[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 216 (Wednesday, December 15, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9179-S9181]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                   Nomination of Samantha D. Elliott

  Madam President, I also rise today to support Samantha Elliott's 
nomination to serve on the U.S. District Court for the District of New 
Hampshire.
  Our court system was established to serve as an independent arbiter 
that would deliver equal justice under the law, and our democracy 
requires an independent and impartial judiciary for us to continue 
moving forward as a nation. I am confident that, if confirmed, Samantha 
Elliott will bring the necessary impartiality, experience, and 
commitment to justice to the Federal bench.
  A resident of Concord, NH, Ms. Elliott has spent years representing 
Granite Staters and has been a leader within the New Hampshire legal 
community. In her legal practice, she has represented clients at every 
level of New Hampshire's State court, the U.S. District Court for the 
District of New Hampshire, and the First Circuit Court of Appeals.
  Throughout her career, Ms. Elliott has earned the respect and 
admiration of those within the legal community. With the support of her 
peers, she has been selected for inclusion in the ``Best Lawyers in 
America'' as well as in the ``New England Super Lawyers.'' These awards 
are a testament to the reputation that she has built in and outside the 
courtroom.
  For this role on the U.S. District Court for the District of New 
Hampshire in particular, members of the American Bar Association's 
Standing Committee unanimously found Ms. Elliott to be ``well 
qualified''--a distinction that reflects Ms. Elliott's integrity, 
professional competence, and temperament.
  I also want to note Ms. Elliott's impressive record of using her 
professional expertise to give back to her community and to our State. 
She has served on the board of New Hampshire Legal Assistance and with 
the Legal Advice and Referral Center, which is dedicated to providing 
legal services to low-income Granite Staters. This year, she became 
cochair of the founding board of directors for 603 Legal Aid--another 
critical resource and legal support system for those in need. She has 
taken on all of these roles while also fulfilling leadership roles 
within her own firm and tending to a robust legal practice of her own.
  Members of New Hampshire's small and tight-knit legal community 
marvel at Ms. Elliott's time management skills as well as her wide-
ranging practice and capacity as an attorney. But what drives her 
colleagues' respect and admiration is her clear-eyed and passionate 
commitment to ensuring that everyone in our democracy has access to 
justice and her understanding that lawyers are privileged to be able to 
provide it.
  Samantha Elliott will be a fairminded, balanced, and intellectually 
curious judge who will serve Granite Staters with distinction on the 
U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire. I look forward 
to voting in favor of her nomination, and I urge all of my colleagues 
to do the same.

[[Page S9180]]

