About Us.

NHBA strives for justice and effective legal representation for Native Hawaiians.

Our Mission

​The Native Hawaiian Bar Association is an association of lawyers, judges and other legal professionals of Hawaiian ancestry that promotes excellence, unity, cooperation, education and the exchange of ideas among its members and in the larger community.

Established in 1992

Our membership includes attorneys ranging from solo practitioners to members of large firms, corporations, legal services organizations, non-profit organizations and governmental agencies.

Special memberships are available to non-Hawaiian legal professionals who promote the development of law for the benefit of Native Hawaiians and to law students.

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Our Board of Directors

Summer Lee Haunani Sylva
President
U.S. Department of the Interior 

Haʻaheo M. Kahoʻohalahala
Vice President
Hawaiʻi County Off. of the Prosecuting Atty.

Letani George Peltier
Secretary
Honolulu City Council 

Beadie Kanahele Dawson
Director*
Settle Meyer Law

Judge Melvin Soong
Director*
Retired

Kirsha K.M. Durante
Director
Native Hawaiian Legal Corp.

LindaLee (Cissy) K. Farm
​​Director
Farm Benedict Sugihara LLLP

Amanda Donlin 
​​Director
Department of the Attorney General

Crystal Gail K. Glendon
Director
Glendon & Ponce

Kai Kakana Alii Lawrence
Director
Kai Law LLC

Melody K. MacKenzie
Director
​William S. Richardson School of Law, retired

Patrick Shea
​​Director
Shea & Kamiya LLLC

Scott Keala Daezoo Shishido
​Director
Legal Aid Society of Hawaii

Richard Naiwieha Wurdeman
Director
Attorney at Law

*Emeritus Status