From left to right: Justice Michelle Drewyer, Justice Kimberly Tsumoto Guidry, and Justice Sabrina McKenna.
Governor Green selected two new female judges to serve in the Hawai‘i State Judiciary. Michelle L. Drewyer was his first judicial appointment and will serve as a Circuit Court Judge in the Second Circuit (Maui County), and Kimberly Tsumoto Guidry was appointed to serve as a Judge on the Intermediate Court of Appeals.
Gov. Green praised both of his appointments for their commitment in serving the community and their knowledge and experience in their respective fields of law. With the appointment of both women, the number of female state judges and/or justices appointed now exceeds the number of males by one, making it the first time in Hawaiʻi’s history that there are more female judges than males.
Drewyer will preside over cases of the Second Circuit Court of Maui County. Guidry will serve as the next Intermediate Appellate Court Judge in Honolulu.
In addition to the new judicial appointments, the American Bar Association Commission on Women in the Profession awarded Hawaiʻi Supreme Court Justice Sabrina McKenna its most prestigious award, the 2023 Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award. The award recognizes five outstanding women lawyers who have achieved professional excellence and paved the way for other women in the legal profession.
The National Asian Pacific Bar Association which nominated McKenna said of her, “She epitomizes the spirit of Margaret Brent through her values, lived experiences, courage, and most importantly, her tireless dedication to inspiring and uplifting women and traditionally marginalized people with compassion, positivity, and optimism.”