Chief Justice Appoints District and District Family Court Judges

News Release from Hawaii Judiciary, May 25, 2022

HONOLULU – Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald today appointed two individuals to fill judicial positions in the District Family Court of the Third Circuit and one individual to fill a position in the District Court of the Fifth Circuit.

Jill M. Hasegawa has been appointed to the District Family Court of the Third Circuit, replacing retired Judge Mahilani Hiatt. She is currently employed with Raymond K. Hasegawa, AAL, ALC, and serves as a Per Diem Judge in the District and District Family Courts of the Third Circuit. Prior to that she was employed by Ashford & Wriston LLP from 2004 to 2017. She is a graduate of the University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law, and was admitted to the Hawaii State Bar in 2004.

Throughout her career, Hasegawa has served on numerous legal and community organizations, including president of the Hawaii Women’s Legal Foundation, Hawaii State Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, William S. Richardson School of Law Alumni Association, and University of Hawaii Alumni Association.

Joanna E. Sokolow has been appointed to the District Family Court of the Third Circuit, replacing Judge Wendy DeWeese, who was appointed to the circuit court bench. She is currently employed with Sokolow & Gibson, LLP, and serves as a Per Diem Judge in the District Family Court of the Third Circuit. Prior to that she was employed by the Children’s Law Project from 2019 to 2021, the Office of the Public Defender from 2015 to 2019, and Legal Aid Society of Hawaii from 2006 to 2015. She is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center, and was admitted to the Hawaii State Bar in 2006.

Throughout her career, Sokolow has been active in numerous legal and community organizations, including the Access to Justice Commission, Hawaii State Bar Association, and West Hawaii Bar Association, among others.

Gregory H. Meyers has been appointed to the District Court of the Fifth Circuit, replacing retired Judge Edmund Acoba. He is currently employed with Meyers & Meyers, LLC. Meyers has been associated with De Costa Hempey Meyers LLC as a partner and Of Counsel since 2014 and was a partner at Hempey & Meyers LLP from 2007 to 2014. He also served as a Per Diem Judge in the District Family Court of the Fifth Circuit from 2014 to 2016. He is a graduate of George Washington University Law School, and was admitted to the Hawaii State Bar in 2002.

Throughout his career, Meyers has been active in numerous legal and community organizations, including serving on the boards of Junior Achievement Kauai, Hale Opio, Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, Friends of the Children’s Justice Center, and Hoʻike Community TV.

The Chief Justice made his appointments from the nomination lists that were presented to him by the Judicial Selection Commission on April 25, 2022. All three appointments are subject to Senate confirmation. 

TGI: Judges appointed, Meyers to the District Court of the Fifth Circuit  

HTH: Two lawyers appointed to District Family Court bench