Livernois says since becoming county attorney, that's been his only job

LACONIA — Belknap County Attorney Andrew Livernois said Monday that he has not done any private legal work since becoming county attorney and has no intention of doing so as long as he is in office.

An article appearing in Monday’s New Hampshire Union Leader said Belknap County was one of two counties where the county attorney is allowed by law to conduct a private civil — but not criminal — legal practice while also serving as the county’s chief prosecutor. The article stated that Livernois earned in excess of $10,000 last year from the private practice of law. The paper cited Livernois’ election campaign filing with the state Secretary of State’s Office as the source of the information.

Livernois said the statement gave the impression that he earned that money while he was county attorney, but that isn't the case.

Livernois became county attorney last Aug. 1, when he was appointed by the Belknap County Delegation to fill the 17 months remaining in the term of Melissa Guldbrandsen, who had been appointed to a judgeship.

Prior to that, Livernois was working for the Concord law firm of Ransmeier & Spellman as a trial attorney, handling both criminal and civil cases. He said he resigned from Ransmeier & Spellman last Aug. 1, the same day that his appointment as county attorney took effect.

“So, yes, I did make more than $10,000 in 2017 from private law practice, but all that money I earned was before I became county attorney,” he said. “But I have had zero income other than from Belknap County since that date.”

Livernois earns just over $89,100 a year as county attorney.

“I have no intention of doing outside civil work while in office,” Livernois continued. “I always knew that [such work] was legally permitted but, frankly, I know this is a full-time job. I have forgone doing any private civil [law] work, [and] as long as I’m county attorney I won’t do any outside legal work.”

County attorneys in Cheshire, Sullivan, Coos, Strafford and Rockingham counties are prohibited by law from doing any private legal work. There is no state law regulating what outside work the county attorneys in Hillsborough, Merrimack and Grafton counties can do.

Acting Merrimack County Attorney George Waldron said that, while Merrimack County attorneys are free to engage in private practice, none has done so for at least the last 35 years.

State Rep. Herb Vadney, chair of the Belknap County Delegation, said that, should a bill be introduced in the Legislature to bar Belknap or other county attorneys from representing private clients, he would withhold taking a position until he had heard all the pros and cons.

“I’m not against people making money,” Vadney said, adding, “I don’t believe that we need legislation every time an issue comes up. If this has been going on all these years, and it hasn’t been a problem, why is it an issue now?”