December 2009 #3. VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES.

• Author: by Lynda Arakawa

Hawaii Bar Journal

2009.

December 2009 #3.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Hawaii State Bar JournalDecember 2009VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIESby Lynda ArakawaWith family issues and domestic violence cases creating the greatest needs for legal help,(fn1) the Access to Justice Commission invited Circuit Court Judge Frances Q.F. Wong to speak about volunteer opportunities in this area at its July meeting. Such opportunities range from volunteer guardian ad litems and settlement masters to volunteer fact finders and pre-trial assistants. "What we find with volunteers is that they are so energized by their work with Family Court," Wong told the Access to Justice Commission. "It's really amazing to me because it's a horrible work environment, both physically ... (and) just the emotional stuff that just swirls around. But boy, people will just keep volunteering."

Attorneys serve as volunteer guardian ad litems as well as volunteersfor Kids First, an education program for families going through divorce. Family law practitioners also volunteer as settlement masters for the divorce division. Others act as fact finders for the court's Special Division, which includes court calendars concerning paternity, adoption, guardianship, and domestic violence matters, Wong said. Fact finders are critical to family district court judges, who do not have law clerks, according to Wong.

For example, the domestic violence calendar is filled with pro se parties and low-income residents in cases without attorneys or home studies, she explained. "Sometimes the best ajudge can do is what we can search, which is...