Awards

Advertiser Staff

Retired Judge Patrick Yim has received the Children & Youth Advocate of the Year award from Hawai'i Kids Watch. The award recognizes Yim's efforts in establishing the Malama Na Keiki Foundation, a nonprofit organization that solicits and manages planned and major gifts to benefit Hawai'i's child abuse and prevention programs.

Yim, president of the foundation, has donated endless hours and personal resources to start and promote Malama Na Keiki, which has managed to solicit gifts in excess of $2.3 million since December 1998. By presenting Yim with the award, Hawai'i Kids Watch hopes to inspire similar volunteer efforts by other leaders in the community.

He was recognized earlier this year by the Bridgestone/ Firestone Trust Fund when he received a national "100 Who Serve" award, also for his work with the Malama Na Keiki Foundation.

For more information on Malama Na Keiki Foundation, call 585-0315.

The Hawai'i Bar Association has presented awards to the following individuals:

• Dyan Medeiros, the Ki'e Ki'e Award for her many hours of volunteer work with Volunteer Legal Services of Hawai'i.

• Chief Justice Ronald Moon, the Golden Gavel Award for bold and innovative leadership of the judiciary that has resulted in greater access to and streamlining of the courts.

• Attorney Michael Broderick, the Justice Award for his directorship of the Hawai'i Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution and helping to set the overall direction for the courts.

• Paulette Suwa, the Liberty Bell Award, for her work in encouraging involvement by attorneys in numerous law-related projects and services. She is continuing legal education and program manager for the Hawai'i State Bar Association.

• Becky Chestnut, a second-year University of Hawai'i law student, the Best Law Student Paper Award for her paper titled "John Doe Exposed: Anonymity, the First Amendment, and Privacy in Cyberspace."

Na Loio — Immigrant Rights and Public Interest Legal Center has received a $10,000 award from the Foundation for the Improvement of Justice for its contributions to the improvement of the American justice system.

Recent cases handled by Na Loio have helped victims of political persecution abroad win asylum in the United States and battered immigrant women and children petitioning for permanent residence in the United States.

Na Loio also was active in legislative efforts that resulted in full health care for income-qualified immigrant children.

Also being represented are some 30 Vietnamese women who were compelled to work for substandard wages in a garment sweatshop in American Samoa.

The award coincides with the organization's $150,000 fund-raising campaign. For more information call 847-8828.