--- title: "Melissa B. Countway | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/melissa-b-countway-nh-appellate" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-07" --- # Melissa B. Countway Supreme Court of New Hampshire · Associate Justice ## Profile - Court: Supreme Court of New Hampshire - State: New Hampshire - Role: Associate Justice - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-08-22 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## 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. ## 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) - [New Hampshire Bar Association Midyear Meeting 2026 speaker biography: Melissa Countway](https://www.nhbar.org/nh-bar-associations-midyear-meeting-2026/) - [New Hampshire Judicial Branch](https://www.courts.nh.gov/our-courts/supreme-court/about/justices) - [New Hampshire Bar Association Midyear Meeting 2026 speaker biography: Melissa Countway](https://www.nhbar.org/nh-bar-associations-midyear-meeting-2026/) - [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/melissa-b-countway-nh-appellate", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/melissa-b-countway-nh-appellate", "name": "Melissa B. 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