Nearly 50 summer clerks, interns and young lawyers had an opportunity to spend a day with judges and other seasoned professionals at the AJS’s 29th annual Sidebar Program on July 25, 2024, continuing AJS’s long-standing commitment of investing in the next generation of lawyers.
The annual program is open to summer associates from law firms, judicial and government agency law clerks and other new lawyers for a day of education and networking with each other and veteran professionals.
The beautiful, historic Hawaii Supreme Court Courtroom served as the backdrop for this special program that has served as a way to convey the importance of perpetuating a fair judicial system to the next generation of lawyers for nearly 30 years.
A Distinguished Panel
This year’s distinguished panel, moderated by Hawaii Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald, included Hawaiʻi Supreme Court Associate Justice Vladimir P. Devens, First Circuit Court Judge Lisa W. Cataldo, First Circuit Court Judge John M. Tonaki, First Circuit District Court Judge Karin L. Holma, and United States Magistrate Judge Wes Reber Porter.
“Our Sidebar Program typically features a moderated panel discussion of issues often faced in the early years of practice from the perspective of seasoned judges, followed by small-group breakout sessions with individual judges,” said the Hon. Jeannette Castagnetti, who serves as co-chair of the Sidebar Program.
The other co-chairs are The Hon. Todd Eddins, Associate Justice of the Hawaii Supreme Court; Calvert Chipchase, partner at Cades Schutte and AJS board member; and Carrie Okinaga, Vice President for Legal Affairs at the University of Hawaii. Brian Kang, partner with Watanabe Ing;and Colin Miwa, Senior Counsel with Cades Schutte, also serve on the Sidebar Committee.
Artificial Intelligence: A Timely Topic for the Legal Community
This year’s Sidebar Program sparked lively conversation and engagement. The participants were presented hypothetical scenarios involving ethical obligations pertaining to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in submissions to the court and to clients, and the security of confidential client communications when using cloud-based solutions.
Chief Justice Recktenwald and the panel offered keen and pointed insights, and the attendees were able to vote how they would respond to those hypothetical issues in real time via “clickers.”
“With the increasing use of AI in our legal community, the Sidebar Program gave us an opportunity to explore this timely issue,” said Associate Justice Eddins. “Thanks especially to the expertise of Associate Justice Devins and Judge Tonaki, we were able to present a completely new set of hypothetical situations involving ethical and practical considerations arising when attorneys use AI and the responsibilities of supervising attorneys.”
Hope for the Future
The sincerity and enthusiasm of the young lawyers gave the seasoned professionals hope that the next generation is well prepared to carry the torch forward and be ready to successfully tackle institutional challenges in the future.
As in previous years, a reception followed the panel discussion. The attendees divided themselves into small groups to enjoy time with the judges, sharing about their career paths and experiences before the bench as well as on the bench.
All of those who registered for the program received a complimentary one-year membership in AJS, a $50 value.
Written evaluations from the Sidebar Program attendees were overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing their appreciation for the opportunity to interact with judges. Next year, the Sidebar Committee plans to make the program available remotely for those on the neighbor islands, if there is sufficient demand.
Mahalo to all the AJS Sidebar Committee members for another successful Sidebar Program!
