The District Family and District Court of the Third Circuit on Hawaiʻi island is currently seeking attorneys interested in serving as per diem judges. Applications are open until April 1, 2025.
Prospective applicants must submit an original and three copies of their completed applications either by mail or hand-delivery to the Committee to Evaluate Qualifications of Per Diem Judges, addressed to Chief Judge Wendy M. DeWeese at Keahuolū Courthouse in Kailua-Kona, Hawaiʻi. Additionally, a separate copy should be sent directly to Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald at the Supreme Court of Hawaiʻi in Honolulu.
Applicants must meet certain criteria as outlined in Article VI, Section 3 of the Hawaiʻi State Constitution. They must be residents and citizens of both the state and the United States, with a minimum of five years' experience practicing law licensed by the Supreme Court of Hawaiʻi prior to nomination. The Commission on Judicial Conduct has issued a formal opinion stating that per diem judges and their partners or associates cannot practice law in the court where they serve. Moreover, government employees are not eligible for these positions.
Per diem judges serve part-time roles appointed by the Chief Justice based on necessity within the District Court system. Once selected through an interview process conducted by the Committee to Evaluate Qualifications of Per Diem Judges, appointees must file an order of appointment before taking office.
During their tenure, per diem judges may continue private legal practice under specified restrictions and receive compensation solely for days worked according to a monthly rate equivalent to that of a District Court judge as stated in HRS section 604-2(b).