Hawaii Justice Foundation Honors Judiciary Members with Spirit of Justice Award

Background

The Hawaii Justice Foundation (HJF) recently awarded six members from the Hawaii State Judiciary with the esteemed Spirit of Justice Award. The award was presented in recognition of their contribution to the administration of the Hawaii Indigent Legal Assistance Fund (ILAF) by expanding access to justice in civil cases for Hawaii’s people. HJF President William S. Hunt presented the awards at HJF’s annual meeting on Oct. 25 in the Hawaii Supreme Court courtroom.

The Judiciary Members Recognized

The six members of the Judiciary who received the award are:

Administrative Director of the Courts Rodney Maile
Deputy Administrative Director of the Courts Brandon Kimura
Policy & Planning Department Head Tom Mick
Budget Administrator & Deputy Department Head Gary Teramae
Special Projects Coordinator Karen Takahashi
Legislative Coordinating Office Assistant Lori Rutherford

Ashley Ching, who works with HJF Executive Director Robert J. LeClair through the Justice Foundation, also received the award for her contributions to the administration of the ILAF.

What is the ILAF?

The ILAF was created by the Legislature in 1996 to provide funding to address the unmet civil legal needs of low- and moderate-income people throughout the state. Since its inception, the ILAD has distributed nearly $18 million to legal service providers assisting Hawaii residents who cannot afford a lawyer in their civil (non-criminal) cases.

About the HJF

The HJF is an independent, tax-exempt grantmaking organization whose sole purpose is to achieve justice for Hawaii’s people. The Foundation was established in 1969 as a vehicle for philanthropic law-related projects in Hawaii and is comprised of lawyers, lay advocates, social scientists, judges, volunteer mediators and arbitrators, paralegals, notaries public, guardians ad litem, social workers, court clerks, court reporters, and others who believe in reasoned problem-solving and the rule of law.

Conclusion

The award recipients demonstrated a true commitment to the ideals and implementation of justice. Through their work with the HJF to manage the ILAF, they have made a significant contribution to expanding access to justice in civil cases for Hawaii’s people.

Related Keywords:

Spirit of Justice Award, Hawaii Justice Foundation, Hawaii State Judiciary, Indigent Legal Assistance Fund, ILAF, civil cases, legal service providers, funding, law-related projects, justice, commitment, Hawaii residents, access to justice, awards, contributions, unmet legal needs, low-income people, moderate-income people, philanthropic, rule of law

Originally Post From https://www.courts.state.hi.us/news_and_reports/2023/11/judiciary-team-honored-with-2023-hjf-spirit-of-justice-award

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