Maui Attorney Among List of Nominees for Intermediate Court of Appeals Vacancy

Governor David Ige is reviewing a list of six nominees forwarded to him by the Judicial Selection Commission, for consideration to fill a vacancy on the Intermediate Court of Appeals.

The judicial office has been vacant since the retirement of Associate Judge Derrick H. M. Chan in Oct. 2020.

The nominees are:

Lance D. Collins has been an attorney in private practice on Maui since 2005. Previously, he was an instructor for the Legal Clerk Certificate Program, Office of Continuing Education at the University of Hawai‘i Maui College, and a lecturer with the Indo-Pacific Languages and Literature Department (Ilokano), University of Hawai‘i.

Collins earned his A.A. from then Maui Community College and his B.A. and M.A. from the University of Hawai‘i before receiving his J.D. from the University of Hawai‘i William S. Richardson School of Law in 2004. He also earned a Ph.D. from the University of Hawai‘i in 2010.

Daniel M. Gluck is currently executive director and general counsel of the Hawai‘i State Ethics Commission. Prior to that, he served as the legal director for ACLU of Hawai‘i, an adjunct professor, Civil Rights Seminar at the University of Hawai‘i William S. Richardson School of Law, an associate attorney in private practice and law clerk for the Hon. J. Michael Seabright, U.S. District Court, District of Hawai‘i and the Hon. James E. Duffy, Jr., Hawai‘i Supreme Court.

Gluck earned a B.S. in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University and his J.D. from Harvard Law School.

Summer M. M. Kupau-Odo is a District Court judge of the First Circuit, having served since 2018. Previously, she was co-litigation director/staff attorney for the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation, an associate attorney/senior associate attorney for Earthjustice, a deputy public defender for the State of Hawai‘i and a law clerk for the Hon. Simeon R. Acoba, Jr., Hawai‘i State Supreme Court. Kupau-Odo attended Maui Community College, earned a B.A. in English from Pepperdine University and her J.D. from the University of Hawai‘i William S. Richardson School of Law.

Sonja M.P. McCullen is currently a deputy prosecuting attorney for the City and County of Honolulu. Her previous positions include — investigator with the Crime Victim Compensation Commission, a staff attorney with the United Public Workers union, a judicial education specialist, and law clerk for the Hon. Paula A. Nakayama, Hawai‘i State Supreme Court. McCullen is a graduate of the University of Hawai‘i. She earned her J.D. from the University of Hawai‘i William S. Richardson School of Law.

Malia E. Schreck has been an attorney in private practice since she graduated from law school in 2005. She also teaches a Pre-Trial Litigation seminar at the University of Hawai‘i William S. Richardson School of Law. Schreck earned a B.S. in policy analysis and Master of Public Administration from Cornell University.

Taryn R. Tomasa Gifford is a deputy public defender with the Office of the Public Defender, Appellate Division. Tomasa Gifford also served as a public defender in the Trials Division. In addition, she was an associate attorney in private practice and a law clerk for the Hon. John S. W. Lim, Intermediate Court of Appeals. Tomasa Gifford earned a B.A. in history from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and her J.D. from the University of Hawai‘i William S. Richardson School of Law.

The public is welcome to submit comments on any of the nominees on the governor’s website at: https://governor.hawaii.gov/contact-us/contact-the-governor/ 

Gov. Ige has 30 calendar days, or until July 9 to make his selection, which is subject to  Senate confirmation.