½ðÁ«Ö±²¥

A Note from Rudman Center Executive Director Anna Brown

Anna Brown, Rudman Center Executive Director

Dear Friends,

As 2025 draws to a close, I want to share my deep gratitude for the community we've built together through the Warren B. Rudman Center.

In a time when government agencies and nonprofits face historic budget cuts and uncertainty, the Rudman Center and UNH Franklin Pierce Law students are working to strengthen New Hampshire’s network of public service institutions.

• Powerful Partnerships: This fall we collaborated with nonprofits including the NH Supreme Court Society, NH Humanities, 603 Legal Aid, NHPR, and the NH Bar Foundation to host enlightening events.
• Civic Engagement: We brought together lawyers, legislators, students, and the public to tackle difficult subjects, from the separation of powers to civic duty in times of crisis.
• Celebrating Service: We proudly recognized students and attorneys dedicated to public service at the Duggan-Friedman award ceremony.
• Tangible Support: Our students provided over 22,500 hours of legal service through the Rudman Summer Fellows program and placed more than a dozen legal cases during our annual Pro Bono Marathon.

Next year, as we approach the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the Center is committed to inspiring all Granite Staters to recommit to the core values of our nation’s founding documents:justice, inalienable rights, and equality. 

Thank you for being an essential part of this work. Together, we are not just training the next generation of public-service leaders; we are actively enriching civic life in the Granite State.

Warmly,

Anna Brown

Executive Director, Warren B. Rudman Center for Justice, Leadership & Public Service UNH Franklin Pierce ½ðÁ«Ö±²¥

Legal Ethics and Civic Duty in Divided Times: Lessons from January 6 and Charlottesville

A Conversation with Attorney and Author Timothy J. Heaphy

Rudman Center Director Anna Brown and attorney Timothy J. Heaphy.

Attorney Timothy J. Heaphy discussed his views on the root causes of political violence, as well as possible remedies – the subject of his book Harbingers: What January 6 and Charlottesville Reveal About Rising Threats to American Democracy. Heaphy oversaw the investigation into the 2017 riot in Charlottesville, Virginia, and was Chief Investigative Counsel of the House of Representatives Select Committee to investigate the January 6th attack on the United States Capitol.   Watch the event . Read our summary of the event here.

I believe that if everybody in America engages, educates himself or herself thoughtfully, interacts with other people, votes, raises her hand, does what people in a democracy I think are duty bound to do, we're good. We're fine. I have a lot of faith in the essential goodness of Americans. Republicans and Democrats have more in common than separate them.                                                                             -- Timothy Heaphy

This event was part of the Alison Curelop Series in Ethics, Professionalism and Civility.

Attorney David M. Stamatis Receives Pro Bono Award, Katie Burrows, 3L, Receives Inaugural Duggan Scholarship

During a gathering honoring the recipients of the Annual Bruce E. Friedman Pro Bono Award and the inaugural James Duggan Scholarship,  friends and colleagues remembered Bruce Friedman and James Duggan as steadfast advocates for the disenfranchised.  David M. Stamatis of Parnell, Michels & McKay, PLLC, received the13th Annual Pro Bono Bruce E. Friedman Award, and Katie Burrows, 3L student, received the inaugural Professor James E. Duggan Scholarship.   Read more about the reception, the awards, and the award recipients here.

Lawyers are trained to think:  I’ve got to solve this problem. But people aren't puzzles. You can't really solve them. You can be an effective practitioner while showing compassion. You can demonstrate empathy without sacrificing your skills as a lawyer. If this award stands for anything, it stands for the principle that you can give exemplary service without the need to be paid to do it. Indeed, I’d argue that doing pro bono work makes you a better lawyer.                                                     -- David Stamatis

The Remaking of America's Constitution: An Evening with 

Akhil Reed Amar and Laura Knoy

Akhil Reed Amar and Laura Knoy

Constitutional scholar Akhil Reed Amar and Laura Knoy discussed the abiding significance of the opening line of Lincoln’s Gettysburg address, and the transformative Constitutional amendments inspired by Lincoln’s ideal of birth equality -- topics at the core of Amar’s new book, Born Equal: Remaking America’s Constitution, 1840–1920.   The conversation was hosted by the Rudman Center and .

This event will air on NHPBS in January. For the broadcast schedule, visit . 

Courts, Coffers, and the Separation of Powers

A Constitution Week Discussion on the Separation of Powers and Fiscal Responsibility in the Granite State

Annmarie Timmins, Henry Klementowicz, and Rep. Bob Lynn

Henry Klementowicz, deputy legal director at the ACLU of New Hampshire, and Representative Bob Lynn, former Chief Justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court, discussed the roles of the state’s courts and legislature and how they have battled at times over issues related to school funding, mental health, and corrections, particularly in light of key New Hampshire Supreme Court precedents.  NHPR reporter Annmarie Timmins moderated the discussion.  Visit to listen to NHPR’s broadcast of the discussion.  And visit here to read our summary. 

It’s really important when we think about separation of powers to also think about checks and balances and also accountability between the branches -- and to each other.       -- Henry Klementowicz                                                                                                                         

The Rudman Center celebrates the inspiring work of our Rudman Summer Fellows 

Rudman Summer Fellowships support 1L and 2L JD students who work in the summer for government agencies and non-profits that perform public interest legal work. In the summer of 2025, 69 students worked as Rudman Summer Fellows, many in New Hampshire. Students also found positions in Vermont, Virginia, New Jersey, and New York.  Visit here to see where they all worked.   And visit here to read and watch videos of our interviews with Summer Fellows about their amazing experiences.   

If you are interested in contributing to our Rudman Summer Fellows program, the James Duggan Scholarship, or the Bruce E. Friedman Pro Bono Award, please visit . And thank you for your support. 

Stay tuned for a great lineup of 2026 events, including Leadership Unplugged: Lessons on Service & Success in New Hampshire on January 28. 

Hosted by  in partnership with the Rudman Center, Leadership Unplugged brings together two Leadership New Hampshire alumni from different political backgrounds who have helped shape civic life for decades: recently retired Congresswoman Ann McLane Kuster and recently retired New Hampshire Supreme Court Justice James Bassett.  Professor Lucy Hodder, Director of Health and Life Sciences Law, will moderate the discussion.  Register .