Retired N.H. Jurist to Receive Morton A. Brody Distinguished Judicial Service Award
Former Superior Court Chief Justice Tina Nadeau will be recognized for judicial craftsmanship and dedicated public service
Colby will welcome retired New Hampshire Superior Court Chief Justice Tina Nadeau to campus as the recipient of the 2026 Morton A. Brody Distinguished Judicial Service Award, recognizing her transformative leadership, commitment to criminal justice reform, and decades of distinguished judicial service.
Appointed associate justice to the New Hampshire Superior Court in 1996 and serving as chief justice from 2011 to 2023, the Honorable Judge Nadeau has earned national recognition for her innovative approaches to criminal justice, including addressing mass incarceration and increasing access to justice.
A pioneer in alternative sentencing, she spearheaded New Hampshire’s Rockingham County drug court docket in 2006. Under her leadership, the state expanded its treatment courts from three operating courts to 11 active drug courts across all 10 New Hampshire counties, secured statewide legislative funding, and aligned programs with national standards.
Her tenure also included developing the statewide “Felonies First” system to modernize criminal court administration and guiding the New Hampshire Judicial Branch through the complexities of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nadeau said she was “deeply honored and profoundly humbled” to receive the award.
“What we do with our careers as judges, to understand the human condition and to improve it, lasts long after we’ve made our mark. Judge Brody demonstrated that being a judge means having confidence without conceit, decisiveness without arrogance, and passion without pretension,” Nadeau said. “It means remembering where you came from and knowing who you are. It means being aware of the conditions and circumstances under which the people we serve live and act. For me, these are the greatest lessons of all.”
In nominating Nadeau for the award, U.S. District Court Judge Joseph N. LaPlante praised her multifaceted career and visionary leadership.
‘What we do with our careers as judges, to understand the human condition and to improve it, lasts long after we’ve made our mark. Judge Brody demonstrated that being a judge means having confidence without conceit, decisiveness without arrogance, and passion without pretension.’
N.H. Superior Court Chief Justice Tina Nadeau
“Chief Justice Nadeau made the transition from gifted trial lawyer and prosecutor, to executive branch advisor and official, to trial court judge, eventually to leader and administrator, and then finally to ‘thought leader’ in the area of law and justice, always excelling and asking the most of herself and the public officials she supervised, managed, and led,” LaPlante wrote in his nomination letter.
Established in 2000, the Morton A. Brody Distinguished Judicial Service Award honors an outstanding federal or state judge who embodies the qualities of integrity, compassion, humanity, and judicial craftsmanship exemplified by the late Judge Morton A. Brody. Judge Nadeau will formally accept the award at the District of Maine Judicial Conference during a private lunch on Nov. 6, 2026.
“Judge Nadeau has displayed a tireless devotion to the cause of justice through her many years of service on the bench with humility, grace, and creative innovation,” said Lance Walker, chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine and chair of the Brody Award Selection Committee. “She personifies the spirit of the Brody Award.”
A longtime Waterville resident, Morton A. Brody was an extraordinary jurist, dedicated civic leader, and family man. The award selection criteria evaluate jurists who exercise authority with deep respect for the rule of law, foster dignity and respect in the courtroom, and demonstrate an enduring commitment to mentoring the next generation of judicial officers.
The Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs will feature Nadeau as its guest at a special In the News-style event on Nov. 5 in the Parker-Reed Room of the Schair-Swenson-Watson Alumni Center. The event begins at 4 p.m. Guests are invited to attend a reception with light refreshments afterward, and registration is recommended.
