A Lawyer in a Strange Land

Michael Skibbie is an attorney from Contoocook. This past summer he spent two months in Afghanistan teaching his trade to the country?s defense lawyers. On occasion, it was a frustrating experience, but it was a natural fit for Michael. He spent many years as a public defender and almost a decade as head of New Hampshire?s public defender program.

While he was in Afghanistan, he was hired to defend an American in a case that attracted international attention: three Americans were accused of running a private anti-terror operation in Kabul. Arresting people, keeping them locked up, and interrogating them. The Americans claimed to be working for the US government, but it denied any connection.

We'll about Michael?s work in Afghanistan and his work with UNH and the Disabilities Rights Center. Recently, he published a report on the treatment of children with disabilities in New Hampshire?s courts.