About Richard E.
Richard E. Samdperil trained in law at Northeastern University School of Law, earning his J.D. in 1991 after completing a B.A. in political science at Lake Forest College in 1986. He brought those credentials back to New Hampshire, where he built a career that spans public defense, private practice, teaching and judicial administration.
His early professional years were spent at the New Hampshire Public Defender’s Office, where he worked as a staff lawyer and rose to managing lawyer and assistant appellate defender beginning in 1995. That period provided extensive courtroom time and a steady stream of appeals work. The experience shaped his litigation instincts and introduced him to the procedural and strategic demands of appellate advocacy.
In 2006 he moved into private practice as a partner at Samdperil & Welsh, PLLC. He has handled criminal defense matters at trial and on appeal while maintaining an active civil litigation docket. Alongside practice, he took on teaching roles. Since 2006 he has served on the adjunct faculty at Saint Anselm College, and in 2019 he taught as an adjunct professor at the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law. Those posts kept him engaged with students and current legal scholarship.
Samdperil has also worked within court administration. In 2022 he served as Acting Executive Director of the New Hampshire Judicial Council. The role involved coordinating council activity and helping to manage administrative issues that affect the state courts. It was a short but practical stint that broadened his view of the justice system beyond individual cases.
Professional associations have been a steady part of his professional life. He has been a member of the New Hampshire Bar Association since 1995 and joined the New Hampshire Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers in 1996. He became a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers in 1998 and has remained active in the Rockingham County Bar Association, where he served as past president.
Samdperil balances courtroom work with teaching and occasional administrative assignments. He maintains offices for Samdperil & Welsh, PLLC and continues to accept criminal defense and appellate matters, representing clients at trial and on appeal and advising on related legal issues.
