Hawaii legal news
Oil Companies Argue Hawaii Climate Lawsuit Should Be Decided by Legislature
Major oil firms and the American Petroleum Institute asked a Honolulu judge to dismiss Hawaii's climate‑change suit, saying climate policy is a legislative matter, not a courtroom issue.
Federal Judge Weighs Challenge to Hawaii Corporate Election Spending Ban
A federal judge is considering whether a nonprofit can challenge Hawaii's new law restricting corporate spending on elections and certified ballot measures.
Hawaii Supreme Court Upholds 2 Million Lawyer Fund in Maui Wildfire Settlement
The state Supreme Court let a 2 million fund for attorneys remain intact while striking provisions that barred fee‑award appeals in the Maui fire settlement.
267 attorneys and law firms across Hawaii are listed here, concentrated in Honolulu, Wailuku, Kailua, Kailua Kona and Lihue. The practice areas that appear most often are business law, personal injury, real estate law and estate planning.
How the courts are organised
Hawaii's trial courts are organised into four judicial circuits, with the First Circuit covering Oahu and most of the state's legal capacity. Circuit courts handle serious criminal cases and larger civil claims, district courts the rest, and the Family Court sits separately. Appeals go to the Intermediate Court of Appeals and then the Supreme Court of Hawaii. Federal cases fall to the District of Hawaii.
Points that shape Hawaii cases
— Attorneys are licensed through the Hawaii State Bar and the state Supreme Court; status is public.
— Hawaii runs a no-fault motor vehicle system with a threshold for pain and suffering claims, and applies modified comparative negligence with a 51 percent bar.
— Businesses pay a general excise tax on gross receipts rather than a conventional sales tax, and it applies broadly — including to services and rent.
— Land is frequently held under long-term ground lease rather than in fee, which changes how property purchases and commercial leases have to be structured.
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