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A visiting constitutional law lecturer program has been established at the UH-Manoa William S. Richardson School of Law to honor AJS Board member Avi Soifer. The program, named in recognition of former Dean Soifer, who led the Law School until his retirement last summer, celebrates his significant contributions as a prolific constitutional law scholar.

The lecture series will primarily explore the theme: “Should we, as Americans, still revere the Law, and if so, how can that reverence be justified and effective?” This thought-provoking program was made possible by a generous $100,000 donation from the Hundt Family Foundation. Reed E. Hundt, co-founder of the Foundation, and Avi Soifer were classmates at both Yale College and Yale Law School. The lectures will provide members of the Law School and the public with the opportunity to have a deeper understanding of the legal principles that greatly impact our society.

Over 65 members and friends registered for the AJS annual meeting and program held on December 3 at the festively decorated Pacific Club. Chairman of the Board of Directors, Larry Okinaga, conducted the membership meeting, announcing that the Board approved Doug Chin to serve as President for the coming year. The Board also approved the addition of two new members: George Miller, current AJS legal counsel, and Gerald Hurst, retired Vice President and General Counsel of RBC Bank in Georgia.

In introducing the keynote presenter, Mr. Okinaga noted that this would be the last AJS keynote address by Mark Recktenwald as Chief Justice of the Hawaii Supreme Court as he will reach the mandatory retirement age for all judges and justices in October 2025. He praised the Chief Justice for his strong and consistent support of AJS over the years. Chief Justice Recktenwald focused his presentation on how AJS’s actions and advocacy have strengthened and improved Hawaii’s judiciary.

The program’s theme, “Oceania and the Rule of Law,” featured presentations by J. Michael Seabright, Senior Judge of the US District Court for the District of Hawai’i and Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Marshall Islands, and Daniel R. Foley, Associate Judge (Ret.) of the Hawai’i Intermediate Court of Appeals and non-resident Justice of the Supreme Court of Palau. Dean Camille Nelson of the William S. Richardson School of Law adeptly moderated the session, engaging both speakers in an in-depth and insightful conversation on Oceania’s “Rule of Law,” its historical underpinnings, evolution, and possible future.

Attendees enjoyed delicious food and drinks while socializing with colleagues and new acquaintances during the reception

AJS and the PACE Commission are sponsoring a video contest focused on civic action in collaboration with Olelo TV. The Olelo Youth XChange video competition invites entries from students in grades K – 12 enrolled in public, private, and charter schools. More information regarding the contest can be found in the announce-ment below. Please forward the announcement to the teachers and students you know and encourage them to participate in the contest. Mahalo for your assistance!

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Jan Boivin was recently appointed as the Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Organizational Effectiveness for Hawaii Pacific Health (HPH). In this role, she will oversee human resources for more than 7,000 employees across HPH medical centers, clinics, and other facilities throughout Hawaii.  She was also appointed to the Hawaii  Dental Service Board of Directors.

A proud graduate of Leilehua High School, Jan earned her bachelor’s degree from Willamette University and her Juris Doctorate from the Georgetown University Law Center. She previously served as the Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Board Secretary at Hawaii Pacific University.

Jan has been an active AJS member and currently serves as the Vice President of the AJS Board of Directors and co-chaired the AJS Long Range Planning Committee alongside Doug Chin and Sylvia Yuen.

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 29^th 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!