On May 14, 2024, more than 20 attorneys participated in the Kauaʻi Self-Help Center Attorney Training. This event, which provided continuing legal education, was designed to equip participants with the necessary skills to contribute to the statewide initiative aimed at enhancing access to justice for Hawaiʻi residents requiring assistance with civil legal matters.
The training, sponsored by the Hawaii State Bar Association, the State Judiciary, the Kauai Bar Association, and the Legal Aid Society of Hawai‘i, took place on April 5 at the Puʻuhonua Kaulike Kauaʻi Judiciary Complex. The sessions included a variety of topics such as Self-Help Center Basics and Legal Information v. Legal Advice in Practice presented by attorney Jay Mason; Consumer/Collections; Small Claims by attorney Sherman Shiraishi; Family Law and Family Court TROs by attorney Emiko Meyers; and Landlord/Tenant and District Court TROs by attorney Michael Scarbo.
Among the special guests were Judge Trudy K. Senda (ret.) and Micah W.J. Smith. Senda played a pivotal role in establishing the Kauaʻi Self Help Center – Hawai‘i’s first courthouse self-help center. Smith, a graduate of Kauaʻi High School who was confirmed as Hawai‘i’s newest federal judge by the U.S. Senate in November, shared his early experiences working with Kauaʻi Legal Aid and his perspectives on volunteering and the significance of the Self-Help Center to the community.
Following this discussion, Fifth Circuit Chief Judge Randal G.B. Valenciano and Judge Senda expressed their gratitude to the Self-Help Center’s 2023 volunteer attorneys for their service. Each volunteer received a certificate of appreciation from Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald.
Since its inception in 2011, the Kauaʻi Self-Help Center has facilitated over 4,600 free legal consultations on a variety of civil legal matters in district and family courts. Following its success, similar self-help centers have been established in courthouses across the state.
Volunteer attorneys are available remotely every Monday and Thursday (except holidays) from 10 a.m. to noon for those requiring assistance. Interested parties can call 808-909-2836 to speak with an AmeriCorps Advocate who will connect them with a volunteer attorney. The attorneys provide limited legal information on civil matters related to landlord-tenant cases, family cases, collections, temporary restraining orders, and other district court matters.
Attorneys interested in volunteering at a self-help center or seeking other pro bono opportunities are encouraged to visit the Hawaiʻi Access to Justice Commission website.