Seabury Hall teen wins award in outstanding essay competition on volunteerism

Maui teen Barbara “Bobby” Goldyn of Seabury Hall was among five teens across the state who were selected as winners of the Access to Justice Commission’s outstanding essay contest on volunteerism.

The five were honored during a ceremony at the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court Thursday, for the help they extended to the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the pandemic, Goldyn learned that senior homes on the island and across the country were forced to close down to outside visitors to ensure the residents’ safety. Not wanting them to feel isolated, Goldyn learned how to shoot and edit online musical concerts. She then gathered her musical friends asking them to sing songs from the residents’ era such as Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and Bille Holiday. Goldyn and her friends managed to create 30 shows and reach 500 seniors from Hawaiʻi to Alaska to Massachusetts.

The prize included $500 from the Maui law firm Lowenthal & Lowenthal and a trip to Oʻahu where Hawaiʻi Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwalk presented her with her award.

Michael May (Punahou School), Sanghyuk Lee (Iolani School), Shandette Namulauti (Nānākuli High & Intermediate School), Barbara Goldyn (Seabury Hall), and Trislyn Calixterio-Martinez (Waimea High School) each won $500 donated by local law firms. Their essays described, “How my volunteerism has helped our recovery from the effects of the pandemic.” A teacher or adviser named by each student also received $100 for educational purposes.

The law offices of Davis Levin Livingston; Alen M. K. Kaneshiro; Lukela Kobayashi, LLC; Lowenthal & Lowenthal; and Cades Schutte of Līhuʻe, Kauaʻi donated the monetary awards for this ninth year of the contest.

“In our statewide essay contest, we encourage students to share their views on the importance of assisting others and on the positive impact volunteerism has on themselves and on their communities. We are impressed by the depth and quality of the essays which reflect well on the students, their families, and their teachers.”

Volunteer Attorneys and Student Essay Contest Winners Honored at 2022 Pro Bono Celebration

Attorneys who performed free legal work in support of Hawaiʻi’s nonprofit legal services providers, indigent parties, individuals who do not have a lawyer, and the Appellate Pro Bono Program were honored at the Hawaiʻi Access to Justice Commission’s 2022 Pro Bono Celebration on Oct. 27.

Oʻahu’s Volunteer Settlement Masters and Hawaiʻi’s Appellate Pro Bono Mediators were also honored. In addition, the five winners of the Commission’s statewide high school essay contest were recognized. 

Hawaiʻi Access to Justice Commission Chair Judge Joseph Cardoza (ret.), Hawaiʻi Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald, Associate Justice Michael Wilson, and Hawaiʻi State Bar Association President Shannon Sheldon, along with state Rep. Della Au Belatti and Department of Education Deputy Superintendent Heidi Armstrong took part in the annual ceremony. 

“Our judicial system exists to provide equal justice for all,” said Hawaiʻi Access to Justice Commission Chair Judge Joseph Cardoza (ret.). “Hawaiʻi continues to rank high in the nation for our efforts to increase access to the courts, and we continue to pursue improvements in this area. The annual Pro Bono Celebration is a recognition of Hawaiʻi’s ongoing efforts to realize justice for all in our state.” 

Awards were presented to law firms and attorneys who donated time and expertise to Oʻahu’s legal services providers. The 2022 awardees and the organizations they supported are:

• Mihoko Ito (Hawaiʻi Justice Foundation)
• William C. Darrah (Hawaiʻi State Bar Association)
• Caroline Belsom (Legal Aid Society of Hawaiʻi)
• Richard Norton (Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation)
• Dentons US LLP’s team (Hawaiʻi Disability Rights Center)
• Clyde Namuo (The Mediation Center of the Pacific, Inc.)
• Caitlin Moon (Volunteer Legal Services Hawaiʻi)

Volunteer attorneys who staffed the Access to Justice Rooms at the Honolulu District Court and the Ronald T.Y. Moon Judiciary Complex in Kapolei were also honored for their community service. Since the centers opened in 2012, attorneys have provided nearly 8,500 consultations, at no charge, to people seeking legal assistance. This year’s honorees are:    

Honolulu District Court 

Individual Attorneys:   Sergio Alcubilla, Thomas Berger, Justin  Brackett, Pohai Nuuhiwa Campbell, Matthew A. Cohen, Tred Eyerly, Mike Goodman, Sue Vo Hansen, Arlette Harada, Kauanoe Jackson, Eric T. Kawatani, Lloyd Lim, Andrea Lux Miyashita, Scott George Morita, Steve Nichols, Christine Nowland, Laura Ozak, Erika Strawn, Lynne T.T. Toyofuku, Shannon Wack, and Sarah Wang.   

Law Firms / Offices / Groups:  Bronster Fujichaku Robbins, Cades Schutte, Carlsmith Ball, Case Lombardi & Pettit, Chun Kerr, Damon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert, Dentons US LLP, Goodsill Anderson Quinn & Stifel, Hawaii Association for Justice, Hawaii Filipino Lawyers Association, Hawaii Women Lawyers, Marr Jones Wang, McCorriston Miller Mukai MacKinnon LLP, Office of Disciplinary Counsel, Schlack Ito, Starn O’Toole Marcus & Fisher, and Yamamoto Caliboso Heatherington. 