  I know that my colleague Senator Shaheen is here today to speak about 
Ms. Elliott's experience as well.
  I yield the floor to the Senator.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Hampshire.
  Mrs. SHAHEEN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to speak for 
up to 5 minutes before the vote.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mrs. SHAHEEN. Madam President, I am really pleased to join my 
colleague Senator Hassan to speak in support of Samantha Elliott's 
nomination to the Federal District Court for the District of New 
Hampshire.
  As we heard from Senator Hassan, Samantha Elliott has had an amazing 
public service career. Her professional experience and commitment to 
ensuring equal access to justice make her eminently qualified to serve 
on the Federal bench. She will make an excellent addition to the 
Federal district court in New Hampshire.
  Now, Samantha actually came to the practice of law in a less 
traditional way. She started out first as a writer for magazines before 
she and her husband flipped a coin to see who would go to law school. 
After graduating from Columbia Law School--she obviously won the toss--
she joined Gallagher, Callahan and Gartrell, a law firm in Concord, our 
capital city.
  Since becoming an attorney, Samantha has litigated before Federal and 
State courts, handling an impressive collection of matters that 
involves complex areas of law. She has also served in a variety of 
leadership positions at her firm, including serving as president for 5 
years.
  During the selection process, Samantha always came back to the 
importance of equal access to justice, saying at one point: ``No one 
closes or opens doors to access to justice like a judge does.'' 
Samantha knows firsthand, through her extensive work with the New 
Hampshire legal aid community, just how correct that saying is.
  For 9 years, she served on the joint board of the New Hampshire Legal 
Assistance and the Legal Advice and Referral Center, and she has held 
various roles on its executive committee. Samantha has also spent more 
than 2\1/2\ years on a special committee that has met every other 
Monday to revisit the structure of legal aid in New Hampshire. Just 
think about that--every other Monday for 2\1/2\ years to better 
restructure legal aid in New Hampshire. These tireless efforts 
culminated in the creation of 603 Legal Aid, which is a new entity that 
will increase access to justice for New Hampshire's low-income 
residents.
  Samantha has consistently demonstrated her commitment to ensuring 
that everyone has access to justice no matter what their socioeconomic 
status. As a result of her commitment, her tenacity, and her respect 
for the law, Samantha's nomination has garnered widespread support 
throughout the New Hampshire legal community, including from Chuck 
Douglas, who is a former Republican Representative to Congress and New 
Hampshire Supreme Court Justice. Now, he has only ever faced Samantha 
as an adversary in litigation, but he said she is an ``excellent lawyer 
who is creative and diligent and exhibits the highest standards of our 
profession.''
  In addition to former Justice Douglas, Samantha's nomination is 
supported by a diverse collection of attorneys and others in the New 
Hampshire legal community, including the New Hampshire Women's Bar 
Association; Judge Gary Hicks, who is a current supreme court justice 
in New Hampshire, a senior associate; and George Moore, the executive 
director of the New Hampshire Bar Association, to name just a few of 
those who have weighed in with letters of support.
  Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to have these letters of 
support printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                         New Hampshire Women's Bar


                                                  Association,

                                                  October 4, 2021.
     Re: Nomination of Samantha Elliott to the United States 
         District Court for the District of New Hampshire
       Dear Chairman Durbin and Ranking Member Grassley: On behalf 
     of the unanimous Board of Directors of the New Hampshire 
     Women's Bar Association, and in my personal capacity as her 
     law partner, I write, collectively with the Board, in support 
     of Samantha Elliott's nomination for the United States 
     District Court for the District of New Hampshire. We urge the 
     Committee and full Senate to promptly review and confirm her 
     nomination.
       Since admission to the bar, Attorney Elliott has spent her 
     entire legal career practicing in New Hampshire. She has 
     represented plaintiffs and defendants, individuals, 
     corporations, and governmental entities. She has handled 
     matters in nearly all areas of civil practice, such as 
     commercial disputes, employment and discrimination, product 
     liability, property rights, and municipal defense in civil 
     rights litigation. She has successfully represented clients 
     in litigation, trials, and appeals in every New Hampshire 
     state court, the United States District Court for the 
     District of New Hampshire, and the First Circuit Court of 
     Appeals.
       In addition to her legal work, Attorney Elliott has 
     dedicated over a decade towards volunteer board work in 
     service to legal aid, first with New Hampshire Legal 
     Assistance and the Legal Advice and Referral Center, and then 
     603 Legal Aid. Attorney Elliott frequently speaks on lawyers' 
     continuing legal education panels, including multiple years 
     with the Federal Practice Institute. She is an active member 
     of the American Inns of Court, and has served on both the New 
     Hampshire Court Accreditation Commission and the Federal 
     Court Advisory Committee.
       The New Hampshire Women's Bar Association Board of 
     Directors strongly supports Attorney Elliott's nomination to 
     the federal bench. Attorney Elliott is an outstanding member 
     of our legal community. She possesses the mental acumen and 
     temperament to decide matters fairly and impartially. She 
     would be an asset to the federal judiciary, and we strongly 
     recommend her appointment.
           Sincerely,
         Caroline K. Leonard, NHWBA President 2020-2022; Christina 
           A. Ferrari, Immediate Past President; Katherine E. 
           Hedges, Treasurer; Lyndsay N. Robinson, Networking 
           Chair; Meredith R. Farrell, Public Relations Chair; 
           Christine Hilliard, Public Service Chair; Emily Gray 
           Rice, Member at large; Marrielle B. Van Rossum, Member 
           at large; Lindsey B. Courtney, Vice President; Brooke 
           Lovett Shilo, Secretary; Alexandra S. Cote, Membership 
           Chair; Shauna Segelke, Programming Chair; Terri M. 
           Harrington, Member at large; Courtney G. Tanner, Member 
           at large.
                                  ____



