Attorneys who provided free legal assistance to community nonprofit organizations, indigent clients, and individuals without legal representation were recognized during the Hawaiʻi Access to Justice Commission’s 2025 Pro Bono Celebration on October 23.

“Pro bono is an area of emphasis for the Commission. We encourage pro bono service in both the private and public sectors. Thank you to those who have responded to the call. This celebration is one way of emphasizing the importance of your contributions and encouraging others to do the same,” said Commission Chair Judge Joseph Cardoza (ret.), who served as master of ceremonies for the event.

Hawaiʻi Supreme Court Acting Chief Justice Sabrina McKenna, former Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald, Associate Justices Todd Eddins, Lisa Ginoza, and Vladimir Devens, along with Hawaiʻi State Bar Association President-Elect Mark K. Muramaki, members of the Hawaiʻi Access to Justice Commission, and other distinguished guests, joined in honoring the award recipients in the Supreme Court courtroom.

Among the evening’s highlights was the presentation of Pro Bono Awards to attorneys and law firms that donated their time and expertise to Hawaiʻi’s civil legal service providers. The 2025 awardees (and the organizations they assisted) are:

• Robert Miyashita & Jeremy O’Steen LLC – American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai‘i
• Bill Hunt – Hawaiʻi Justice Foundation
• Lloyd Lim – Legal Aid Society of Hawaiʻi
• Rhonda Griswold – Hawaii State Bar Association
• Marianita Lopez – Hawaiʻi Friends of Restorative Justice
• Javier Garcia – Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation
• Hope Bennett – The Mediation Center of the Pacific
• Shannon Hackett – Volunteer Legal Services of Hawaiʻi

Volunteer attorneys who staffed the Access to Justice Room at the Honolulu District Court were recognized for their dedication to providing free legal advice to self-represented litigants in civil cases.

State Representative Della Au Belatti, a member of the Hawaiʻi Access to Justice Commission, presented certificates of appreciation from the Hawaiʻi State Legislature to the following law firms and organizations that volunteered at the Honolulu District Court Access to Justice Room during the past year:
Bickerton Law Group LLP; Bronster Fujichaku Robbins; Cades Schutte LLP; Carlsmith Ball LLP; Case Lombardi; Chun Kerr LLP; Honolulu Department of the Corporation Counsel; Damon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert; Dentons; Goodsill Anderson Quinn & Stifel; Government Lawyers Section; Hawaii Filipino Lawyers Association; Hawaii Women Lawyers; Marr Jones & Wang; Office of Disciplinary Counsel; Schlack Ito; Starn O’Toole Marcus & Fisher; and Yamamoto Caliboso Hetherington.

In addition to attorneys from these firms and organizations, individual volunteers who were recognized for their service at the Honolulu District Court Access to Justice Room are:
Erika Gustin, Gilbert Doles, Jay Nakasone, Jeremy O’Steen, Jeremy Yamamoto, Kaiwi Ching, Kathryn Mayer, Kauʻi Yamane, Laura Ozak, Lianna Figueroa, Lloyd Lim, Manmeet Rana, Mike Goodman, Natalia Maharaj, Palakiko Chandler IV, Raymond Kong, Scott George Morita, Sergio Alcubilla, Tatjana Johnson, Alana Peacott-Ricardos, Catherine Malia Lowenberg, Christina Ohira, Claire Wong Black, Joseph Adams, Kaitlin Wallace, Kari Noborikawa, Keoni Williams, Kimi Ide-Foster, Kristin Holland, Kukui Claydon, Lindsay Orman, and Nathan Shimodoi.

Volunteer attorneys who assisted the Family Court Access to Justice Rooms in Kapolei and Honolulu were also recognized for their service.

“Family Court handles a wide range of legal issues that affect children and families. That includes divorce cases, paternity cases, domestic abuse cases, guardianship cases, adoption, etc. Many people who represent themselves feel uncomfortable coming to court because they don’t know the process. They don’t know where to start. They don’t know what forms to fill out. They don’t know what to expect,” said Senior Family Court Judge Dyan Medeiros. “Attorneys at the Kapolei Access to Justice Room volunteer their time to help these people and by extension their families. They help people navigate the court process. They provide guidance as well as legal advice.”

