When he joined the office, Chinn became the youngest clerk of a federal court in the country. Now the 66-year-old Chinn is the most senior chief clerk in the federal system.

"He's an excellent clerk," senior U.S. District Judge Sam King said. "You give him a crisis and he just handles it like a general problem. I've never seen him lose his cool."

Chinn, whose official title is clerk of the court, is in charge of the office on the third floor of the U.S. District courthouse on Ala Moana. The nerve center of Hawai'i's federal court system, the office essentially handles the court's nonjudicial functions, including dealing with lawyers and the public in handling the court's paperwork.

Chinn will leave his $160,000-a-year job and a loyal and dedicated staff that has earned the office a solid reputation in the legal community and the public for prompt, efficient and courteous service. Chinn's leadership has been the key. He's known as the father figure of the staff.

"He's a working clerk," said Leimomi Calderon, a deputy clerk for 33 years. "He's the type of boss who would never ask you to do anything he wouldn't do."

As one messenger who files court papers for a Honolulu law firm put it, no one has to wait in line. "They're really on it," Lene Amosa said. "They never give you a hard time and they're always willing to help."

In a recent interview, Chinn said he tries to lead by example. He's often at the counter doing what entry-level clerks do, helping the public file papers and make photocopies of documents. "I believe we're a service industry and we're here to provide service to everyone," he said.

Chinn, a graduate of Roosevelt High School and the University of Hawai'i who holds a bachelor's degree in business administration, worked several jobs before the late U.S. District Judge Martin Pence hired him as his courtroom deputy clerk and two years later named him clerk of the court.

Chinn recalled Pence advising him, "Walter, keep your shoes clean and you'll be OK." Being rather naive, Chinn polished his shoes each week.

Chinn's tenure gave him a close-up view of the federal court system. He recalled when he first started, at a yearly salary of $18,000, the number of civil suits that had been filed was about 1,900. Today, as many as 1,500 are filed in a year.

It was also a more flexible, less formal federal court. Chinn could talk to the lawyers on behalf of the judges, who would always back him up. "We can't do that anymore," he said.

He recalled when he was with Pence, for about two or three years, all the civil cases settled.

As the legal community grew, the handshake agreements gave way to formal motions and documents. "There's no camaraderie anymore," Chinn said. "They're all strangers to each other."

To Chinn, the most significant development was the opening of the jury system with the federal Jury Selection and Service Act passed in 1968. Although it's taken for granted today, the federal law opened the jury box to the public regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or gender by mandating that potential jurors be chosen from voter lists.

"This act, more than anything else, changed the way the court did business and it was all for the positive," he said.

Chinn is also highly regarded here for guiding the clerk's office through budget restrictions. "He's done the impossible," King said. "He kept the office in the budget they gave him."

His staff probably has more seniority than any other federal courthouse clerk's office, with the median for years of experience at about 25, helping bring stability and continuity.

"He takes care of every single person he's hired," Calderon said.

"We're a family," Chinn said.

Chinn, who battled back from cancer in 1991, is married to Yong Nan and has a son from a previous marriage. His hobbies include reading and cooking. "I'm a cook, not a chef," he said, although he's known for his homemade takuan. "It's a recipe I won't share."

But his passion is golf. His handicap was as low as three. It's now a "weak" 15.

He said he's leaving because he's reaching his maximum federal retirement benefits, but still wants to work to qualify for Social Security benefits. He believes he might be able to help the state as it deals with downsizing since he has dealt with those issues as the clerk of the federal court.

He figures on working another five to seven years.

And, he said with a smile, he still shines his shoes.