                              Douglas, Leonard & Garvey, P.C.,

                                                  October 6, 2021.
     Re: Nomination of Samantha Elliott to the District Court of 
         New Hampshire
       Dear Chairman Durbin and Ranking Member Grassley: I am 
     writing to support the nomination of Samantha Elliott of New 
     Hampshire to be a United States District Judge for the 
     District of New Hampshire.
       I served as a judge for over 10 years on the state Superior 
     Court and the state Supreme Court and have practiced in the 
     federal courts since I was admitted to the Bar in 1968. I 
     know what the job entails and that she will perform 
     admirably.
       We currently have at least two cases in which Attorney 
     Elliott is on the other side. I have never been in litigation 
     with her other than as adversaries. She is an excellent 
     lawyer who is creative and diligent and exhibits the highest 
     standards of our profession. She is well respected in the New 
     Hampshire Bar and has served our legal aid and legal 
     assistance programs for years.
       I have also dealt with her as a lobbyist for a pool of 
     municipal governments. While we were adversaries for years 
     over various immunities and governmental disputes with 
     plaintiffs, she always kept her word and I could trust her to 
     accurately convey our negotiated deals even if I were not 
     present to submit them to a committee. That is an extremely 
     rare quality, and one that is not general currency in our 
     capital or yours.
       I have no hesitation supporting her nomination and know she 
     will serve the judiciary well on our bench.
       By the way I enjoyed serving with then Congressman Durbin 
     when I was in the House in 1989 and 1990.
           Sincerely,
     Charles G. Douglas, III.
                                  ____


                                                  October 2, 2021.
     Re: Nomination of Samantha D. Elliott to the United States 
         District Court for the District of New Hampshire
       Dear Chairman Durbin and Ranking Member Grassley: We are 
     writing in enthusiastic support of Samantha Elliott's 
     nomination to the United States District Court for the 
     District of New Hampshire. Both of us have worked closely 
     with Ms. Elliott over the past ten years to achieve the goal 
     of equal access to justice for all in New Hampshire.
       Deborah, a legal aid lawyer in Tennessee and New Hampshire 
     in her early career, served as a judicial officer in New 
     Hampshire's Superior Court and Family Division for 25 years. 
     In 2013, following her retirement from the bench, Deborah 
     joined the overlapping Boards of New Hampshire Legal 
     Assistance (NHLA)and the Legal Advice & Referral Center 
     (LARC) serving as Co-Chair of the Joint Board and then Chair 
     of the LARC Board. Beginning in 2018, Deborah spearheaded the 
     Statewide Planning Committee,

[[Page S9181]]

