Hayashi, Leslie Ann 1954–

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Hayashi, Leslie Ann 1954–

PERSONAL: Born August 3, 1954, in Tokyo, Japan; U.S. citizen; married Alan Van Etten (an attorney), May 10, 1986; children: Justin, Taylor. Ethnicity: "Japanese-German." Education: Stanford University, B.A. (with distinction), 1976; Georgetown University, J.D., 1979. Hobbies and other interests: Artist in watercolors and acrylics, with work exhibited in Hawaii and published on local magazine covers.

ADDRESSES: Home—1033 Hunakai St., Honolulu, HI 96816. E-mail—vanhashli@hawaii.rr.com.

CAREER: Law clerk in Washington, DC, 1978; Arlington Career Center, Arlington, VA, instructor in legal topics, 1978–79; American Judicature Society, Chicago, IL, visiting fellow, 1979–80, staff attorney in Educational Programs Department, 1980; Hamilton, Gibson, Nickelsen, Rush & Moore (now Rush, Moore, Craven, Kim & Stricklin), Honolulu, HI, partner and associate, 1980–88; Hawaii Lawyers Care, Honolulu, executive director, 1988–89; ACRO, Inc., Honolulu, in-house counsel, 1988–90; First Circuit Court, Honolulu, per diem judge, 1989–90, district court judge, 1990–. Hawaii Supreme Court, member of committee on equality and access to the courts, 1990–2004, vice chair, 1993, cochair, 1993–2004, member of disciplinary board, 2005–. National Judicial College, Reno, NV, faculty member, 1995–; public speaker. American Inn of Court, bencher of Aloha chapter, 1992–. Hawaii Women's Consortium, cofounder, director, 1985; Hawaii Women's Legal Fund, director, 1986–88, 1990–94; Judiciary History Center, member of executive board, 1990–93, board member of Friends of the Judiciary History Center, 1995–98; Attorneys and Judges Assistance Program, board member, 1994–97. Intern for television and radio stations in San Francisco, CA, 1975.

MEMBER: American Bar Association, American Arbitration Association (arbitrator), Hawaii State Bar Association (member of board of directors, 1988–90; member of executive committee, 1990; chair of Standing Committee on Law-Related Education, 1994; director of Young Lawyers Division, 1987–88, vice president of division, 1989, president, 1990), Hawaii State Trial Judges' Association (member of executive committee, 1993–97), Hawaii Women Lawyers (vice president, 1985; president, 1986), Hawaii Friends for Civic and Law-Related Education (founding member; president, 1995–97), Illinois State Bar Association.

AWARDS, HONORS: Named outstanding attorney of the year, Hawaii Women Lawyers, 1989; Young Lawyers Division, Hawaii State Bar Association, Justice Award, 1995, Outstanding Leadership Award for diversity in the legal profession, 2005; Grand Prize, Honolulu Magazine Fiction Contest, 1995, for "Thoughts for a Dead Japanese Fisherman"; Award of Merit, Hawaii Book Publishers Association, 1999, for Fables from the Garden; Franklin N. Flaschner Judicial Award, Judicial Division, National Conference of Specialized Court Judges, American Bar Association, 2003.

WRITINGS:

Fables from the Garden (juvenile), illustrated by Kathleen Wong Bishop, University of Hawaii Press (Honolulu, HI), 1998.

Fables from the Sea (juvenile), illustrated by Kathleen Wong Bishop, University of Hawaii Press (Honolulu, HI), 2000.

Fables from the Deep (juvenile), illustrated by Kathleen Wong Bishop, Mutual Publishing (Honolulu, HI), 2002.

Aloha Oe: The Song Heard around the World (juvenile), illustrated by Kathleen Wong Bishop, Mutual Publishing (Honolulu, HI), 2004.

Fables beneath the Rainbow (juvenile), illustrated by Kathleen Wong Bishop, Mutual Publishing (Honolulu, HI), 2005.

A Fishy Alphabet in Hawaii (juvenile), Mutual Publishing (Honolulu, HI), 2007.

Author of legal brochures and guidebooks for the Hawaii court system; author of video scripts for public school curricula. Contributor to books, including What You Need to Know if You Decide to Go Out on Your Own: A Handbook for Solo and Small Firm Practitioners, Hawaii State Bar Association, 1993; and Justice for All: Resources for Peace and Law-Related Education, Department of Education, State of Hawaii, 1994. Author (and presenter) of "Legal Line," a regular segment of KGMB Live at Five News, 1988–90. Script writer for Final Verdict, an educational television series about legal issues, with teacher's guide, 1991–92. Author of "What's the Law?" a column in Honolulu Advertiser, 1991–95. Contributor to law journals and popular magazines, including Honolulu Bar Journal and Honolulu. Contributing coeditor, Our Rights, Our Lives: A Guide to Women's Legal Rights in Hawaii, 1990.

WORK IN PROGRESS: Lili'uokalane, Her Majesty, Her Music.

SIDELIGHTS: Leslie Ann Hayashi once commented: "Ever since I was little, I dreamed of being a writer. When I was in the first grade, I met Kathleen Wong, my best friend. I remember seeing a picture she drew of a girl on a swing. I leaned over and announced firmly, 'I'm going to write the stories, and you're going to do the illustrations.'

"Thirty-seven years later my dream came true. Despite the miles and the years (Kath lives in Phoenix, and I live in Honolulu), we had managed to keep in touch. When I sent her the stories, Kath, who had no formal art training, confessed she couldn't paint. I then reminded her of our agreement made in the first grade. Obligingly she took a few art classes. With just one watercolor class, she produced the most gorgeous works of art.

"I wrote the fables because fables are the archetype of all fiction writing. The lesson in a fable becomes the theme in a short story or novel. The way the lesson is taught becomes the plot in a short story or novel. Fables also remind us of what we share in common and, ultimately, what makes us human.

"The lessons that I have learned during my lifetime are to keep your dream alive and cherish your friendships." Hayashi later added: "As my sons grow older, I am branching out and working on larger pieces. I continue to write works that move me, regardless of whether they may be commercially successful or even published. I hope others too will write books that matter because, more than ever, we need books to help shape the future of our youth."