--- title: "Gordon J. MacDonald | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/gordon-j-macdonald-nh-appellate" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-07" --- # Gordon J. MacDonald Supreme Court of New Hampshire · Chief Justice ## Profile - Court: Supreme Court of New Hampshire - State: New Hampshire - Role: Chief Justice - Service status: former - Last verified: 2026-08-22 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Chief justice, New Hampshire Supreme Court, 2021–September 15, 2026; resigned, effective immediately - American lawyer and jurist who held the role of the 37th Chief Justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court from March 4, 2021, until his resignation on September 15, 2026 - Attorney General, State of New Hampshire; 2017-2021 - A Dartmouth and Cornell Law graduate, he previously practiced at Nixon Peabody and served as New Hampshire attorney general from 2017 to 2021 - Appointed by then-Governor Chris Sununu after a four-year tenure as New Hampshire’s Attorney General (2017–2021) - Litigation partner, Nixon Peabody LLP; until 2017 - Law clerk to Judge Norman H. Stahl, U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit - As attorney general, he created a Civil Rights Unit, oversaw major investigations, and pursued litigation on issues such as PFAS contamination and remote worker taxation - Before becoming chief justice, MacDonald was a congressional chief of staff, a federal appellate law clerk, and a commercial litigation partner at Nixon Peabody LLP. ### Education - Cornell Law School — J.D. (1994) - Dartmouth College — B.A. (1983) - Undergraduate degree — Dartmouth College — 1983 ### Additional information - Judicial service end: effective date: 2026-09-15; reason: resigned - Born November 27, 1961, Los Angeles, CA. - Gubernatorial nomination with Executive Council confirmation - The Judicial Conduct Committee found MacDonald failed to “promote public confidence” in the judiciary, did not perform duties competently, and avoided favoritism in her removal New Hampshire Public Radio ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### electronic devices and media Scope: statewide New Hampshire's published statewide guidance requires presiding-judge approval before still or video equipment may be used in a courtroom, and the presiding judge retains discretion over recording devices. Evidence excerpt: The form must be approved by the presiding judge before that individual or organization will be permitted to use still or video equipment in the courtroom. [New Hampshire Judicial Branch Guidelines for Use of Cameras and Audio Equipment](https://www.courts.nh.gov/media/guidelines-use-cameras-and-audio-equipment) Source checked: 2026-07-27 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.courts.nh.gov/our-courts/supreme-court/about/justices) - [Official roster](https://www.courts.nh.gov/our-courts/supreme-court/about/justices) - [New Hampshire Judicial Branch official judicial roster](https://www.courts.nh.gov/our-courts/supreme-court/about/justices) - [New Hampshire Judicial Branch Guidelines for Use of Cameras and Audio Equipment](https://www.courts.nh.gov/media/guidelines-use-cameras-and-audio-equipment) - [UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law, Rudman Center leadership biography](https://law.unh.edu/centers-institutes/warren-b-rudman-center/leadership) - [New Hampshire Judicial Branch](https://www.courts.nh.gov/our-courts/supreme-court/about/justices) - [New Hampshire supplied research: macdonald-background](https://www.nhbar.org/neba-annual-meeting/) - [New Hampshire supplied research: macdonald-resignation](https://www.nhpr.org/nh-news/2026-09-15/nh-chief-justice-gordon-macdonald-resigns-amid-ethics-probe-newhampshire-supreme-court) - [UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law, Rudman Center leadership biography](https://law.unh.edu/centers-institutes/warren-b-rudman-center/leadership) - [New Hampshire Judicial Branch](https://www.courts.nh.gov/our-courts/supreme-court/about/justices) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/gordon-j-macdonald-nh-appellate", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/gordon-j-macdonald-nh-appellate", "name": "Gordon J. 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