     created to improve the delivery of quality legal services to 
     low income and disadvantaged residents of New Hampshire. This 
     three-year effort resulted in the merger of LARC and the NH 
     Bar Association's Pro Bono Program into 603 Legal Aid, 
     collaborating in partnership with NHLA. Ms. Elliott and 
     Deborah have worked closely over the past five years, as Co-
     Chairs of the overlapping Boards, and during this intense 
     three-year Statewide Planning commitment. Deborah is now a 
     founding member of the 603 Legal Aid Board, of which Ms. 
     Elliott is the founding Co-Chair.
       John is currently a legal aid consultant and NH school 
     funding advocate. He worked for 38 years at NHLA New 
     Hampshire Legal Assistance as a staff attorney and managing 
     attorney before serving for 18 years as the program's. 
     Executive Director until his retirement in 2014. During his 
     time at NHLA he played a leadership role in advocacy for 
     equal justice in New Hampshire, in the New England region, 
     and nationally. He was Executive Director of NHLA during the 
     beginning of Ms. Elliott's term on the overlapping Boards of 
     NHLA and the Legal Advice and Referral Center (LARC).
       We have observed Ms. Elliott's superior intellect and 
     communication skills, and we have seen how others respond to 
     her measured and perceptive analysis of difficult problems. 
     We know how respected she is among her fellow Board members 
     and the staff of NHLA, LARC, and now 603 Legal Aid, who have 
     relied on her good and ethical judgment in the governance of 
     these organizations. And we have been impressed with her work 
     ethic, her focus, her humanity, and her integrity. She 
     possesses in great abundance the intelligence, ethical 
     grounding, and temperament that are vital to being a fair and 
     effective judge.
       While we admire her intellect and her character, from our 
     perspective as legal aid leaders we want to emphasize Ms. 
     Elliott's extraordinary fidelity to the concept of equal 
     justice and her commitment to seeing that everyone has the 
     opportunity to access this basic American value, no matter 
     their position in society. The amount of time and energy that 
     Ms. Elliott has devoted to the cause of equal justice is 
     immeasurable. Despite the demands of a busy law practice, Ms. 
     Elliott has unsparingly committed herself to assuring that 
     New Hampshire's legal aid organizations are well-managed and 
     highly collaborative, so that they can deliver quality legal 
     services to the poor. She has used her stellar reputation in 
     the legal community to recruit prominent lawyers to support 
     access to justice efforts, whether in leadership positions, 
     as advocates, or as donors. She has volunteered her own legal 
     services by assisting the Boards in understanding their 
     fiduciary responsibilities and providing advice on other 
     legal matters. She has developed relationships with the 
     executive leadership of NHLA, LARC, and 603 Legal Aid, 
     nurturing mutual trust and mutual commitment to mission. And 
     she has advocated in multiple forums, including at the NH 
     Supreme Court and in the NH Legislature, in support of 
     everyone's right to justice and dignity in our legal system.
       We hope that you will consider this nomination favorably. 
     We are confident that, as a judge, Ms. Elliott will be highly 
     competent and deeply compassionate. We know that she will 
     treat everyone who appears before her with the respect they 
     deserve from our judicial system, regardless of their social 
     status or identity. And, as a member of the federal bench, 
     she will have the opportunity to bring our court system 
     closer to the goal of equal access to justice for all.
           Sincerely,
     Deborah Kane Rein, Esq.,
       Lake Worth, FL (formerly Concord, NH).
     John E. Tobin, Jr., Esq.,
       Concord, NH.
                                  ____



                                New Hampshire Bar Association,

                                                  October 1, 2021.
     Re: The nomination of Samantha Elliott to the District Court 
         for the United States District of New Hampshire

       Dear Chairman Durbin and Ranking Member Grassley: I write 
     in support of the nomination of Samantha Elliott to serve as 
     a judge on the United States District Court for the District 
     of New Hampshire. I urge the committee and full Senate to 
     promptly review and confirm her nomination. I have worked 
     with Attorney Elliott on a number of matters over the years 
     and found her to be an exceedingly excellent trial lawyer and 
     advocate for both plaintiffs and defendants. She is 
     extraordinarily bright, personable, and has a great 
     temperament to be on the bench. In the course of her career, 
     she also served as managing partner of her law firm.
       In addition, I worked very closely with Attorney Elliott in 
     her capacity as a Board Member for New Hampshire Legal 
     Assistance and Legal Advice and Referral Center. Together, we 
     recently merged the Bar Association's Pro Bono program with 
     the Legal Advice and Referral Center to create a new 
     statewide entity to serve indigent citizens. The new 
     organization's name is 603 Legal Aid, and it was Attorney 
     Elliott's determination, forthrightness, and ability to bring 
     various stakeholders to the table that ensured that our 
     efforts would be successful. There is no doubt that she will 
     bring the same energy, judgment, and intellectual capacity to 
     the federal bench.
       In closing, I respectfully submit my strong support for 
     Samantha Elliott and request the committee and full Senate to 
     promptly review and confirm her nomination to this important 
     position.
           Very Truly Yours,

