New Zealand Maori judge to visit UH law school for jurist-in-residence program

Joseph Williams

Court of Appeal of New Zealand Justice Joseph Williams, a recognized expert on indigenous rights law and a leading authority on Maori land and legal issues, will be the International Jurist-in-Residence at the UH William S. Richardson School of Law School from April 2-6.

Justice Williams is the first person of Maori descent and the first fluent in the Maori language to be appointed a permanent judge on the Court of Appeal of New Zealand.  

In addition to his visit to the law school, he will meet with the justices of the Hawai‘i Supreme Court, Native Hawaiian judges and attorneys, faculty members and students at UH Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies, and students at Wai‘anae High School and Kamehameha Schools.

The public will have opportunities to hear Justice Williams:

• On Tuesday, April 3, from 5-6:30 p.m., when he will attend a regular Hawai’i Supreme Court oral argument in the moot court room at the law school, after which he will "talk story" with students.
• On Thursday, April 5, from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m., when he will speak at Maoli Thursday in the moot court room at the law school.

At Wai‘anae High, Justice Williams will address students on Wednesday, April 4, as part of the Courts in the Community program sponsored by the Hawai‘i Supreme Court, with the assistance of the law school.

He will also teach several classes at the UH law school, and meet attorneys from downtown law firms.

Said Dean Avi Soifer, “We are extremely pleased to welcome Justice Williams back to Hawai’i. He has visited the law school in the past, and it is wonderful that he can now return as a member of the Court of Appeal of New Zealand to serve as our International Jurist-in-Residence this year.”

For more info, see the law school website:
https://www.law.hawaii.edu/article/new-zealand-maori-judge-visit-uh-law-school-jurist-residence-program

For more information, visit: https://www.law.hawaii.edu