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Jeffrey H.K. Sia
HSBA President
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Aloha Members!
Mandatory
pro bono is a controversial topic that recently received some national
attention. In the June edition of the ABA’s “Washington Letter”
publication, it was reported that the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee
held a hearing on “Closing the Justice Gap” on 5/22/08. Senator
Benjamin Cardin (D-Md.) chaired the hearing and reportedly asked
whether pro bono legal services might be federally mandated or required
by individual states as a way to provide access to justice for those in
need of legal services, but without the resources to fulfill those
needs.
ABA Governmental Affairs Director Thomas Susman later
responded to Senator Cardin’s question in a 5/29/08 letter, indicating
that the ABA strongly encouraged and supported pro bono and public
service benefiting low-income individuals and organizations that serve
the poor. That response corresponds to the HSBA’s encouragement and
support of pro bono services in Hawaii. The HSBA not only promotes pro
bono service, but provides such service through its Legal Line service
and various YLD pro bono activities. It is a member of the Access to
Justice Hui and has representatives on the newly formed Access to
Justice Commission.
Susman also wrote that in 2002, the ABA
rejected the inclusion of mandatory pro bono requirements. The ABA’s
Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service “maintains that
mandatory pro bono would not constructively help solve the justice gap
and could actually be counterproductive because it would:
•
detrimentally and disproportionately impact small firms and solo
practitioners and newer lawyers, who do not have the resources to
absorb the impact of the requirement;
• hurt lawyers’ morale and reduce other altruistic inclinations; and
•
detrimentally impact the quality of service provided to low-income
clients because lawyers would be required to provide representation
outside their areas of expertise.”
What do you think? What can
we do – what can the HSBA do to provide “access to justice” beyond what
is being done? Let the HSBA know your thoughts and comments.
Mahalo for your comments.
--Jeff H.K. Sia
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What does it mean to you?
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Support the Access to Justice effort: Buy a ticket or a table for the 2008 Annual Fundraising Dinner.
July 19, 2008
Net
proceeds from the Dinner will benefit the Hawaii Justice Foundation,
the Friends of Family Specialty Court and HSBA’s Public Service Account.
Aloha State Stories: The Promise of Justice for All
premieres on
July 19 at the
Hawaii
State
Art Museum, catered by Ed Kenney.
Join Us For:
·
The winning video from our state-wide video contest,
Aloha State Stories: The Promise of Justice for All.
·
A wealth of exiting items by silent auction
·
Entertainment by the
Honolulu Jazz Quartet
Reserve a Table Now
Sign up for the Video Contest. Grand prize is $1,500!
Donate to the exciting Silent Auction
It’s not too late to buy a table!
Video contest entry deadline is July 9.
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CLE Events
Notices:
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KCC Paralegal Training Survey
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KCC
Paralegal training program is seeking input from HSBA members to assist
with their program planning. You are invited to participate in their
survey which will be open until June 28, 2008. Please assist them.
KCC Paralegal Training Survey.
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HSBA CLE Survey
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Thanks to those who responded to our CLE SURVEY, we had a
16% return, considered quite good for surveys. By use of an electronic random selection,
Mona Watson Clark of the Kauai County Attorney’s Office is the proud winner of a
new iPod Nano! |
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Looking for some Benefit Updates?
Look no further.
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Read the newest issue of
The Complete Lawyer
,
“A Sound Mind in a Sound Body.”
Enjoy reading an interview with local contributor Jeff Portnoy, former HSBA President.
 NEW!
Feeling pressure at the pump?
Save 4 cents per gallon with an Aloha Petroleum Club Card!
$5.00 membership fee waived.
Click here for an application.
Visit
www.hsba.org
and browse your member benefits today!
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CASEMAKER Training through July
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If you have not been taking full advantage of your
free legal research provider, now is the time to find out what you've been missing!
Webinars are also available:
Tuesday, June 17
Tuesday, July 1
Tuesday, July 15
Tuesday, July 29
To register, click on the links above.
System Requirements:
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, 2003 Server,
Vista
Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.3.9 (Panther®) or newer
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RPost Webinar for the Family Law Practitioner
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Proof, Protection & Peace of Mind
For Your E-Communications for the Family Law Practitioner
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
9:00 a.m. HST (60 minutes)
REGISTER NOW!
Sign-Up Includes:
FREE E-Mail Management Toolkit for keeping your in-box under control:
1. FREE handbook, "Top Tips for E-Mail Management" ($12.95 value).
2. FREE 30-day starter-pack of 100 Registered E-mail units ($59 value).
Read More about the program.
Visit
www.rpost.com/partners/hawaiibar for more information about RPost services.
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YLD News
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Jill M. Hasegawa, YLD President
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The HSBA Needs Your Help!
The
YLD serves as the contact point for disaster legal assistance in
Hawaii. When a disaster occurs, the Hawaii Civil Defense Authority
contacts the HSBA to provide basic legal services and consultation to
victims, including manning neighborhood Disaster Assistance Relief
Centers, staffing a hotline to provide basic legal services, or
providing pro bono legal services. When disasters strike, immediate
assistance is necessary, and advance preparedness is the key to a rapid
response. The HSBA relies totally upon its members’ support in its
disaster assistance relief efforts.
As we head into a new
hurricane season, the HSBA asks for your help! Please add your name to
our list of HSBA disaster assistance volunteers. No specific experience
is necessary. The HSBA will provide you with the basic information
needed to respond to the victims’ concerns and issues
To
volunteer, please contact Tammy Takara at ttakara@hsba.org or (808)
538-1868. (Toll free from the neighbor islands: Maui – (808) 270-0873;
Lanai – (808) 568-0873; Hawaii - (808) 930-0873; Molokai - (808)
660-0873 and Kauai – (808) 240-0873).
Be ready to step up when your support and assistance are needed. Mahalo!
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Pictures:
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POSTER CONTEST Based on the
ABA Law Day theme:
"The Rule of Law:
Foundation for Communities of
Opportunity and Equity."
Top: Law Week Posters by
Konawaena
Elementary School students (May 27, 2008)
Bottom: Three students from
Kealakehe
Elementary School hold up their Law Week posters (June 2, 2008)
Maui
Roadshow Pictures from June 6, 2008
Top:
Travelling instructors Peter Lenhart and Jane Sugimura enjoy Maui plate lunches between Roadshow sessions.
Bottom:
Maui members listen to David Farmer during a session.
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www.HSBA.org
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Are you familiar with our website,
www.hsba.org? Taking advantage of everything we offer?
Stay updated daily through our legal and local
News Feeds;
Keep abreast of HSBA events, CLE programs, section meetings and more through our
Events Calendar;
Check out CLE Listings on the left sidebar, or view more details through our CLE Calendar;
Search our Membership, find Helpful Links, Forms, Details of HSBA activities and much more at
www.hsba.org
!
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Member Notice:
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Check your own data on our website member directory—this information will be published in the HSBA Bar Directory.
Make sure it’s correct!!
www.hsba.org
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