Hey everyone,
How time flies when you are having fun, or so they say. Sorry for the loooong brake, but I have been working on my professional career over the past two years. Since the closing of the courts in Hawaii on March 17, 2020 due to the novel COVID 19 pandemic the courts have been operating on two online platforms. WebX and Zoom as well as in-person hearings under certain circumstances.
As a whole, the option to hold remote hearings was incredible. I observed higher participation from the public than pre-pandemic and from what I hear from many people who appear on either platform say they enjoy not having to travel, it is easier to speak to a judge, and they feel that they are on even playing grounds to the attorneys. Some disadvantages range from the court staff having to learn a new way to hold court proceedings, controlling large hearings, and the basic fact that many people do not have access to a phone or internet. Our Supreme Court has attempted to remedy these issues by allowing people to use public computers at the Supreme Court Law Library ((808)-539-4964) but this too is limited by a persons ability to make a call and travel to downtown Honolulu.
I am proud to admit I appeared on Law Week 2021 on behalf of the Young Lawyers Division Hawaii. Please check out the short video on general court procedures.
Another quick shout out to myself. I got elected to be Vice President of the Alumni Board to the law school I graduated from this month. Cheers!
Hope you all enjoyed this small post. More to come!
Hawaiian word of the day: kuleana: right, privilege, concern, responsibility, title, business, property, estate, portion, jurisdiction, authority, liability, interest, claim, ownership, tenure, affair, province; reason, cause, function, justification.
We have many kuleana. To ourselves, to our friends and family, and to our community. Please take care of one another and do the right thing.
Mahalo and A Hui Hou,
The Aloha Attorney