Gov. Josh Green has picked Intermediate Appellate Court judge Lisa Ginoza and Honolulu personal injury lawyer Vladimir Devens to fill vacancies on the Hawaiʻi State Supreme Court.
Ginoza and Devens were chosen from a shortlist of six nominees put forward by the Hawaiʻi Judicial Selection Commission. They include state District Court judge Summer Kupau-Odo, state Circuit Court judge Catherine Remigio, and Intermediate Appellate Court judges Karen Nakasone and Clyde Wadsworth.
Green said his nominations served to ensure diversity beyond just gender and race, but also background and experience aimed at balancing the court.
"These two nominees have very different legal backgrounds, and it was their diversity and depth of experience that served as the most compelling reasons to select them. We don’t like status quo, we like to change a little bit," he said.
"I think you get in some ways a change agent in Vlad Devens who has such respect in the community and then incredible experience in Lisa Ginoza. So, we’re very proud of these picks and we’ll be humbly be asking for their support."
Ginoza has spent 13 years with the State of Hawaiʻi Intermediate Court of Appeals — the last five years as Chief Judge.
Prior to that she served as Deputy Attorney General from 2005 to 2010, and worked in private practice for some of Honolulu’s top law firms handling cases at all court levels.
Green praised Ginoza as a product of Hawaiʻi’s public school system both as a graduate of Kailua High School as well as the University of Hawaiʻi William S. Richardson School of Law. She received her undergraduate degree from Oregon State University.
"I recognize the significant steps ahead and the important role the Senate plays in confirming the nominees and I very much look forward to meeting with as many senators as I am able in the coming weeks as they consider my nomination. I really look forward to those discussions with them," Ginoza said.
"I’d also like to thank the Judicial Selection Commission. There really were a number of wonderful applicants. I know a lot of them. I think extremely highly of all of them," she said.
Ginoza is looking forward to discussing her nomination with as many state senators as possible in the coming weeks.
The governor's other pick, Devens, has spent the last 25 years in private practice and was chosen over four candidates currently serving as judges.
Green praised Devens’ extensive labor experience and said his appointment brings a “freshness” to the judicial nomination process because Devens is not a sitting judge.
Devens said his diverse background and experience in his legal practice and community work will be a helpful addition to the five-member state Supreme Court. He graduated from Kalani High School and earned his law and bachelor's degrees from the University of California, Berkeley.
"I was born and raised in Hawaiʻi and ... I am a product of the public school system and I am very thankful of the education that this community gave to me ... And should the state Senate confirm me, I will bring to the court the same hard work, commitment, dedication, excitement and belief in our Constitution and in our court that has marked my decades of work as a litigator," Devens said.
The Hawaiʻi State Senate will convene a special session to consider the judicial appointments beginning Nov. 17.
If confirmed by the state Senate, Ginoza and Devens will fill vacancies resulting from the retirements of Associate Justices Michael Wilson in March and Paula Nakayama in April.
Green is expected to have another seat to fill after state Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald retires in 2025.
