Civil Liberties & the Constitution Day in Hawaii honors individuals committed to protecting the civil rights and liberties of all. The day coincides with the birthday of civil rights icon, Fred Korematsu, who challenged the constitutionality of imprisoning nearly 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II.
Our conversation addresses Diversity in our Community, and features the Honorable Rebecca A. Copeland (District Family Court Judge, First Circuit Court), the Honorable Lisa M. Ginoza (Chief Judge, Intermediate Court of Appeals), and Dr. Akiemi Glenn (Founder/Executive Director, The Pōpolo Project).
This program is co-sponsored by the Hawaiʻi State Bar Association Civic Education Committee.
Civil Liberties & the Constitution Day 2023: Diversity in our Community
Monday, January 30, 2023
5:30-6:30 PM
The Honorable Rebecca Copeland is a District Family Court Judge for the First Circuit of Oahu, Lead Judge of the Family Court’s Special Division, and she presides over Truancy Court. She is Co-Chair of the Judiciary’s Committee on Equality and Access to the Courts, and is on the Access to Justice Commission’s Committee on Increasing Pro Bono Services. Judge Copeland has served on boards for the Hawaii LGBT Legacy Foundation and Equality Hawaii. In 2015, she successfully advocated the passage of the Transgender Birth Certificate Bill and the Transgender Insurance Bill. Judge Copeland is the proud mother of two LGBTQ+ children.
The Honorable Lisa Ginoza is Chief Judge of Hawaii’s Intermediate Court of Appeals and co-Chair of the Judiciary’s Commission to Promote and Advance Civic Education. She is a graduate of the William S. Richardson School of Law, and served as a law clerk to the Honorable Samuel P. King, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii. After a rich career in civil litigation, she was appointed as First Deputy Attorney General for the State of Hawaii, where she served until her appointment to the Intermediate Court of Appeals.
Dr. Akiemi Glenn is a linguist, social science researcher, and culture worker. She is the founder and executive director of the Popolo Project, a nonprofit that explores the African and Pacific diasporas in Hawaii, at the intersection of art, social justice, and education. Dr. Glenn received her PhD and MA in Linguistics from UH Manoa, and spent over 15 years as an educator and policy developer in indigenous language revitalization in the Pacific.