LAW
Volunteer Work
One of the important requirements of both the School of Law and the Practice of Law is the importance of volunteer or pro bono work in the community. It is an area that resonates with me. It is why I went to law school. I am honored to work with some of the most passionate, committed, and dedicated advocates in our community.

I worked at the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation, the State Judiciary, and the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund as a volunteer. Whether it was serving as an advocate before the Individual Claims Review Panel for beneficiaries denied claims under the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1921, or drafting the EIS Complaint to shut down the Spaceport in Ka’u, it gave me a unique perspective on the law and the community we serve.

I continue to admire the attorneys and advocates who practice law to truly serve others.

Clerkship
I passed the Bar Exam on my first attempt. I will never forget receiving that notice. It seemed like seven years of hard work and tens of thousands of dollars spent on higher education rested on the results of one exam. The stress was unbearable. The excitement and relief was overwhelming. I was now ready to be sworn in as a member of the Hawaii Federal and State Bars. I could now practice law.

Everyone I talked to about career choices said that a clerkship is an important first step. The top students go to the Federal Courts or to the Hawaii Supreme Court. However, writing wasn’t my favorite pastime, well-respected attorneys recommended that if I wanted to become a trial attorney, I should pursue a clerkship at the Circuit Court level. I would get invaluable experience watching the best Prosecutors and Defense Attorneys on a daily basis. They were right.

I was a Law Clerk with the Honorable Judge Richard K. Perkins. He served in the Eighth Division of the First Circuit. I was able to get an education in trial advocacy second-to-none. The best trial attorneys in the State of Hawaii would pass through the courtroom on a daily basis. Judge Perkins, a humble, compassionate, and brilliant man, was a mentor that I was proud to call a friend. Once, as a new trial attorney, I was called to my first jury trial before Judge Perkins. I was terrified. I did not want to let him down. Thankfully, another trial went forward and I was assigned another courtroom. Phew!

I would recommend to all law school graduates interested in pursuing a career in trial advocacy that they apply for a law clerkship at the circuit court level. They will not regret the experience.

Deputy Public Defender
It was a tough decision. Prosecutor’s Office? Public Defenders? When your clerkship is winding down, after one year, both sides, if they are so inclined, begin to lobby you to join their office. However, because of my experiences, because of the camaraderie, because of Dean Yamashiro, I chose to go to the Office of the Public Defender.

I started off in the Appellate Division, which means you write appeals to the Supreme Court, and you begin arguing cases before the Family Court at the Hawaii State Hospital and before the Hawaii Paroling Authority at Halawa Correctional Facility. This is where you take notes to write a book if you want to tell a story.

I then was transferred to the District Court Division. I practiced in the Kaneohe, Wahiawa, Ewa, and Honolulu District Courts. These were primarily misdemeanor and traffic criminal cases. Everything from DUI’s to theft to assault to disorderly conduct.

I was then transferred to the Family Court, Juvenile Criminal Division, and then the Adult Family Court Criminal Division. This was an extremely challenging area to practice trial advocacy because of the dramatic and emotional nature of a lot of the caseload. In addition, some of the Juvenile Calendar can include attempted murders, robbery, and sexual assaults. The senior attorneys and supervisors provided a lot of support and the judges were very involved in the disposition of cases to promote judicial economy. This means that negotiation skills were as important as trial advocacy skills.

Finally, I concluded my career at the Public Defender’s Office at the Circuit Court. This is where every felony case was assigned. The senior public defenders were assigned the most serious felonies and the other serious cases were assigned accordingly. This was an entirely different courtroom experience. To some attorneys, once you have done jury trials, it’s all the same. But it felt different here. The sheer magnitude of the penalties loomed heavy over your caseload. Make a mistake and it could cost your client 10 to 20 years of their life. You made sure you gave it your very best.

FAMILY | EDUCATION | LAW | PUBLIC SERVICE | VISION

Billy is a member of the Hawaii State Bar Association. He serves as a Director on the Board of the Hawai`i Island United Way, and is a Board Member of the Hawai`i Justice Foundation, among other activities.

 

 

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