The Honorable Carol Ann Conboy JD ’78 Appointed to New Hampshire Supreme Court

In a unanimous vote, the Executive Council has confirmed the appointment of Carol Ann Conboy to the Supreme Court of the State of New Hampshire, making her the first Franklin Pierce Law Center graduate and the second woman to sit on the Court.

Dean John D. Hutson spoke for the entire Pierce Law community when he stated, ""We are very proud to have one of our alumni and a longtime Trustee elevated to New Hampshire's highest court where she joins former professor and dean James Duggan. Judge Conboy has been an esteemed jurist for many years and this appointment bodes well for justice in New Hampshire."

In making the announcement, Governor John Lynch said, "Throughout her career she has distinguished herself through her judicial temperament and in-depth knowledge of the law," an assessment echoed by Professor Chuck Temple of Pierce Law’s Criminal Clinic.

“My students and I have appeared before Judge Conboy in a variety of trials and hearings over the course of the last six years. She defines the meaning of justice. She is an ideal real model for our students.”

In accepting her appointment, Judge Conboy will be resigning from the New Hampshire Superior Court where she has served since 1992.

Becoming only the second woman to serve the Bench will be unlikely to faze the Judge. She was a lieutenant in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War, a time when few serving in the armed forces were female. And her 1978 Pierce Law graduating class of 94 included only 17 women.

Her pioneering bent is not limited to gender-specific accomplishments, however. When she was first nominated to the Court in June, many in the legal community noted her leadership in introducing innovative legal tools to her courtroom.

In addition to serving as Superior Court Judge, Conboy is a trustee on the board of Pierce Law.