So You Want to be a Judge?
Please join Hawaii Women Lawyers (HWL) for a series of brown bags aimed at offering information and advice about the judicial appointment process and providing insight into the judicial duties and responsibilities of judges serving at District Court and Circuit Court. Planned panelists include District Court and Circuit Court judges, members of the Judicial Selection Commission, and Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald.
We look forward to seeing you at our first brown bag session:
“Becoming and Being a Per Diem, or Part-Time, Judge”
Date: Tuesday, December 12, 2023
Time: Noon-1:00 p.m.
Location: HSBA Conference Room, 1100 Alakea Street, Suite 1000
RSVP: Attendance is free, but please RSVP by December 7th as there is limited seating and lunch and drinks will be provided
For those of you who wish to attend via Zoom, please email hawaiiwomenlawyers@gmail.com after you sign up for the event and we will get you the Zoom link.
Becoming a Per Diem Judge, or part-time judge, is often a great step toward becoming a full-time judge. Per Diem Judges are appointed by the Chief Justice on an “as needed basis” to preside in the District Court or District Family Court. Join us for a discussion with Per Diem Judges Michelle Comeau and Ronette “Ronnie” Kawakami, who will share their experiences as Per Diem Judges in the District Court of the First Circuit, and Per Diem Judge Maria Penn, who will share her experiences as a Per Diem Judge in the Family Court of the First Circuit.
Michelle Comeau serves as a Per Diem Judge for the District Court of the First Circuit and is Of Counsel at Nakashima Ching LLC. Michelle received her law degree from UCLA School of Law. Following graduation, she clerked for the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and for the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii. In private practice, Michelle has represented individuals, non-profits, and corporate clients in a diverse range of matters including class actions, contract litigation, business torts, fraud, and appellate matters.
Ronette “Ronnie” Kawakami, a graduate of the University of Hawaii at Manoa William S. Richardson School of Law, was appointed a Per Diem Judge for the District Court of the First Circuit in 2023. Prior to her appointment, Ronnie was the Associate Dean of Students at the William S. Richardson School of Law. She also served for 26 years with the State Office of the Public Defender where she was a Senior Deputy Public Defender, Supervisor of the Appellate Division and Felony Trials Division, as well as a legislative liaison. Ronnie is a former Chair of the Judicial Selection Commission and has been active in Hawaii’s legal community including serving on the HSBA Board of Directors and as a member of the Hawai’i Supreme Court Committee on Equality and Access to the Courts.
Maria Penn serves as a Per Diem Judge for the District Family Court of the First Circuit. She is a graduate of the University of Southern California and received her law degree from the William S. Richardson School of Law. Maria is currently in private practice, focusing on plaintiff’s litigation, including medical malpractice, wrongful death, excessive force and civil rights litigation, contract litigation, and other personal injury matters. Prior to being appointed as a Per Diem Family Court Judge in May 2022, Maria practiced family law for over 15 years and also served as a volunteer settlement master in family court.