The Family Court Access to Justice Room volunteers honored this year are:
Kevin Adaniya, Amberlynn Alualu, Sara Jo Buehler, William Darrah, Richard Diehl, Gregory Frey, Shannon Hackett, Ann Isobe, Mari Kishimoto Doi, Lynnae Lee, Elsa McGehee, Dyan Mitsuyama, Paula Nakata, Alan Okamoto, Gemma-Rose Poland Soon, Ellen Politano, Stefanie Prinsloo, Manmeet Rana, James Rooney, Gregory Ryan, Jeffery Sales, Jacqueline Thurston, Carol Tribbey, and Molly Turpin.

Family law attorneys who served as volunteer Settlement Masters at Oʻahu Family Court were recognized for their contributions to helping parties resolve disputes and reach settlements in divorce cases. They are:
Kainani Alvarez, John Bryant, Nicole Cummings, Thomas Farrell, Gregory Frey, Debbie Jew, Timothy Luria, Dyan Mitsuyama, Anthony Perrault, Stephanie Rezents, and Christopher Thomas.

Attorneys Branden T. Nakahara and David Harada-Stone were recognized for their work through the Pro Bono Appellate Project of Volunteer Legal Services of Hawaiʻi, which provides free legal representation to litigants needing assistance with appeals.

A group of attorneys and retired judges were also honored for their volunteer work mediating appellate cases through the Alternative Dispute Resolution Appellate Mediation Program. These volunteers were commended for their experience, patience, and skill in helping resolve disputes before they reach court. The honorees are:
Judge Joel E. August (ret.), Sidney Ayabe, Corlis J. Chang, Louis L.C. “Lou” Chang, Charles W. “Chuck” Crumpton, William C. Darrah, Judge James E. Duffy (ret.), Judge Mahilani E.K. Hiatt (ret.), Judge Douglas H. Ige (ret.), Sidney Kanazawa, Judge Walter S. Kirimitsu (ret.), Judge Douglas S. McNish (ret.), Richard C. Mosher, Maura M. Okamoto, Judge Shackley F. Raffetto (ret.), Judge Allene K. Suemori, Owen K. Tamamoto, and Judge Michael A. Town (ret.).

In addition to recognizing volunteer attorneys and law firms, the seven winners of the Access to Justice Commission’s 2025 statewide high school essay contest were presented with $500 cash awards for their work.. This year’s winners are:
Kenton Chan – Punahou School
Jackson Pomai Savala – Kamehameha Schools
Joshua Tom – Campbell High School
Gabrielle Shimamoto – Kapaʻa High School
Aiden Yap – Henry Perrine Baldwin High School
Gracie Anderle – Kealakehe High School
Kiley Brown – Waiākea High School

The Pro Bono Celebration, held annually during National Pro Bono Week, was sponsored by the Hawaiʻi Access to Justice Commission, the Hawaii Justice Foundation, and the Hawaii State Bar Foundation, with the support of the Hawaii State Bar Association.

The Hawaiʻi Access to Justice Commission was created in May 2008. The Commission’s primary purpose is to substantially increase access to justice in civil legal matters for low- and moderate-income residents of Hawaiʻi.

The Hawaii Justice Foundation is an independent, tax-exempt grantmaking organization whose sole purpose is to achieve justice for Hawaiʻi’s people. The Foundation was established in 1969 as a vehicle for philanthropic law-related projects in the state of Hawaiʻi.

The Hawaii State Bar Association is the unified bar association for all persons admitted to the practice of law in Hawaiʻi, and serves to unite and inspire Hawaiʻi lawyers to promote justice, serve the public, and improve the legal profession.

The Hawaii State Bar Foundation is a nonprofit organization established to promote justice through programs such as Access to Justice for persons in need of legal services, civics education, and other public service programs and projects, including programs and projects of the Hawaii State Bar Association.