A Celebration of Public Service
Join us on October 23 as we present the Professor James E. Duggan Scholarship and the 13th Annual Bruce E. Friedman Pro Bono Award.
To honor Professor Duggan’s memory, the UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law has established the Professor James E. Duggan Scholarship Fund, providing financial aid to 3Ls planning careers as public defenders.
The Annual Bruce E. Friedman Pro Bono Award honors a University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law graduate and member of the New Hampshire bar who exemplifies Bruce Friedman’s commitment to representing the indigent through exemplary pro bono service. The Bruce E. Friedman Pro Bono Award is sponsored by The Warren B. Rudman Center for Justice, Leadership & Public Service and 603 Legal Aid.
When: October 23, 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Where: UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law, IP Atrium, 2 White Street, Concord, N.H.
This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.
Register HERE by October 22.
James E. Duggan
James E. Duggan
James E. Duggan opened a public defender’s office in Manchester in the mid-1970s, leading that program for several years and shaping its expansion. He began teaching at what was then the Franklin Pierce Law Center in Concord in 1977 and founded
the Appellate Defender Office to represent those appealing their convictions to the state's highest court. In addition to his teaching, Duggan served as Interim Dean at the law school. He also served on the State’s Supreme Court for 10 years before retiring in 2011. Duggan is remembered as a uniquely inspirational teacher, a dedicated judge, and a passionate defender of those accused of crimes. It is not hyperbole to say our Public Defender program is stamped with his devotion to justice.
Bruce E. Friedman
Bruce E. Friedman
Professor Friedman was the Director of the law school's Civil Practice Clinic and taught Civil Procedure for many years. A former staff attorney at New Hampshire Legal Assistance, he was known for his passionate work on behalf of the disadvantaged and vulnerable and for taking on cases many deemed losing causes because he believed clients deserved an advocate for their day in Court. His work inspired countless law students to become volunteers through the Pro Bono Program. Among his many accomplishments, Bruce helped set up the Children’s Lobby, working with them to establish a health insurance program for low and moderate-income children. He helped community groups develop decent housing for low and moderate-income families. In the field of family law, he helped set up the first mediation program in New Hampshire. He helped spearhead a legislative initiative to require parents who are separating to attend child-impact seminars, and he brought a suit to ensure that the state had enough social workers to investigate allegations of child abuse or neglect in a timely fashion. He graduated from the University of Michigan and Harvard Law School.
