The chief justice we know
This week, the Valley News carried a Concord Monitor article describing Chief Justice Gordon MacDonald’s resignation from the New Hampshire Supreme Court. That article failed to capture the chief justice as we, his interns, knew him: a public servant dedicated to stewardship of the court system, legal accessibility, and education.
In our experience, the chief approached his work with care and resolve. He brought attention to everything and everyone. His words and questions were intentional, and he made those around him — including us interns — feel respected. Across the oral arguments we attended, we admired the curiosity behind his shrewd questions.
He brought the same attentiveness to his commitment to civics education. He annually co-presided over a naturalization ceremony at Hanover High School with characteristic reverence, before eagerly answering questions from constitutional law students. He also welcomed countless classes into the courtroom.
Chief Justice MacDonald chaired the Conference of Chief Justices’ Committee on Legal Education and Admissions Reform. We saw his passion for promoting access to justice in legal deserts and his efforts to modernize legal education to close the justice gap. He endeavored to restore faith in the judicial system through results rather than public relations.
In the spirit of the chief’s refreshingly nonpartisan approach, we should recognize his remarkable public service with the gratitude it merits rather than the partisanship it contravenes.