E kāko‘o mai

The need for NHLC’s services is as great as ever

NHLC is the only firm dedicated to addressing the legal challenges to Native Hawaiians as individuals and as a community. Every dollar of your donation, big or small, will help NHLC to carry out its mission to preserve that which makes Hawaii special – the spirit and way of life of its indigenous people.

Make a Donation

Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation is a 501(c)(3) charity.

Financial gifts can be submitted online at the button to the right.

Gifts are also gratefully accepted by check, money order, or cash via mail or courier to our main office. Our main office address is:

Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation
1164 Bishop Street
Suite 1205
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813

EIN (Federal Tax ID Number): 99-0161861

If you are interested in exploring other ways of donating to NHLC, such as contributing securities or considering NHLC as part of your estate planning, please contact our office at (808) 521-2302 and request to speak with our Executive Director.

Volunteer

The Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation has a need for volunteers for special events and administrative tasks around the office. Do you have to complete community service hours for a scholarship? Check with your program to see if you can complete them in our office!

Current law students are also welcome to complete pro bono hours and internships with us depending on our office space limitations. Law students may click here for more information. Check out what Harvard Law student, Rob Barnett, had to say about his internship at NHLC in January 2014, click here. If you are interested in volunteering, please email info@nhlchi.org.

Rob Barnett
Law Student

Read about Rob’s 2014 internship with NHLC here.

Pro Bono

Attorneys can fulfill their pro bono requirements by assisting with NHLC’s cases in any capacity or by contributing financially under rule 6.1 of the Hawai’i Rules of Professional Conduct. The Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation provides legal representation to individuals who want to amend their birth certificates to reflect their Native Hawaiian ancestry. These amendments are necessary to establish eligibility for DHHL awards or other Hawaiian programs.

NHLC seeks attorneys who are willing to prosecute declaratory relief actions on behalf of these individuals. These actions seek to (1) obtain a paternity order that would establish Native Hawaiian ancestry and (2) to obtain a court order directing the Department of Health to amend the birth certificate in conformance with the paternity order. These cases are typically resolved on summary judgment. NHLC will provide an expert who can prepare the genealogy needed to establish paternity.

NHLC will also provide exemplars and technical assistance throughout the case. A DNA test is sometimes necessary to successfully establish paternity.

Attorneys can benefit from taking these cases in the following ways:

  • Junior associates can get experience and training managing a case, preparing and arguing a motion for summary judgement and working with experts;

  • Build good will in the community;

  • You will satisfy Rule 6.1 of Hawaii Rules of Professional Conduct.

Rule 6.1. PRO BONO SERVICE

A lawyer should aspire to provide at least 50 hours of pro bono services per year. In fulfilling this responsibility, the lawyer should:

  1.  provide at least 25 hours of legal services without fee or expectation of fee to:
    1. persons of limited means or
    2. charitable, religious, civic, community, governmental and educational organizations in matters which are designed primarily to address the needs of persons of limited means; and
  2. provide any additional services through:
    1. delivery of legal services at no fee or substantially reduced fee to individuals, groups or organizations seeking to secure or protect civil rights, civil liberties or public rights, or charitable, religious, civic, community, governmental and educational organizations in matters in furtherance of their organizational purposes, where the payment of standard legal fees would significantly deplete the organization’s economic resources or would be otherwise inappropriate;
    2. delivery of legal services at a substantially reduced fee to persons of limited means; or
    3. participation in activities for improving the law, the legal system or the legal profession.
  3. In lieu of providing 50 hours of pro bono service, a lawyer may exercise his or her desire to provide
  4. In addition to performing pro bono services or contributing under subsection (c) each year, a lawyer should voluntarily contribute financial support to organizations that provide legal services to persons of limited means.

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