HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0047.003 2008-2010
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U N I V E R S I T Y OF H A W A 1 ' I AT m A N O A m
William S. Richardson School of Law
December 31, 2008 C C: 0 y
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J Yoshimoto, Council Chair and z ffl
Council Members N Hawai'i County Council 25 Aupimi Street - w
Hilo, HI 96720 ° ~ W
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Re: Confirmation of Mr. Lincoln Ashida, Esq. as~orpora~tion '111
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Dear Chair Yoshimoto and Council Memb//ers _f Z
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Please accept this letter in support of the confirmation of Lincoln Ashida,~Esgr
r ;a' as
Corporation Counsel for the County of Hawaii 1I was privileged to -0ork closely with'Mr._
Ashida when I served as County Clerk for the~2006-2008,sesston.~ o l
The position of Corporation Counsel is) cliallengp g, pnML ecause;theiclientfis t_he~
entire county, including both branches of g0 errune hose an;eres~t~~ ways cow ctde
perfectly. I was impressed with how Mr. As h1 was able fo minimize the differing interests in
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his office's representation of the county, always ii to-look at,the best-interests of the,county
as a whole. 4 1.
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Mr. Ashida is an excellent attorney who>has gamed the respectjof-he loci ;legal /
community. His staff all speak highly of him, in large part because'ofihis collaborative approach
to managing the office and to his own legal skills. He was always a williiigflistener when I
needed his counsel for issues that impacted the County Co cil-and3he_Clerk's office. We had
engaging legal debates that always resulted in better decisions. He understands that there is not
always a "right" answer, but strives for the best decision. One thing I admire most about him is
his willingness to admit when he has made a mistake and then to find a way to remedy the
problem rather then being defensive and digging in his heels, making the problem worse.
As Corporation Counsel, Mr. Ashida took on more responsibilities than simply
representing the county. He regularly offered classes to county personnel on issues such as the
Sunshine Law and the Uniform Information Practices Act. Each year, with the assistance of
staff, he put on an excellent conference for municipal attorneys that offered presentations on
recent legal developments and cutting edge technologies available to attorneys. In addition, he
gives of his time by providing pro bono legal services to residents who can't afford to hire an
attorney.
I strongly urge you to confine Mr. Ashida as Corporation Counsel. Thank you for the
opportunity to comment on his nomination.
Sincerely
CaseyavP
Professor of Law 47.3
Comm. No. Ref. To: P. at~ -U--
JAN G
2515 Dole Street, Honolulu, Hawal'i 95822 U.S.A. Ref. Date
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