Shanlyn A.S. Park would be the only Native Hawaiian woman on the federal bench.

U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz on Wednesday announced the nomination of Shanlyn A.S. Park to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii.

Park was among the candidates recommended to President Joe Biden by the senators and a merit-based federal judicial selection commission.

According to a press release, Park has been a state court judge on the First Circuit Court on Oahu since 2021. She previously worked at the Honolulu law firms McCorriston Miller Mukai MacKinnon and Gallagher Kane Amai & Reyes.

From 1997 to 2017, Park was an assistant federal public defender in the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the District of Hawaii. She has also served as a law clerk for Judge Francis I. Yamashita, U.S. Magistrate Judge for the District of Hawaii, from 1995 to 1996.

Park received her J.D. from the University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law in 1995 and her B.A., cum laude, from Chaminade University of Honolulu in 1991.

“Judge Park’s nomination reflects the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to building a federal judiciary that reflects the diversity and lived experiences of our communities, including the Native Hawaiian community,” Hirono and Schatz said in a joint statement. “We’re glad the President has nominated her to continue serving Hawaii and our country, and look forward to working with our Senate colleagues to confirm her.”

Hirono is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Help power our public service journalism

As a local newsroom, Civil Beat has a unique public service role in times of crisis.

That’s why we’re committed to a paywall-free website and subscription-free content, so we can get vital information out to everyone, from all communities.

We are deploying a significant amount of our resources to covering the Maui fires, and your support ensures that we can pivot when these types of emergencies arise.

Make a gift to Civil Beat today and help power our nonprofit newsroom.

About the Author