophie Sparrow reviews Lifting the Fog of Legalese which she says debunks myths about using plain language in legal writing. 27 Rewards of DOVE. Attorney Carol Kunz, of the NHBA New Lawyers Committee explains how volunteering for DOVE program provides real-world trial practice and immediate satisfaction of helping someone. 30 Clerks' Moves. Paula Hurley of Manchester District Court's move to regional administrator, part of a series of changes in clerk positions. He's a builder of stone wails, soon to be a re-builder of a nation.' See page 30. www.nhbar.org 2007 Annual N Judges D I i

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