Annual Awards
2020 Annual HWL Awards Reception
August 13, 2020
Outstanding Women Lawyer Award
Laura H. Thielen
Judicial Achievement Award
Honorable Alexa D.M. Fujise
Lifetime Achievement Award
Honorable Barbara P. Richardson (Ret.)
Distinguished Service
Tracey S. Wiltgen
President's Award
Rachael Wong
2020 Annual HWL Awards Reception
August 13, 2020
Outstanding Women Lawyer Award
Laura H. Thielen
Judicial Achievement Award
Honorable Alexa D.M. Fujise
Lifetime Achievement Award
Honorable Barbara P. Richardson (Ret.)
Distinguished Service
Tracey S. Wiltgen
President's Award
Rachael Wong
2020 Awardee Bios
Outstanding Women Lawyer Award
Laura H. Thielen
Senator Laura Thielen represents the 25th senate district of Kailua, Waimanalo, and Hawaii Kai. She grew up in Kailua and holds degrees in public policy and law. She started her career working as an attorney in private practice, later becoming a managing attorney at Legal Aid Society of Hawaii. In 2001 she was elected to the State Board of Education, serving several years. She was later appointed as the Director of the State Office of Planning, and then the Chairperson of the Department of Land and Natural Resources. She was first elected to the State Senate in 2012. Senator Thielen has always been a strong voice for equality for women and girls in the Hawaii State Legislature and in the community. She was the president of the Hawaii Women Lawyers and is currently a co-convener of the Women’s Legislative Caucus. Senator Thielen has put forward legislation that has improved anti-harassment policies in the workplace. She has also worked at making sure that we are effectively addressing violence against women by reducing the backlog of rape test kits, improving the domestic violence judicial process as well as mentoring women. Senator Thielen has championed equal pay and is a great supporter of gender equality, this session she has introduced a resolution requesting appointing authorities to dedicate themselves to achieve gender parity on state boards and commissions and our circuit courts.
Judicial Achievement Award
Honorable Alexa D.M. Fujise
Alexa D.M. Fujise was sworn in as an Associate Judge of the Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals (the “ICA”) on June 10, 2004. At that time, she was just the second female to serve on the ICA, the first being Judge Corrine Watanabe. Throughout her 15 plus years on the the ICA, Judge Fujise served as lead judge and/or a panel member on thousands of appeals, working diligently to provide access to justice and resolution to litigants before the ICA.
While serving as Associate Judge, Judge Fujise served on the Hawaii Rules of Appellate Procedure Standing Committee, a position she held even prior to her appointment to the bench. She was also appointed to the Appellate Review Task Force (a legislatively created task force tasked with looking at the transition and operation of the ICA vis-à-vis the Supreme Court as a Court primarily of certiorari), the Committee on Children in the Courts (an interdisciplinary committee addressing issues facing foster children in the jurisdiction of the Courts), and the Judiciary Committee on Revisions to the Code of Judicial Ethics. Judge Fujise also served unofficially as part of the user group advising the Judiciary’s contractor developing the Appellate Module of the Judiciary’s Electronic Filing System.
Prior to her appointment on the ICA, Judge Fujise worked at the Honolulu Department of the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for 20 years, from 1984 to 2004. She was a strong leader within the Prosecutor’s Office, at a time when many female attorneys were still facing challenges breaking into the profession. During her tenure with the Prosecutor’s Office, Judge Fujise served as Branch Chief of the Appellate Section within the Prosecutor’s Office as well as the Division Director of the Research and Reference Support Division within the Office.
In addition to her work with the Judiciary and the Prosecutor’s Office, Judge Fujise also has a long history of involvement with the wider legal community. Judge Fujise serves as a member of the Hawaii Board of Bar Examiners and is long time dedicated board member of the William S. Richardson School of Law (“WSRSL”) Alumni Association. Judge Fujise has also served on the American Judicature Society’s Ad Hoc Standing Committee on Electronic Discovery and previously taught appellate practice seminars for the National District Attorneys Association and WSRSL. In 2005, WSRSL honored Judge Fujise with its Dean’s Distinguished Alumni Award in recognition for all that she has accomplished and done for her alma mater
Judge Fujise is a proud graduate of the William S. Richardson School of Law Class of 1980 and received her undergraduate degree from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. During her free time, Judge Fujise enjoys crafting, including quilting, knitting, weaving and jewelry making. She belongs to several crafting groups, including a quilting group composed of female attorneys. Judge Fujise is a huge baseball fan, and regular supporter of the UH Baseball Bows and her Boston Red Sox.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Honorable Barbara P. Richardson (Ret.)