                                         George R. Moore Esq.,

                                               Executive Director,
     New Hampshire Bar Association.
                                  ____

                                      Backus, Meyer & Branch, LLP,


                                             Attorneys at Law,

                                  Manchester, NH, October 4, 2021.
     Re: Samantha Elliott

       Dear Senator Durbin: I welcome this opportunity to support 
     the nomination of Samantha Elliott. I have practiced law in 
     New Hampshire since 1977, first with the New Hampshire Civil 
     Liberties Union, and since 1981 in private practice. My 
     principal areas of work are plaintiff's employment law and 
     civil rights. Attorney Elliott has been defense counsel in 
     several of my cases. In my experience, she is very 
     knowledgeable of the law, has excellent legal skills, and 
     works hard to achieve a fair outcome. Notwithstanding her 
     defense counsel role, she has demonstrated a capacity to 
     empathize with the plaintiff.
       She has a strong commitment to securing equal protection 
     and justice. Equally important, at least from my perspective, 
     is her welcoming demeanor which would make her courtroom a 
     great place to practice law.
       Please let me know if I can provide any further 
     information.
           Sincerely,
     Jon Meyer.
                                  ____

                                      Backus, Meyer & Branch, LLP,


                                             Attorneys at Law,

                                  Manchester, NH, October 4, 2021.
     Re: Samantha Elliott

       Dear Senator Grassley: I welcome this opportunity to 
     support the nomination of Samantha Elliott. I have practiced 
     law in New Hampshire since 1977, first with the New Hampshire 
     Civil Liberties Union, and since 1981 in private practice. My 
     principal areas of work are plaintiff's employment law and 
     civil rights. Attorney Elliott has been defense counsel in 
     several of my cases. In my experience, she is very 
     knowledgeable of the law, has excellent legal skills, and 
     works hard to achieve a fair outcome. Notwithstanding her 
     defense counsel role, she has demonstrated a capacity to 
     empathize with the plaintiff.
       She has a strong commitment to securing equal protection 
     and justice. Equally important, at least from my perspective, 
     is her welcoming demeanor which would make her courtroom a 
     great place to practice law.
       Please let me know if I can provide any further 
     information.
           Sincerely,
     Jon Meyer.
                                  ____

                                        The State of New Hampshire


                                                Supreme Court,

                                               September 28, 2021.
     Re: Nomination of Samantha Elliott to the United States 
         District Court for the District of New Hampshire

       Dear Chairman Durbin and Ranking Member Grassley: It is 
     with much pleasure that I write to you in support of Attorney 
     Samantha Elliott. My knowledge of her qualifications derives 
     from ten years of personal observations including: multiple 
     arguments before our court; active participation in our 
     Daniel Webster Inns of Court; and her remarkable public 
     service.
       Attorney Elliott has earned an exalted position among New 
     Hampshire lawyers. She has the wisdom, the patience, and the 
     sense of humor necessary to become one of the finest District 
     Court judges to sit in our lifetime.
       Please do not hesitate to contact me if you would like any 
     further information.
           Very truly yours,
                                                    Gary E. Hicks,
                                         Senior Associate Justice.

  Mrs. SHAHEEN. I am confident that Samantha's passion for the law and 
dedication to the impartial administration of justice will make her an 
excellent judge, and I urge my colleagues to support her nomination.
  I yield the floor.