By Grace Yurish
The New Hampshire Bar Association’s 2024 Annual Meeting, held at the Grand Summit Hotel at Attitash in Bartlett last month, was a resounding success. Nearly 240 attendees gathered from June 7-9 for a weekend filled with activities, networking, and ceremonies. This year’s meeting was one of the most well-attended in the past decade, with a significant portion of participants attending for the first time.
Among them was Devon Ayer, who graduated from the NHBA’s Leadership Academy during the event.
“Working for the Public Defender, I already participate in many CLEs and events, so I didn’t feel a need to engage in Bar Association events. This year, I had to attend as part of my Leadership Academy requirements, and I’m really glad that I went,” Ayer says.
Initially, Ayer perceived these events as more suited for private attorneys and their firms. However, her experience at the Annual Meeting shifted her perspective.
“Despite the large number of private attorneys, everyone was welcoming and interested in connecting with me,” she says.
This sentiment was echoed by other first-time attendees, including NHBA Executive Director Sarah Blodgett, who found the event to be an inclusive environment, helpful for building new relationships.
“I thought it was fantastic,” Blodgett says. “It was really fun, and I got to meet a lot of people that I’ve never had any interaction with before. The sense of camaraderie was really inspiring.”
The theme of the weekend was “Elevating Connections and Fostering Family Fun.” To highlight this, the NHBA organized a variety of activities including a guided hike, a wine tasting, a brewery bus tour, and a Mount Washington Summit shuttle tour. These activities provided attendees with opportunities to interact outside of their usual work settings.
“I think especially since COVID, everybody is a bit more isolated and it’s easier to be impatient, or less than cordial when you don’t have a personal relationship with people,” Blodgett says. “Being together outside the courthouse and outside our offices is a chance to just connect as people.”
Newly admitted attorney Christina Kranias, who was sworn in just two weeks before the Annual Meeting, highlighted the value of these activities with regard to networking.
“[The Annual Meeting] takes the pressure off, especially being new to the field,” she says. “There’s a lot of very experienced attorneys and judges, so the meeting was a great place to meet people on a more casual level and break those barriers a little bit.”
One of the most significant takeaways from the meeting was the sense of community and collegiality among the attendees.
“It was great to see the Bar Association as a community that welcomes everyone,” Ayer says. “I think it’s really important that we have a strong and collegial Bar. These types of events help bring us together and step out of our typical roles and see lawyers on a personal level. Because of this experience, I’m now more likely to attend future NHBA events.”
Kranias emphasizes the importance of these events in building connections within the relatively small New Hampshire legal community.
“In other states, you may only work with an attorney once in your life. Here, you’re going to work with the same attorneys regularly,” she says. “Going to these events helps build connections with those people because you’re going to see them and work with them all the time.”
Both Ayer and Kranias encourage younger and newly admitted attorneys to attend NHBA events.
“I definitely recommend people attend NHBA events, and I think we need to get some of the younger members of the Bar involved,” Ayer says. “They didn’t come in big numbers, but it’s important that they go and have that experience to know they are part of an Association that comes together and is very collegial and welcoming.”
Kranias adds, “Being such a new attorney, I don’t know many faces. It can be slightly intimidating to join a Bar where everyone is well-connected. So, being able to attend a meeting where things are more relaxed, it’s easier to meet people.”
The 2024 NHBA Annual Meeting highlighted the power of professional gatherings in fostering a connection among members. For first-time attendees like Ayer, Blodgett, and Kranias, the event provided a welcoming and inclusive environment to build new relationships and gain a deeper appreciation for the Association.
“The Annual Meeting is a great opportunity to introduce yourself to other attorneys in the state and get to know a bit about how the Bar can support you in your legal career,” Blodgett says.
The NHBA’s 2025 Midyear Meeting will be held on February 21 at the Doubletree by Hilton in Manchester.