Barbara P. Richardson was sworn in as a District Court Judge in the First Circuit on May 5, 2000, and continued to serve on the bench until her retirement at the end of December 2016. During her tenure on the bench, Judge Richardson was appointed as Deputy Chief Judge of the District Court of the First Circuit, a position she held for seven years until her retirement. As Deputy Chief Judge, Judge Richardson was responsible for overseeing all of the district court judges within the First Circuit and ensuring the smooth administration of the district courts. In addition to her sixteen years of full-time service on the bench, Judge Richardson also served as a per diem judge for fourteen years, immediately preceding her appointment.
During her tenure as Deputy Chief Judge, Judge Richardson was a member of and chaired several Judiciary committees, participated in creating a Community Outreach Court, and worked with the District Court Deputy Chief Judges and staff from the other circuits in establishing the District Court Environmental Courts and launching criminal modules of the Judiciary Information Management System (JIMS).
While sitting on the bench, Judge Richardson collaborated with the Hawaii State Bar Association, Hawaii Access to Justice Commission, and the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii to have volunteer attorneys and AmeriCorps representatives available two days a week at an “Access to Justice Room” located in the Honolulu District Court courthouse. Judge Richardson also helped implement the Hawaii Court Records Rules and the JIMS District Court Criminal project where misdemeanor cases documents are filed and accessed electronically.
Judge Richardson was elected by her peers as President of the Hawaii State Trial Judge’s Association, the association representing all of the judges in the State of Hawaii.
In 2012, Judge Richardson was named Jurist of the Year by the Hawaii State Judiciary, an honor that recognizes a judge who displays exceptional judicial competence evidenced by decisional quality, significant extra-judicial contributions to the administration of justice, and active participation in public service to the community at large. In presenting Judge Richardson with the Jurist of the Year recognition, Chief Judge Recktenwald commented, “Judge Richardson is a strong leader with a collaborative and inclusive style…she is a gracious and supportive colleague, who was recognized by her peers when she was elected President of the Hawaii State Trial Judges Association, and her leadership and vision continue to inspire Hawaii’s legal community.”
Prior to her appointment to the bench, Judge Richardson worked in private practice in Honolulu and San Francisco, as well as a Deputy Corporation Counsel for the County of Hawaii.
After her retirement, Judge Richardson continued to assist the Judiciary in the development of its JIMS civil module. She is a current board member of the Friends of the William S. Richardson School of Law, the American Judicature Society, Friends of the Lyon Arboretum, and the law Enforcement Officer Independent Review Board.
Judge Richardson received her J.D. from Hastings College of the Law and her B.A. from Stanford University.
Distinguished Service Award
Tracey S. Wiltgen
Tracey S. Wiltgen is the Executive Director of The Mediation Center of the Pacific, Inc. (“MCP”), a nonprofit dispute resolution corporation that serves over 7,000 people annually through direct mediation, facilitation, and training in conflict prevention and resolution processes. Ms. Wiltgen consults with businesses and other agencies such as the Hawaii State Judiciary, Hawaii Civil Rights Commission, the Department of Education, and the U.S. Military, to design and develop in-house mediation and dispute resolution programs. One such initiative that Ms. Wiltgen helped develop is the Kupuna Pono Program, which assists families in reaching agreements on elder issues.
As part of its ongoing efforts to improve access to justice in Hawaii, the Hawaii State Judiciary partnered with MCP in an innovative program to help expand the availability of mediation services in the islands known as “Adopt-A-Court”. The MCP's Adopt-A-Court Program provides opportunities for local businesses to "adopt" a district court and have members of their management team trained to serve as volunteer mediators for small claims and summary possession cases. The Adopt-A-Court Program has served to expand the pool of mediators in the district courts throughout Oahu.
In 2019, Ms. Wiltgen spearheaded efforts for MCP to further expand its services and increase accessibility, including providing online dispute resolution services.
In addition to her extensive work contributions, Ms. Wiltgen has been very active in access to justice efforts across the state. She has served as a past Commissioner on the Hawaii Access to Justice Commission, Co-Chair of the Hawaii Access to Justice Commission’s Pro Bono Initiatives Task Force, and as a member of the Commission’s Administrative Committee, since the Commission’s inception.
