Forty-seven attorneys were honored during the Hilo Self-Help Center Recognition Awards on Monday for providing free legal information to more than 1,000 people on Hawaii Island who sought assistance at the Hilo Courthouse Self-Help Center in 2017.
This is the most the Hilo Self-Help Center has ever served in a single year.
The Hilo Self-Help Center was established in July 2012 as part of the Hawaii State Judiciary’s commitment to increasing access to justice in the courts. Since opening, more than 4,900 people have been assisted by volunteer attorneys providing legal information on civil matters, such as temporary restraining orders and divorce. These services have been provided at almost no cost to the state.
“I am grateful to the attorneys who volunteer at our Self-Help Centers, assisting individuals who are representing themselves in court,” said Hawaii Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald. “The dedication and commitment of these attorneys has been essential to advancing our goal of ensuring that everyone has equal access to justice in our civil courts.”
Volunteers were honored for their service by Recktenwald, Third Circuit Chief Judge Greg Nakamura, Chief Court Administrator Lester Oshiro and Deputy Chief Court Administrators Cheryl Salmo and Dawn West.
The individual attorneys who were honored are:
Francis Alcain, Lincoln Ashida, Chris Bridges, Michael Garbarino, Kenneth Goodenow, Jo Anne Goya, Belinda Hall, Doug Halsted, Paul Hamano, Jill Hasegawa, Ray Hasegawa, Charles Heaukulani, William Heflin, Mahilani Hiatt, Ted Hong, Austin Hsu, Michael Kagami, Haaheo Kahoohalahala, Edith Kawai, Jo Kim, Nelson Kinoshita, Al Konishi and Peter Kubota.
Breann Larios, Bruce Larson, Justin Lee, Dwayne Lerma, Shaunda Liu, Jacky Mena, Jeff Ng, Jennifer Ng, Michelle Oishi, Danny Patel, Melody Parker, Christopher Rothfus, Jill Razov, Joy San Buenaventura, Chris Schlueter, Steven Strauss, Andrew Son, Albert Thompson, Sylvia Wan, Molly Ward, Jennifer Wharton, Zachary Wingert, Jay Yoshimoto and Jennifer Zelko-Schlueter.
Also acknowledged was AmeriCorps advocate Katie Kamelamela, who, through the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, organizes the Self-Help Center at the Hilo Courthouse each week.
The Recktenwald and Laura Knudsen, managing attorney of the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii’s Hilo Office, also thanked the Hawaii County Bar Association, Hawaii State Bar Association, Legal Aid Society of Hawaii and Access to Justice Commission for their support.