National Judicial Outreach Week is an initiative started by the American Bar Association (ABA) in 2017, which takes place each year in the first full week of March. During this week, judges and lawyers across the country engage with community members to discuss the rule of law – the legal principle that all people, institutions and entities, public and private, are governed equally and fairly before the law.

On March 8, Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals Associate Judge Lisa Ginoza met with Holomua School 6th grade students who visited the Hawaii Supreme Court Building. She shared her insights on how the courts apply the rule of law in maintaining open and transparent government, ensuring fairness in our system of justice, and protecting the fundamental legal rights of all citizens.

“A fundamental principle in our country is that all people are equal under the law,” said Judge Ginoza. “Courts are charged with the responsibility to uphold the law and safeguard the rights of our citizens. The more that people know and understand the courts and the legal process, the better it is for our community. Our hope is to promote understanding of the court’s work to provide a fair and impartial system of justice.”