CURRICULUM VITAE

MICHAEL A.  TOWN
Circuit Court Judge, State of Hawai’i (Retired)
Honolulu, Hawai`i
Telephone: cell: (808) 285.2408
E-Mail: (towno@lava.net)

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Mediator, Arbitrator:  Dispute Prevention & Resolution, Honolulu Hawai`i (November 2010-present)

Circuit Court Judge, State of Hawai’i (1993 to 2010) (1994-1997: Senior Judge of the Family Court)

District Family Court Judge, First Circuit, State of Hawai`i (1979 to 1993)
Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, (1970 to 1979) (supervising attorney and director of litigation)
Law Clerk to Associate Justice Bernard H. Levinson, Hawai`i Supreme Court (1969-70)

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

Licensed to practice law in Hawai`i (1970) and California (1968):
Senate Select Member, Hawai’i Correctional System Oversight Commission
Commissioner, Hawai`i Paroling Authority, (part time) (July 2011-2015)
Adjunct Professor of Law, William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawai’i (1982 to 1993, 2011). Courses: Criminal Law, Juvenile Justice, Family Law, Environmental Law, and Legal Methods.
Lecturer/workshop leader nationally (e,g, Federal Justice Center, National Center of State Courts) and internationally (England, Scotland, Aotearoa/New Zealand and Costa Rica) on court related topics such as judge as coach, unified family court, vicarious trauma/resiliency in judges,  problem solving courts, and preventive, restorative and therapeutic justice.  Faculty with Proyecto Acceso based at California Western School of Law, a project to promote the rule of law in Latin America.

ORGANIZATIONS

Dispute Prevention & Resolution/Hawai`i.  Mediator & Arbitrator.  (www.dprhawaii.com)
Hawai`i Children’s Trust Fund (HCTF/HCF): Advisory board member (2009 to 2011)
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Boys & Girls Club of Hawai’i: Board (1986 to present) (program chair 2000-06, president-elect 2011)
Na Kama Kai (www.nakamakai.com) (ocean awareness program for children of Hawai`i).  Instructor
Positive Coaching Alliance/Hawai’i: board member and certified trainer/mentor since 2002.
Hawai’i Justice Foundation : board member (2000 to 2005)
National Council of Juvenile & Family Court Judges; Board of Trustees (1990 to 1997)
Hawai’i State Bar (admitted 1970) and California State Bar (admitted 1968)
National Peace Corps Association (served in Colombia, South America 1962-64 in university education)
Go-First Foundation (www.go-first.org); Global mentor for youth as first responders

EDUCATION

Yale Law School, LL.M (1969)(constitutional law emphasis).
University of California, Hastings College of Law, J.D.(1965-68) (law review, Order of the Coif)
Stanford University, B.A. (1958-62)(economics and Latin American studies)

PERSONAL DATA

Married: four children, Spanish (bilingual/professionally fluent)
Personal Interests: ocean sports coach, Polynesian and Hispanic culture and tradition, public speaking.