Dean Hutson Receives 2009 Civil Justice Award

Dean John D. Hutson expressed surprise Thursday night when he was given
the Civil Justice Award at the Annual Meeting and Dinner of the New Hampshire Association for Justice (NHAJ).   Attending the dinner to give the keynote address, Dean Hutson did not realize that judges, legislators and attorneys from the trial bar also had chosen him this year's recipient of the Civil Justice Award in recognition of his outstanding commitment to the improvement and preservation of the American civil justice system.

The Civil Justice Award was established in 1996 to recognize individuals who have demonstrated a long-term commitment to the goals for which the New Hampshire Association for Justice was established: to promote the administration of justice for the public good, uphold the honor and dignity of the profession of law, uphold the right of trial by jury, preserve and enhance the rights of persons to have access to the Courts and the American system of justice, and to afford everyone a full, fair and timely remedy for wrongs done. Dean Hutson was honored for his work to ensure human rights, especially as pertain to Guantanamo Bay detainees.

Ellen Shemitz, Executive Director of NHAJ, explained, "Dean Hutson's appreciation of the rule of law underscores the importance of the NHAJ mission to protect constitutional rights and assure justice for all."

In his keynote, Dean Hutson addressed the issues surrounding the critical role of the law in setting parameters for public and private actions and in assuring accountability on local, national and international levels. As the NHAJ reported, "Dean Hutson is uniquely suited to address this topic as a retired United States Navy rear admiral, attorney, former Judge Advocate General of the Navy, and current dean of the Franklin Pierce Law Center."

The NHAJ Annual Dinner also celebrated the passing of the gavel to a new President of the Board of Governors, and excellence in civil justice advocacy.  Current Board President Scott Harris, of the McLane Law Firm, ceded leadership to his law partner, Ralph Holmes. Other awards were handed to Justice Richard Galway, the Judicial Achievement Award, and Timothy C. Coughlin of Coughlin, Rainboth, Murphy & Lown in Portsmouth, NH received
the President's Award.