For 10 years, individual attorneys, law firms and professional legal associations have volunteered at Hawaii’s courthouse self-help centers, providing free legal consultations to people who can’t afford a lawyer.
The self-help centers recognized its decade of service recently by saluting those who have volunteered for more than 35,000 free legal consultations.
“I am deeply grateful to all the hard-working attorneys who have given their time and expertise over the past decade to support the courthouse self-help centers in our effort to provide assistance to those who need it most,” Hawaii Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald said in a release.
“Attorneys who volunteered during the past two years deserve special recognition for their dedication to serving our communities through the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic,” he added.
The self-help centers began pursuant to the state judiciary’s commitment to increase access to justice in the courts. Hawaii attorneys have provided legal guidance on a variety of civil matters in district and family courts, including landlord-tenant cases, collection cases, temporary restraining orders and divorce, according to the release.
“Thanks in large part to the strong support of the Hawaii State Bar Association and the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, we opened self-help centers on Kauai, Maui and the Big Island, along with two Access to Justice rooms on Oahu,” Recktenwald said.
“Over the past 10 years, hundreds of attorneys have volunteered [230 in the last year alone] and they have helped thousands of people at almost no cost to the public," he added. "It’s no exaggeration to say that these centers have become the signature achievement of Hawaii’s Access to Justice movement. In the latest survey of all 50 states as well as the territories, Hawaii ranked sixth for our efforts to provide access to justice."
Attorneys interested in volunteering at the courthouse self-help centers, or other pro bono opportunities, can visit the Hawaii Access to Justice Commission website, and click “How to Help.”