The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court listens to oral argument at Mililani High School. From left, Justice Lisa Ginoza, Justice Sabrina McKenna, Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald, Justice Todd Eddins, and Justice Vladimir Devens.

MILILANI, Hawaiʻi – The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court convened on Dec. 10 at Mililani High School, giving nearly 400 students the opportunity to observe oral argument in an actual case.

Students from ʻAiea, Leilehua, McKinley, Mililani, Radford, and Waipahu high schools attended as participants in the Judiciary’s Courts in the Community outreach program.

Deputy Attorney General Klemen Urbanc presents the stateʻs argument to the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court.

They watched attorneys representing both parties present their legal arguments in SCAP-23-0000540, Bell vs. Hawaiʻi Public Housing Authority. The case involves a tenant who was evicted from public housing because one of her guests seriously injured her downstairs neighbor. The eviction board determined that her guest’s actions violated her rental agreement. Oral argument was followed by two separate question-and-answer sessions for the students – one with the attorneys and the other with the five justices.

“Courts in the Community is one of the Judiciary’s foremost programs to educate students and the public about the rule of law and the role of the courts in resolving disputes in a democratic society,” Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald said. “This program takes them beyond the textbooks and enables them to see for themselves that the courts provide a process with integrity, one that’s designed to get to the truth. That understanding is vital to the future of our democracy.

“I would like to extend a special mahalo to the teachers, the Hawaii State Bar Association, the Hawaii State Bar Foundation, and all the volunteer attorneys who helped make this happen. These invaluable partnerships are what make the program a success,” added the Chief Justice.

The Hawaii State Bar Association (HSBA) and the Hawaii State Bar Foundation generously provided the students with lunches and transportation.

“I commend the Hawaiʻi State Judiciary for its continued commitment to educating Hawaiʻi’s youth through the Courts in the Community program,” said HSBA President Jesse Souki. “The HSBA is proud to support this program, which inspires civic engagement and fosters a deeper appreciation for the rule of law among Hawaiʻi’s future leaders.”

The proceedings were livestreamed on the Hawaiʻi State Judiciary’s YouTube channel and broadcast live on ʻŌlelo Community Media Television.

Courts in the Community is a hands-on civics education initiative. It gives students the opportunity to study the important legal issues in a pending court case to enhance their understanding of the Judiciary’s role in government, and how it resolves disputes in our democracy.

To prepare for the case, students studied a curriculum developed by the Kamehameha V Judiciary History Center and the Students for Public Outreach and Civic Education of the University of Hawaiʻi’s William S. Richardson School of Law. Attorneys from the HSBA volunteered their time and facilitated a moot court activity where students had an opportunity to argue the case themselves.

This was the 21st Courts in the Community session. The first was held at Farrington High School in February 2012. Mililani previously hosted the court 10 years ago on December 4, 2014.