Ms. Wiltgen is currently an adjunct professor at the University of Hawaii’s William S. Richardson School of Law where she teaches mediation and dispute resolution and assist with the Conflict Management Institute. She has also taught courses at the Matsunaga Peace Institute and Program on Conflict Resolution and Hawaii Pacific University, and has served as a guest lecturer for Chaminade University.
Ms. Wiltgen has served as Advisory Director to The Rose Perenin Foundation (2010-2017), as a Mediator with the Transportation Security Association (2004-present), is a Member of the Aloha United Way Community Impact Council, a past Director for the Hawaii Association for Conflict Resolution (2001-2005; 1996-1998), a past Co-Chair for the Hawaii State Bar Association’s ADR Section, a Founding Member and Past Chair of the Rotary Club of Honolulu’s Peacemaker Committee, and a past Director of the Rotary Club of Honolulu. Ms. Wiltgen is also a former Member of the Special Advisory Panel overseeing the implementation of Hawaii 2015: State Plan on Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Related Dementias, Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias Hawaii Task Force.
Ms. Wiltgen has received numerous honors for her service and dedication to improve the lives of others, including: the Citizen of the Year Award (1999) from the U.S. Navy Pacific Region for her work with the Navy and other federal agencies in developing an in-house dispute resolution program; the Mahalo Award (2004) from the Hawaii Speech/Hearing/Language Association for assisting families and children by providing training, facilitation, and other dispute resolution processes; Soroptimist International Making a Difference Award (2009) for her outstanding work to improve the lives of other women; and the Hawaii State Bar Association’s Schutte Award (2010) for service towards the profession. She was also recognized with the Hawaii Women’s Legal Foundation Rhoda Lewis Award in 2003.
Ms. Wiltgen received a B.S., cum laude, from Gonzaga University, an M.S. from the University of Hawaii, and a J.D. from the William S. Richardson School of Law.
President's Award
Rachael Wong
Rachael Wong is the founder of One Shared Future (OSF), which imagines a positive future for Hawai‘i and brings people together to collectively create that future. OSF offers community-building professional development programs that strengthen the public, private, and non-profit sectors’ capacity to partner and innovate. She is also the co-founder of the Safe Spaces & Workplaces Initiative (SSWP), an OSF-Child & Family Service partnership to end workplace sexual harassment in Hawai‘i through collaboration.
Rachael is born and raised in Hawai‘i and has dedicated her career to improving quality of life for others: as director of the State of Hawai‘i Department of Human Services, where she led the creation of the state’s ʻOhana Nui multigenerational framework; in nonprofit leadership roles at the Healthcare Association of Hawai‘i, Kōkua Mau, and the Hawaiʻi Consortium for Integrative Care; and now through OSF and SSWP. She earned a bachelor’s degree in East Asian studies and certificate in women’s studies from Princeton University, a master’s degree in public health from UH-Mānoa, and a Doctorate in Public Health from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Previous Awardees
