CONCORD, NH – Governor Chris Sununu today announced that he will nominate Anna Barbara (“Bobbie”) Hantz Marconi of Stratham to serve as the next Associate Justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court. The nomination will be made at the June 7 Executive Council meeting. If confirmed, Hantz will be only the third woman in history to hold a seat on the New Hampshire Supreme Court, joining Chief Justice Linda Stewart Dalianis, and Associate Justice Carol Ann Conboy.
“I am incredibly proud to nominate Bobbie to New Hampshire’s highest court,” said Governor Chris Sununu. “One of the Granite State’s sharpest legal minds, Bobbie is an outstanding legal talent with in-depth knowledge of the law and a diversity of experiences. She will make innumerable contributions to the New Hampshire Supreme Court. Throughout her distinguished career, she has exhibited a passion for the law and public service, both of which will serve her well as she brings a fresh perspective to decisions on the most pressing legal questions facing our state.”
Hantz is currently a shareholder at Sheehan, Phinney, Bass & Green, P.A. where she serves on the Management Committee. Her practice focuses on civil litigation, with significant concentrations in land use, construction defects, insurance coverage, partnership disputes, trust and estates, family law, and contract disputes. Long regarded as one of New Hampshire’s top litigators, Hantz was recently recognized as one of the 2017 Best Lawyers in America.
Governor Sununu made his selection from a list of recommended candidates received from his bi-partisan Judicial Selection Commission.
“I am immensely honored by this nomination,” said Bobbie Hantz. “As a member of New Hampshire’s highest court, I will have no greater responsibility than upholding the rule of law, and I thank Governor Sununu and the Judicial Selection Commission for putting my name forward. I am truly humbled and energized by the opportunity to serve our great state.”
A 1977 graduate of the University of New Hampshire, Hantz received her law degree from Chicago Kent College of Law in 1992, after a law school career which included service on Law Review and membership in the Order of the Coif. After law school, Bobbie served as a judicial law clerk to Justices Caroline Glassman and Robert B. Clifford of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. During her time in private practice, she has continued to make significant contributions to the legal academy by authoring or co-authoring numerous articles over her twenty five year legal career.
Hantz has also demonstrated a consistent commitment to public service through many statewide and community endeavors, including but not limited to service on Governor John Lynch’s Judicial Selection Commission from 2005-2011, as a representative for the New Hampshire Women’s Bar Association, and as a member of the New Hampshire Board of Bar Examiners. Further, she is a member of the New Hampshire Association for Justice, and participates in the New Hampshire Bar Pro Bono Referral Program and Domestic Violence Emergency (DOVE) Project. Hantz previously served on the Board of the Manchester Community Music School in Manchester, and on the Board of New Hampshire Legal Assistance.
Kate Hanna, former Legal Counsel to Governor John Lynch and former Chair of the State’s first Judicial Selection Commission under Governor Jeanne Shaheen said of the announcement, “I cannot think of a finer choice for the NH Supreme Court than Bobbie Hantz. As one of Bobbie’s partners at Sheehan Phinney Bass & Green, I have observed firsthand her depth and breadth of knowledge of the law, her compassion for people from all walks of life, and her impeccable integrity. At a time when Republicans and Democrats find it difficult to agree on anything, I applaud Governor Sununu for carrying on the New Hampshire tradition of nominating a wise and measured person for our Supreme Court whose credentials are unassailable.”
Former New Hampshire Congressman and Supreme Court Justice Chuck Douglas said of the nomination, “As Chair of Governor Sununu’s Judicial Selection Commission, I can say that there was no shortage of qualified candidates, but Bobbie Hantz quickly rose to the top. One of the Granite State’s preeminent lawyers, Bobbie will serve New Hampshire with distinction, and I commend Governor Chris Sununu for nominating such a qualified candidate.”
Following the nomination at the June 7 Executive Council meeting, a confirmation vote will likely take place at the June 21st Executive Council meeting.
