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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Saturday, June 28, 2003

Justice sworn in at High Court

By Lynda Arakawa
Advertiser Capitol Bureau

He's been called the lawyer's lawyer and has been likened to Mr. Rogers.

James Duffy Jr. embraces Dew Kaneshiro of Waipahu after Duffy was sworn in last night as associate justice of the Hawai'i Supreme Court. He fills the vacancy left by Mario R. Ramil, the justice who retired in December.

Rebecca Breyer • The Honolulu Advertiser

But yesterday the legal community called him Hawai'i Supreme Court associate justice James E. Duffy.

Before about 300 people in a crowded courtroom, Duffy was sworn in as an associate justice, filling the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Mario R. Ramil.

Gov. Linda Lingle's April appointment of Duffy, 61, came just days after Lingle said lawyers had expressed concerns about the Hawai'i Supreme Court, including its case backlog, inconsistent rulings, a lack of oral arguments and an absence of collegiality among justices.

Hawai'i State Bar Association president Doug Crosier said Duffy's presence can do much to address the recent perceptions of the court. "The bar will be calling upon Justice Duffy, the Chief Justice and the rest of our justices to collaboratively and cooperatively work together among themselves and with us, lawyers, in restoring public faith and confidence in us," Crosier said.

"We need people like you, Jim, on our bench if we are to have hope at all that we can accomplish the huge responsibility that we owe to the public."

Other speakers also heaped accolades upon Duffy, citing his experience, integrity and fairness.

"We are all truly blessed to have a man as fine as Jim Duffy take this job at the Supreme Court of the state of Hawai'i, and I am 100 percent certain that in the coming years we will all be very proud of this selection," said state Attorney General Mark Bennett, speaking on behalf of Gov. Linda Lingle.

Bennett said contrary to public assumptions, Duffy is not the "star of 'Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood,'" a statement referring to Duffy's nice-guy demeanor.

Circuit Court Judge Gary Chang, president of the Hawai'i State Trial Judges Association, said: "Like many of the great ones in the world of sports, like Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and now Michelle Wie, certain individuals stand out naturally, and I think in the world of law, Jim Duffy is one such individual."

Chief Justice Ronald Moon said throughout Duffy's "long and illustrious career he has proven himself to be a skilled litigator, mediator and facilitator with an obvious passion for the law and the administration of justice."

Duffy, who was a senior partner at the law firm of Fujiyama, Duffy & Fujiyama, said he was fortunate to have had the late Wallace Fujiyama as his mentor and noted that Fujiyama told him "the law is a jealous mistress" and that to be a good lawyer he and his family would have to make sacrifices. Duffy then thanked his wife and family for their support.

The annual salary for associate justices is $115,547.