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Outstanding Women Lawyer Award 2019 - Senator Laura H. Thielen 2018 - Rebecca Copeland 2017 - Jennifer Solidum Rose 2016 - Joanna Grimes 2015 - Representative Linda Ichiyama 2014 - Janet Kelly 2013 - Representative Della Au Bellati 2012 - Senator Maile Shimabukuro 2011 - Shannon Wack & Jo Kim 2010 - Kathryn Matayoshi 2009 - Florence Nakakuni 2008 - Hazel Beh 2007 - Senator Colleen Hanabusa 2006 - Colleen Wong 2005 - Thalia Murphy 2004 - Lea Hong 2003 - Mari Matsuda 2002 - Congresswoman Patsy Mink 2001 - General Coral Wong Pietsch 2000 - Donna Tanoue 1999 - Susan Ichinose 1998 - Margery Bronster 1997 - Beadie Kanahele Dawson 1996 - Yuklin Aluli 1995 - Stephanie Rezents 1994 - Pamela Ferguson-Brey 1993 - Mervina Cash-Kaeo 1992 - Esther Kwon Arinaga 1991 - Ellen Godbey Carson 1990 - Lorraine Akiba 1989 - Joyce Neely & Leslie Hayashi 1987 - Elizabeth Fujiwara 1986 - Susan Oki Mollway 1985 - Sherry Broder 1984 - Angie King 1983 - Shelby Anne Floyd 1982 - Carol Mon Lee 1981 - Meredith Lennel Distinguished Service Award 2019 - Tracey S. Wiltgen 2018 - Karen Char 2017 - Avis Aokele Kalama 2016 - Zale Okazaki 2015 - Dr. Jill Omori 2014 - Honorable Karen Radius (Ret.) 2013 - Representative Sylvia Luke 2012 - Senator Mazie Hirono 2011 - Elizabeth Kent 2010 - Amy Agbayani 2009 - Adriana Ramelli 2008 - Rob Perez 2007 - Chris Chun 2006 - Carol Mon Lee 2005 - Laurie Tochiki 2004 - Nanci Kriedman 2003 - Lorraine Robinson 2002 - Denise Antolini 2001 - Allicyn Hikida Tasaka & Annelle Amaral 2000 - Ellen Godbey Carson 1999 - Diane Yukihiro Chang 1998 - Jacqueline Young 1997 - Dorothy "Dolly" Ching 1996 - Judy Weightman 1995 - Reverend Pamela Vessels & Anne Clarkin 1994 - Judy Sobin & Windward Spouse Abuse Coalition 1993 - Honorable Marie Milks 1992 - Rep. Annelle Amaral & Sara Lyn Smith 1991 - Chief Justice Herman T.F. Lum 1990 - Honorable Helen Gillmor 1989 - Senator Mary George 1987 - Naomi Campbell 1986 - Congresswoman Patsy Mink 1985 - C. Frederick Schutte 1984 - Honorable Betty Vitousek 1982 - Harriet Bouslog 1981 - Rhoda Lewis |
Lifetime Achievement Award 2019 - Honorable Barbara Richardson 2018 - Esther Arinaga 2017 - Vanessa Chong 2016 - Honorable Richard Clifton 2015 - Marya Grambs 2014 - Robert A. Chong 2013 - Director Loretta Fuddy 2012 - Marilyn Lee 2011 - Professor Jon Markham Van Dyke 2010 - Chief Justice Ronald T.Y. Moon 2009 - Mahealani Perez Wendt 2008 - Sonia Faust 2007 - Honorable Marcia Waldorf 2006 - Shimeji Ryusaki Kanazawa 2005 - Melody MacKenzie 2004 - Lois Yasui 2003 - Alana W. Lau 2002 - Shelby Anne Floyd 2001 - Beadie Kanahele Dawson 2000 - Bernice Littman 1999 - Ah Quon McElrath 1998 - Chief Justice William S. Richardson 1997 - Honorable Evelyn Lance 1996 - Congresswoman Patsy Mink 1995 - Honorable Betty Vitousek 1994 - Naomi Campbell President's Award 2019 - Rachael Wong 2018 - Dr. Jackie Young 2017 - Senator Rosalyn Baker 2016 - Ellen Godbey Carson 2015 - Honorable Daniel R. Foley 2014 - Women of Waianae 2013 - HI State Commission on the Status of Women 2012 - Ete Bowl Founders & Participants 2011 - Susan Ichinose 2010 - Kimberlee Bassford 2009 - Elisabeth Chun 2008 - Melissa Pavlicek 2007 - Louise K. Y. Ing 2006 - Congresswoman Mazie Hirono 2005 - Representative Barbara Marumoto 2004 - Dr. Laura Weldon Hoque 2003 - Karen Char & June R. Lee 2002 - Lynn Maunakea 2001 - Patricia McManaman 2000 - Rai Saint Chu & Emme Tomimbang 1999 - M. Casey Jarman 1998 - Sister Michelle McQueeny 1997 - Gladys Kamakuokalani Alona Brandt 1996 - Honorable Marie Milks 1995 - Madelyn Perry & Reverend Pamela Boyd 1994 - Cynthia Thielen 1993 - Trudy Burns Stone 1992 - Sharon Burnham Takeuchi 1991 - Susan Arinaga Li 1990 - Michelle Tucker 1989 - Susan Jaworowski Outstanding Judicial Achievement Award 2019 - Honorable Alexa Fujise 2018 - Honorable Helen Gillmor 2017 - Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald 2016 - Honorable Trudy Senda 2015 - Honorable Linda K.C. Luke 2014 - Honorable Jennifer Ching 2013 - Honorable Christine Kuriyama 2012 - Honorable Leslie Hayashi 2011 - Honorable Faye Koyanagi 2010 - Honorable Leslie Kobayashi 2009 - Honorable Corinne Watanabe 2008 - Honorable R. Mark Browning 2007 - Honorable Karen Radius 2006 - Honorable Sabrina S. McKenna 2005 - Honorable Colleen Hirai 2004 - Honorable Susan Oki Mollway 2003 - Honorable Marie Milks 2002 - Justice Paula Nakayama 2001 - Honorable Frances Wong |