CONCORD – Nashua resident and state Supreme Court Justice Linda Dalianis will be nominated to become the chief justice of the high court by Gov. John Lynch.

Dalianis would be the first woman in New Hampshire history to become the state’s top judge.

“Justice Dalianis has distinguished herself in her 30 years in the judicial system. She has a strong reputation as a thoughtful jurist, with a sharp intellect and a deep commitment to justice,” Lynch said Tuesday.

Lynch announced four court nominations Tuesday evening. Dalianis would take over for Chief Justice John Broderick, who is retiring at the end of the month.

Lynch also nominated Robert Lynn, chief justice of the superior court, to take Dalianis’ associate justice seat.

Lynch will give the names to the Executive Council today . The council will hold a hearing on Lynch’s picks before a confirmation vote next month.

Nashua’s executive councilor, Debora Pignatelli, said she’s known Dalianis for better than three decades. Pignatelli worked as executive director at the Nashua Girls Club, now Girls Inc., when Dalianis was on the board of directors.

“I think she will make an excellent chief justice for the New Hampshire Supreme Court,” Pignatelli said. “I feel very proud that she will probably become the first female chief justice in New Hampshire.”

Pignatelli was the first woman elected to the Executive Council in District 5.

Lynch is moving ahead with the changes to the Supreme Court before a new, all-Republican Executive Council is sworn in January. The council’s current makeup is three Democrats and two Republicans.

Pignatelli said she expects the council will approve all four of Lynch’s nominations.

“Unless we learn something that we don’t know now, which is possible, I don’t expect any of them will have a difficult time receiving confirmation from this Executive Council,” she said.

Dalianis and Lynn issued a joint release through Laura Kiernan, the judicial branch spokesperson.

“Both Justice Dalianis, the senior associate justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court, and Chief Justice Lynn of the Superior Court, said they were honored to have been nominated by Gov. Lynch and look forward to discussing their nominations with the members of the Executive Council,” the statement said.

Dalianis was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2000 by Gov. Jeanne Shaheen after serving as a superior court judge for 20 years. She was the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court. She graduated from Northeastern University in 1970 and earned a law degree from Suffolk University School of Law in 1974.

Dalianis would take over as the chief administrator for the entire court system, in a time of historic financial challenges. Broderick has overseen a budget that he’s slashed by millions of dollars to keep up with budget-wide cuts Lynch has asked for.

All court employees, including judges, have agreed to a furlough plan that shuts down all state courts on certain days. Earlier this year, the judicial system announced that superior court juries will not be called during certain months, which will make it difficult, if not impossible, for some civil litigants to get a trial this year.

Broderick has been named the dean of the University of New Hampshire Law School. He served as chief justice since 2004.

Lynn, a Windham resident, has served as chief justice of the superior court since 2004 and has been superior court judge since 1992.

“Judge Lynn has proven himself an outstanding and highly regarded judge with the ability to thoughtfully handle the most complex and challenging cases,” Lynch said.

Lynn graduated from the University of New Haven in 1971 and earned a law degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law in 1975 before working as a federal prosecutor.

Lynch will also nominate Kristin Spath, a Concord resident and associate attorney general and Department of Justice chief of staff, to be a judge at the Concord District Court. She previously worked as a state and federal public defender.

Another district court spot would go to James Carroll, a Laconia resident and the Belknap County attorney. He will be nominated to be a judge at Belknap District Court. Carroll was elected in 2006, 2008 and 2010. Before that he worked as Laconia’s city prosecutor from 1992-2002.

“They have each demonstrated a commitment to our system of justice and to the people of the state of New Hampshire,” Lynch said. “They have years of legal experience and will contribute to a strong judicial system here in New Hampshire.”

Joseph G. Cote can be reached at 594-6415 or jcote@nashuatelegraph.com.