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Tickets are available for purchase for the HSBA & HSBF Annual Pau Hana! Join us for a fun evening of networking and fellowship. Enjoy food, drinks, and entertainment with your friends and colleagues while raising money to provide legal services to those in need.
Date: August 19, 2026
Time: 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Location: The Pacific Club
Much of our community has experienced significant damage from the recent storms. We hope you are all safe. You can assist by donating to the various organizations by visiting this link below.
Please know that we are organizing legal response with various direct legal services providers and will be updating this page for members who want to assist. Please re-visit this page for updates. Mahalo, and take care.
Please note, if you have been administratively suspended or wish to inquire about change of status, renewal, or resignation, please email ars@hsba.org.
Enjoy exclusive benefits ranging from travel, hotel and restaurants to technology, insurance, legal research, conference rooms and more.
Join an HSBA Section, being part of an HSBA Committee, or Volunteering to better serve Hawaii's people.
Contact the Lawyer Referral and Information Service to hire a lawyer.
To speak to a volunteer lawyer that will provide limited legal information see Legal Line Hotline.
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It has now been six months since I became HSBA President. Each month we have been hearing from a different part of the Bar, including, from our Executive Director, Cathy Betts, and from Richard Priest, President of the Maui County Bar Association. We hope to bring more voices to you later this year. I thought I would use this month’s e-newsletter to reflect on the 250th Anniversary of the founding of our Nation. For those of you old enough to remember the 200th Anniversary, it was an exciting time, with many celebrations both nationally and locally. From my recollection, back then it was very different than it was this year. Perhaps it was my age back then, or perhaps the mood of the Country is different today. READ FULL MESSAGE
Aloha,
As we reach the midpoint of the year, July offers a valuable opportunity to reflect on our progress and plan strategically for the future. While the first half of the year was packed with high-energy events and immediate outreach with the Hawai‘i High School Mock Trial Competition and Law Week, the summer months allow us to focus on long-term organizational sustainability…READ FULL MESSAGE
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As senior counsel, we often address liens in tort cases. Volumes exist on handling Medicare/Medicaid liens. I recently encountered a liability insurer asking a worker’s compensation insurer to provide all the medical records and billings relating to a worker who had received w/c benefits and was pursuing a third-party tort claim, without any HIPAA release or authorization from the injured person. The liability insurer indicated that a failure to do so would cause the insurer to “deny” and “dishonor” the w/c lien. In Hawaii, lien obligations and resolution are governed by Hawaii statutes. The w/c lien is statutorily imposed on any tort recovery paid to the claimant (HRS 386-8). And liens can be decided by the court under HRS 663-10. After placing all parties to a tort action on notice, generally by filing a lien notice in the civil action, the w/c carrier could file a motion with the court to have its lien determined and the payment obligation specified. The w/c carrier is not limited to having a tort insurer voluntarily agree to pay their lien. The Court can decide it...READ FULL MESSAGE
As President of the Hawaii State Bar Foundation, I want to take this opportunity to celebrate June as Pride Month and reflect on its significance for our island legal community. Pride Month is an opportunity for Hawai’i lawyers to reaffirm our commitment to the principles of equality, dignity, and justice that form the foundation of our profession…READ FULL MESSAGE
Aloha,
First of all, a huge thank you for making Law Day of Action on May 1st such an overwhelming success. Over 100 HSBA members renewed their oaths statewide. A heartfelt mahalo to the Hawaii State Judiciary, including CJ Recktenwald (ret.), Justice Ginoza, Justice McKenna, Judge Hamman, Judge Soong, Judge Nagata, Judge Jackson, and Judiciary staff for welcoming attorneys into their courtrooms for this momentous occasion. We also had several retired judges join us statewide to renew their oaths. As commented by many HSBA members, retaking the oath is a poignant and sometimes emotional experience for many of our members. It’s a reminder of the dignity of the profession and of the ethical values we swore to uphold when we started out as new lawyers. Thank you for making this event memorable and meaningful…READ FULL MESSAGE
The Hawaii State Bar Association considers diversity and inclusion critical elements of promoting equity and preventing discrimination. Diversity should reflect individuals from different identities, which include race, nationality, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender, ability, socioeconomic status, language, and age. Equity means ensuring that resources and opportunities within a working environment are impartially and fairly available to all. Inclusion means that all people feel seen, heard, valued, and welcomed within a working or learning environment regardless of their identities.
The HSBA promotes the ALOHA spirit and supports action for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (collectively “DEI”), and pledges to: (1) continue to make our workplaces trusting places to have conversations about diversity and inclusion; (2) implement and expand unconscious bias education; and (3) share best practices and programs around diversity and inclusion.
Call the Lawyer Referral Information Service for a free referral at (808) 537-9140 or by email at LRIS@hsba.org!
Volunteer attorneys host a telephone hotline every Wednesday evening from the hours of 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Legal Line is limited to the hour. The volunteer attorneys provide free legal information to the public. Call (808) 537-1868 for free legal information.
Volunteer attorneys are providing legal help to the community remotely through the statewide Court Self-Help Centers.