Melissa B. Countway at a glance
- Current role
- Associate Justice
- Jurisdiction
- New Hampshire · State
- Judicial service
- Active
Melissa B. Countway
Associate Justice · Supreme Court of New Hampshire
Biography
Professional career
- Melissa Beth Countway is the 111th Associate Justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court, appointed January 2, 2024, and the first former Circuit Court judge to join the state’s highest court
- Nominated by Governor Chris Sununu on November 8, 2023, to fill the seat vacated by Justice Gary Hicks
- County Attorney, Belknap County Attorney's Office; 2011-2017
- 2002–2003: Law clerk to Justice Brock, New Hampshire Supreme Court
- Law clerk to Chief Justice David Brock, New Hampshire Supreme Court; from 2002
- Teacher; clerk to Chief Justice David Brock
- Founder / attorney, Alton Law Offices
- Police prosecutor, Alton Police Department
- Notable fact: She is the first Circuit Court judge to be appointed to the New Hampshire Supreme Court
- Her earlier career included teaching, a Supreme Court clerkship, private practice, police prosecution, and service as Belknap County attorney
- Mathematics and science teacher, Middle school education
Education
- Juris Doctor (2002) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law, where she was on the North Carolina Law Review, a student leader with the Innocence Project, and inducted into the Order of the Coif
- master’s degree — University of New Hampshire — 1994
- Bachelor's degree — University of New Hampshire — 1993
- Law school education — University of North Carolina School of Law
- Mathematics and education degrees at UNH before attending UNC law school.
Additional information
- Melissa B. Countway joined the New Hampshire Supreme Court on January 2, 2024 after Circuit Court service beginning in 2017.
- Orr & Reno; founder, Alton Law Offices
- General practice including real estate and land use.
- Gubernatorial nomination with Executive Council confirmation
- Taught for five years before law school.
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Electronic Devices And Media
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.
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 ↗
Published courtroom rules
Shared court rules
New Hampshire Judicial Branch Guidelines for Use of Cameras and Audio Equipment
Supreme Court of New Hampshire
Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory.
Official source ↗ · Collected 2026-07-27Sources
Identity source checked August 22, 2026.
Biography sources checked August 8, 2026.
New Hampshire Judicial Branch official judicial roster
Identity source · HTML · Source checked August 22, 2026
View New Hampshire Judicial Branch official judicial roster ↗New Hampshire Judicial Branch Guidelines for Use of Cameras and Audio Equipment
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 27, 2026
View New Hampshire Judicial Branch Guidelines for Use of Cameras and Audio Equipment ↗New Hampshire Bar Association Midyear Meeting 2026 speaker biography: Melissa Countway
Identity source · HTML · Source checked August 8, 2026
View New Hampshire Bar Association Midyear Meeting 2026 speaker biography: Melissa Countway ↗New Hampshire Judicial Branch
Identity source · HTML · Source checked August 6, 2026
View New Hampshire Judicial Branch ↗