Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation

  • To Volunteer, Contact:
    Moses Haia

The Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation provides legal representation to individuals who want to amend their birth certificates to reflect their Native Hawaiian ancestry. These amendments are necessary to establish eligibility for DHHL awards or other Hawaiian programs.

NHLC seeks attorneys who are willing to prosecute declaratory relief actions on behalf of these individuals. These actions seek to (1) obtain a paternity order that would establish Native Hawaiian ancestry and (2) to obtain a court order directing the Department of Health to amend the birth certificate in conformance with the paternity order. These cases are typically resolved on summary judgment.

  • State(s) of Volunteer Opportunity: Hawaii
  • Area of law: Life Planning
  • Populations Served: Native Hawaiians
  • Opportunities For: Lawyers
  • Hours for Pro Bono Opportunities: Flexible, Monday-Friday 9am-5pm
  • Malpractice insurance is provided for volunteers: No
  • Training Provided: Yes
  • Training Required: No
  • CLE credit for trainings: No
  • Training / Supervision Comments: NHLC will provide an expert who can prepare the genealogy needed to establish paternity. NHLC will also provide exemplars and technical assistance throughout the case. A DNA test is sometimes necessary to successfully establish paternity.
  • CLE credit for pro bono: No
  • Mentoring or supervision offered: Yes
  • Volunteer lawyers need to meet a caseload or hours requirement: No
  • Types of projects in need of Pro Bono help: Draft legal documents (e.g., briefs), Litigation: Trial/Direct Representation
  • Other Project Types: Preparing and arguing a motion for summary judgment
  • Volunteers may participate long-distance: No
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