Kapolei Family Court 

Individual Attorneys:  Kevin Adaniya, Marrionnette Andrews, Cheryl Arakaki, Sara Jo Buehler, Mari Kishimoto Doi, Shelby Ferrer, Gregory Frey, Noah Gibson, Andrea Graf, Donna Green, Shannon Hackett, Seth Harris, Stephen Hioki, Ann Isobe, Curtis Kam, Lynnae Lee, Elsa McGehee, Dyan Mitsuyama, Ellen Politano, Gregory Ryan, Gemma-Rose Poland Soon, Tom Tanimoto, Jacqueline Thurston, and Carol Tribbey.   

Hawaiʻi’s Appellate Pro Bono Program Volunteers: Sean Aronson, Lance Collins, and David Harada-Stone 

The Oʻahu Family Court Volunteer Settlement Masters were recognized by First Circuit Deputy Chief Judge and Senior Family Court Judge Matthew Viola. This year’s honorees are:    

Kevin Adaniya, Marrionette Andrews, Cheryl Arakaki, Sara Jo Buehler, Jennifer Chan, Bradley Chong, Tom Crowley, Nicole Cummings, Everett Cuskaden, William Darrah, Richard Diehl, Gavin Doi, Huilin Dong, Tom Farrell, Shelby Ferrer, Greg Frey, Stacey Fukuhara-Barclay, Noah Gibson, Christian (Christy) Gray, Donna Davis Green, Geoff Hamilton, Seth Harris, Steve Hartley, Jill Hasegawa, Denise Havicon, Stephen Hioki, Ann Isobe, Debbie Jew, Judith Schevtchuck (military), Curtis Kam, Kevin Kimura, Charles Kleintop, Erin Kobayashi, Jackie Kong, Lynnae Lee, Kendal Luke, Katherine Lukela, Tim Luria, Elsa McGehee, Lynne McGivern, Dyan Mitsuyama, Naoko Miyamoto, Juan Montalbano, Blake Okimoto, Maria Penn, Anthony Perrault, Karl Phillips, Ellen Politano, Pablo Quiban, Alethea Rebman, Stephanie Rezents, Gregg Ryan, John Schmidtke, Scott Schmidtke, Isaac Smith, Gemma-Rose Poland Soon, Justin Sturdivant, Jo-Ann Takara, Tom Tanimoto, Christopher Thomas, Paul Tomar, Carol Tribbey, Molly Turpin, Sheila Vierra, Mitchell Wong, and Craig Yim. 

Hawaiʻi’s Appellate Mediator Volunteers were recognized for their service in a segment led by the Hawaiʻi State Judiciary’s Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution Appellate Mediation Program Admin/Trainer Anne Marie Smoke. This year’s honorees are:

Justice Simeon R. Acoba , Jr. (ret.), Judge Riki May Amano (ret.), George B. Apter, Esq., Judge Joel E. August (ret.), Robin K. Campaniano, Esq., Corlis J. Chang, Esq., Louis L.C. Chang, Esq., Charles W. Crumpton, Esq., Justice James E. Duffy (ret.), Jacqueline L.S. Earle, Esq., David H. Franzel, Esq., Judge Max W.J. Graham (ret.), Judge Eden Elizabeth Hifo (ret.), Kenneth B.Hipp, Esq., Judge Douglas H. Ige (ret.), Elizabeth Kent, Esq., Judge Walter S. Kirimitsu (ret.), Judge Robert G. Klein (ret.), Ralph R. La Fountaine, Esq., Rosalyn Loomis, Esq., Stanley Majka, Esq., Judge Victoria S. Marks (ret.), Judge E. John McConnel (ret.), Georgia K. McMillen, Esq., Judge Douglas S. McNish (ret.), Judge Marie N. Milks (ret.), Richard C. Mosher, Esq., Judge Gail C. Nakatani (ret.), Judge Rhonda A. Nishimura (ret.), Judge Maura M. Okamoto (ret.), Patricia Kim Park, Esq., Judge Shackley F. Raffetto (ret.), Judge Nancy Ryan (ret.), Judge Karl K. Sakamoto (ret.), Judge Sandra A. Simms (ret.), Judge Leland H. Spencer (ret.), Thomas L. Stirling, Esq., Judge Allene K. Suemori (ret.), Owen K. Tamamoto, Esq., Judge Michael A. Town (ret.), Arne Werchick, Esq., Judge Andrew P. Wilson (ret.), Judge Patrick K.S.L. Yim (ret.).

The Pro Bono Celebration, held annually during National Pro Bono Week, was sponsored by the Hawaii Access to Justice Commission, the Hawaii Justice Foundation, and the Hawaii State Bar Foundation, with the support of the Hawaii State Bar Association. 

The Hawaii Access to Justice Commission was created in May 2008. The Commission’s primary purpose is to substantially increase access to justice in civil legal matters for low- and moderate-income residents of Hawaii. 

The Hawaii Justice Foundation is an independent, tax-exempt grantmaking organization whose sole purpose is to achieve justice for Hawaii’s people. The Foundation was established in 1969 as a vehicle for philanthropic law-related projects in the State of Hawaii. 

The Hawaii State Bar Association is the unified bar association for all persons admitted to the practice of law in Hawaii, and serves to unite and inspire Hawaii lawyers to promote justice, serve the public, and improve the legal profession. 

The Hawaii State Bar Foundation is a nonprofit organization established to promote justice through programs such as Access to Justice for persons in need of legal services, civics education, and other public service programs and projects, including programs and projects of the Hawaii State Bar Association.