Leadership Corner: Lea Ok Soon Hong
Interviewed by Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer
Name: Lea Ok Soon Hong.
Age: 38.
Title: Shareholder/director, Alston Hunt Floyd & Ing, a law corporation.
Honors: Selected 2004 Outstanding Woman Lawyer of the Year by the Hawaii Women Lawyers.
Organization: Alston Hunt Floyd & Ing, a law corporation.
High school: Leilehua High School.
College: Bachelor of arts in economics, Rice University; JD, William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa.
Breakthrough job: Working as an associate at Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund (formerly known as the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund) from 1994 to 1996. It was Hong's first full-time public interest environmental law job. "I met outstanding community clients and a group of committed public interest environmental lawyers," she said.
Little-known fact: Hong's pet peeve is surfers spitting in the water at surf breaks. "I have never observed a woman do this, only guys," she said. "It is completely gross."
Major challenge: Balancing pro bono work with paying work and management responsibilities.
Book recently read: "A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail" by Bill Bryson.
Hobbies: Longboard surfing, hiking and ballet/modern dance.
Mentor: Denise Antolini, former managing attorney at Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund and now co-chair of the environmental law program at the WIlliam S. Richardson School of Law at UH. "She taught me to be a good writer and advocate," Hong said. "She taught me the importance of client input and relations. We may know the law, but they know the resource." Hong added that she learned the importance of being courteous and civil — and to have fun. "She taught me that it's not all about work," she said.
Q. What was your reaction to recently earning the title of 2004 Outstanding Woman Lawyer of the Year by the HawaiiWomen Lawyers?
A. Shock, surprise and horror at the prospect of having to give a speech to colleagues. While I'm OK with zealously representing clients and speaking on their behalf to courts and agencies, the prospect of having to say something on my own behalf is absolutely bone-chilling. The only way I was able to accept the award was to do so on behalf of my public interest clients, who are the greatest, most hard-working, self-sacrificing and community-minded persons. I don't think I did anything particularly outstanding last year.
Q. Law seems to run in your family. Your father, Tany S. Hong, was the state attorney general under Gov. George Ariyoshi and a judge. He was also the first Korean-American attorney general in the nation. Your older brother is Ted Hong, also an attorney in Hilo. Why did you choose the same career path?
A. Law was an obvious option growing up. I took a course in environmental law in college and it sparked my interest in environmental law as a career. When I got to UH law school, professor Casey Jarman, the sole environmental law professor at the time, encouraged my interest. Professor Jarman started the UH Environmental Law Program, which is now one of the top environmental law programs in the nation.
Q. Why did environmental law spark your interest?
A. When I originally graduated from law school in 1991, I worked for one of the largest and oldest law firms in the state — Case & Lynch (now know as Case Bigelow & Lombardi). A couple of years later, professor Jarman called me and encouraged me to apply for a job at Earthjustice. I joined Earthjustice — then just three attorneys, including myself — at less than half my then-salary. I never regretted that decision. My experiences at Earthjustice included representing both Hawaiian and environmental organizations. It taught me that cultural and environmental values are closely related. When I left Earthjustice, I wanted to continue to work on environmental and cultural issues, and the partners at Alston Hunt, especially Shelby Floyd and Paul Alston, encouraged me to do that.
Q. What are some of the most pressing issues in environmental law right now for Hawai'i?
A. Reconciling development pressures while at the same time preserving the cultural and natural resources that make Hawai'i so unique. We have some good environmental laws on the books that protect cultural and natural resources and set up good planning systems. We just need the will to enforce and implement them as intended.
Q. What is your opinion of what has been called an "overdevelopment" of parts of our Islands, in particular Waikiki and East Honolulu?
A. It depends on what you mean by 'overdevelopment.' I would agree that unplanned urban sprawl is a bad thing. It has very detrimental effects on our infrastructure and environment. I believe in good long-term planning rather than politically or economically motivated planning decisions. I don't believe in granting special favors to developers or landowners. I believe in fair and across-the-board enforcement of our environmental and land-use laws.
Q. What about the city's sewer system problem? Do you feel Mayor Mufi Hannemann's proposal to spend $241 million on sewer work to be a step in the right direction in raising awareness about this issue?
A. I don't think sewage is on people's radar screens until it's coming up in their houses, until it directly impacts them. It's true, the sewer systems are extremely outdated and dilapidated. We shouldn't have to hold our breath every time it rains or wonder if you can surf that morning ... Hawai'i is one of the top tourist destinations in the world, and Honolulu is a large metropolitan city. We should be able to control our sewage spills.
Q. What is the most rewarding part of your job?
A. Helping community clients achieve their goals of cultural and natural resource protection.
Q. What, in your opinion, are qualities every leader should have?
A. A sense of humor, high standards, appreciation and recognition of the contributions of law, commitment and passion.
