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Community Engagement

Advocating for the Rule of Law

Hundreds of students and other community members had the opportunity to hear judges and attorneys explain the importance of the rule of law and a judge’s obligation to be fair and impartial without concern for public opinion or partisan politics. During the week of March 1 through March 10, 2023, six judge/attorney pairs fanned out across NH to meet the people we serve where they live, work, and study. The outreach effort was a resounding success; 82% of those responding to the post-event survey said they were Likely or Very Likely to recommend National Judicial Outreach Week events to a friend, colleague, or family member.

Listening

  • We have completed three training sessions with the Mars Hill Group and reached most of the members of the New Hampshire Judicial Branch with an introduction to language and ideas relating to Diversity and Inclusion and cultural competency. Survey results from these trainings are consistently positive, and we estimate that 630 people participated in these trainings (70 in-person clerks/administrators; 60 in-person judicial officers; and about 500 judicial branch employees in a remote session). We are developing a schedule and topics and identifying presenters for ongoing, branch-wide training.
  • Regarding pipeline diversity, we have successfully implemented a standardized process for internship applications and hiring (https://www.courts.nh.gov/careers/new-hampshire-judicial-branch-law-student-internships). As a result, we have dramatically increased the number of applicants and actual interns working at all levels of the court system. For the summer of 2023, the judicial branch received 57 applications and hired 17 interns (4 at the Supreme Court, 8 for Superior Court, and 11 for Circuit Court). For Fall 2023, we have received 12 applications, and hiring is ongoing. Historically we have not maintained data on past internship hiring, but anecdotally the Superior Court took on approximately twice as many interns as are typically hired.
  • During a recent weekday evening in February, three Steering Committee members met with selected PFLAG NH board members for a listening session. We were gratified to have the opportunity to hear both negative and positive experiences. As we advance, the Steering Committee and the board will work together to identify shortcomings and training opportunities in the court system. We will continue our dialogue and identify additional opportunities to listen and be heard.

Outreach

  • Our outreach efforts for internships and law clerk positions included broad contact with law schools on the eastern seaboard from Maine to the mid-Atlantic states. We also participated in in-person panel discussions about law clerk opportunities with area law schools, including UNH and New England Law|Boston. We also were invited to participate in the pilot phase of a nationwide law school hiring platform developed by the National Center for State Courts called CORA (Court Opportunity Recruitment for All) (https://www.ncsc.org/consulting-and-research/areas-of-expertise/racial-justice/resources/workforce/cora).
  • Judges and law clerks engaged in a “Meet the Judges” Event at UNH Law School organized and co-sponsored by Career Services and the Diversity Coalition. The Judicial Branch also participates in a “Meet the Judiciary” panel with summer associates engaged in the Diversity Internship Program organized and sponsored by New Hampshire law firms. In addition, judges regularly participate in ongoing civics education with grade school students throughout New Hampshire.

Going Beyond Diversity and Inclusion

Access to Justice

  • The NH Judicial Branch will launch an ARPA-funded Access to Justice Program to improve the court experience for unrepresented litigants. Projects focus on robust technology, more accessible legal information, and simplified processes to ensure all NH residents are treated fairly and respectfully.
  • The NH Supreme Court law library and selected public libraries across the state provide access to legal research information (Westlaw)
  • Private computer kiosks are available in the Law Library available to use for remote court proceedings

We’ve improved resources for those with limited English proficiency or with disabilities that create barriers to the legal system: 

  • Legal Guides about Domestic Violence and Stalking with subtitles in English, Spanish, and Arabic
  • The New Hampshire Circuit Court and the Office of Mediation and Arbitration have created a video designed to help landlords and tenants navigate the eviction process in New Hampshire. The video is broken into three sections: (1) Before Court Involvement, Including Mediation, (2) The Landlord-Tenant Writ and Appearance, and (3) The Court Hearing. The video is also subtitled in English, French, Portuguese, Arabic, and Spanish.

Click here to see the video: Navigating the New Hampshire Eviction Process - YouTube

Mental Health Initiatives

In 2022, the New Hampshire Judicial Branch commenced an initiative “Improving the Court and Community Response to Individuals Experiencing Mental Illness” led by Chief Justice MacDonald and Director Dianne Martin. The Branch is collaborating with stakeholders, including DHHS, DOC, NAMI-NH, State Police, and others. The team working on the initiative has identified goals that are currently being worked on, including conducting a survey of Judicial Branch personnel to determine how the Branch can support its employees and judicial officers in serving those who come into the courts experiencing mental illness, implementing sequential intercept mapping across the State in collaboration with the counties, and hosting a summit to bring education and understanding on the related issues. The Branch also created a full-time Mental Health and Wellness Coordinator to facilitate health and wellness initiatives for staff and judicial officers.