The District Court and District Family Court of the First Circuit is accepting applications from attorneys interested in serving as Per Diem District Judges. An original and three copies of completed applications may be mailed or hand-delivered to:  

Committee to Evaluate Qualifications of Per Diem Judges
ATTN:  Judge R. Mark Browning
4675 Kapolei Parkway
Honolulu, HI.  96707

An additional copy must be mailed or hand delivered directly to the Chief Justice.

Ali`iolani Hale
417 South King Street 
Honolulu, Hawai`i 96813

The deadline to submit applications has been extended to May 16, 2016.
(from the original 4/8/16 date)

Pursuant to Article VI, Section 3 of the Hawaii State Constitution, applicants must be residents and citizens of the State and of the United States, and must have been licensed to practice law by the Supreme Court of Hawaii for a period of not less than five years preceding nomination.  Please be advised that the Commission on Judicial Conduct has indicated in a formal opinion that any per diem judge and his/her partners and associates may not practice in the court to which the per diem judge is assigned.  Furthermore, pursuant to the Hawaii State Constitution, government employees (federal, state, or county) are disqualified from serving as per diem judges.  Additionally, once appointed, per diem judges are prohibited from holding other public positions for profit (e.g., teaching at the William S. Richardson School of Law.)

Per Diem Judges are part-time judges appointed by the Chief Justice on an “as needed basis” to preside in the District Court or Family Court.

After receiving instructions and filling out the application form, nominees are interviewed by the Committee to Evaluate Qualifications of Per Diem Judges and upon selection, an order of appointment must be filed. After they take the oath of office, the per diem judge is ready for assignments.

During their term of service, a per diem judge may still engage in the private practice of law. Compensation is received only for the days which actual service is rendered based on the monthly rate of compensation paid to a district court judge.