STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3970

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: JUD. COM. NO. 24

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred Judiciary Communication No. 24, submitting for study and consideration the appointment of:

District Family Court of the First Circuit

J.C. No. 24

NATASHA R. SHAW, for a term to expire in 6 years,

begs leave to report as follows:

Your Committee reviewed the personal history, resume, and statement submitted by Natasha R. Shaw for service as a Judge of the District Family Court of the First Circuit.

Your Committee received testimony in support of the appointment of Natasha R. Shaw from the Korean American Bar Association Hawaii; Taniguchi & Associates; Yee & Kawashima, LLLP; Honorable Maura Okamoto-retired; and forty-three individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to the appointment of Natasha R. Shaw from one individual. Your Committee received comments on the appointment of Natasha R. Shaw from the Hawaii State Bar Association.

The Hawaii State Bar Association Board of Directors found the appointee to be qualified for the position of District Family Court Judge of the First Circuit based on established criteria for determining the qualifications of judicial appointments generally using the American Bar Association Guidelines for Reviewing Qualifications of Candidates for State Judicial Office. Specifically, the Board uses the following criteria in its deliberations: integrity and diligence, legal knowledge and ability, professional experience, judicial temperament, financial responsibility, public service, health, and ability to perform the responsibilities and duties required of the position for which the applicant has been appointed. The Board's rating system includes the categories of "qualified" and "not qualified".

Judge Shaw received her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration in Accounting from the University of Nevada Las Vegas. She later received her Master of Business Administration from Stetson University School of Business concurrently with her Juris Doctor degree from Stetson University College of Law. After law school, she was a law clerk for the Hawai‘i State Judiciary.

Judge Shaw has practiced law, primarily in the areas of probate, trust, and real estate, since 2010. Her practice focused on the areas of probate and trust litigation, conservatorships and guardianships litigation, forensic audits of fiduciary accounts, estate administration, and drafting estate planning documents. Throughout her career, she has handled numerous cases involving complex fact patterns and issues of law.

Judge Shaw has served as a Per Diem Judge for the District Family Court of the First Circuit since 2019. She has also served as Kokua Kanawai for two Probate Court Judges, in which capacity her duties included interviewing individuals to determine the need for a conservatorship or guardianship, who is best suited to serve as a conservator or guardian in a given case, whether a protected person's living arrangements are sufficient for their personal and medical needs, whether a proposed budget is sufficient for those needs, and making determinations of any other facts or conditions that must be addressed to further the best interests of the protected person.

Judge Shaw has been licensed to practice law in the State of Hawaii since 2010 and has been actively involved in the legal community throughout her career. She has been a member of the Korean American Bar Association Hawaii since 2010, and a member of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association since 2016. In addition, she volunteers as a Wish Granter for Make a Wish Hawaii and as a Speech and Debate Club judge at ‘Iolani School.

Testimony submitted in support of Judge Shaw's appointment commends her professional demeanor, outstanding analytical ability, and dedication to integrity and honesty. Numerous testifiers also praised the thorough and meticulous preparation that she brings to all matters before her, both as an advocate and as a jurist. During her time as a Per Diem Judge, she has earned a reputation for consistency, legal expertise, and the ability to maintain and project compassionate professionalism in delicate circumstances and when interacting with emotionally charged parties.

Your Committee finds that, based on the testimony submitted on her behalf, responses to questions asked by the members of your Committee, and your Committee's review of information about her and her qualifications, Natasha R. Shaw has the experience, dedication, and other competencies to be a District Family Court Judge of the First Circuit, and she has the legal expertise, integrity, and demeanor to fully and faithfully discharge the duties associated with that judicial office.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee, after full consideration of the background, experience, and qualifications of the appointee, has found the appointee to be qualified for the position to which appointed and recommends that the Senate consent to the appointment.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

____________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair