{"id":225616,"date":"2025-11-18T12:45:46","date_gmt":"2025-11-18T22:45:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=225616"},"modified":"2025-11-18T18:30:13","modified_gmt":"2025-11-19T04:30:13","slug":"kapiolani-paralegal-program-50-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2025\/11\/18\/kapiolani-paralegal-program-50-years\/","title":{"rendered":"Kapi\u02bbolani CC<\/abbr> Paralegal Program celebrates 50 years of serving Hawai\u02bbi\u2019s communities"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
\"Group
Legal Education Program Director Kimberly Koide Iwao, left, and Bob LeClair, middle.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kapiʻolani<\/span> Community College is marking a major milestone: 50 years of providing paralegal education<\/a> as the state\u2019s only American Bar Association (ABA<\/abbr>) approved program. Since its founding in 1975, the program has established a profound legacy of service, access and leadership, producing generations of legal professionals who are deeply embedded in the state’s justice system.<\/p>\n

\"Leclair
Bob LeClair and former chancellor Joyce Tsunoda receiving the Secretary of Education Award<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Paralegal program graduates serve in law firms, state agencies and nonprofit organizations, making an impact across Hawaiʻi<\/span> communities. They are essential to organizations such as the Legal Aid Society of Hawaiʻi<\/span>, Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation, Hawaiʻi<\/span> Innocence Project, the Honolulu Prosecutor\u2019s Office and the State of Hawaiʻi<\/span> Department of Attorney General.<\/p>\n

“For 50 years, our paralegal graduates have been working in the places where the community needs them the most,” said Kimberly Koide Iwao, program chair. “Under the supervision of licensed attorneys, our students have helped clients navigate legal challenges ranging from housing disputes, to family matters, to wrongful conviction reviews.”<\/p>\n

Community service roots<\/h2>\n
\"Courtroom
Massie Trial Reenactment<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The program\u2019s roots are firmly planted in community service, tracing its origins to Robert J. “Bob” LeClair, a Legal Aid Society attorney. LeClair secured leadership funding to establish Hawaiʻi<\/span>\u2019s first Legal Assistant Program at Kapiʻolani<\/span> CC<\/abbr>, quickly becoming recognized as a national model for paralegal education defined by academic rigor and community service. Professor Susan Jaworowski (who is retired today), modernized the curriculum by incorporating online and hybrid instruction to keep students at the forefront of a changing legal landscape.<\/p>\n

Under Iwao\u2019s leadership, the program continues to evolve. In 2024, it became one of the first in the nation to launch an artificial intelligence certification for paralegal students. Internships and community engagement remain central, giving students vital real-world training while providing critical staffing support to Hawaiʻi<\/span>\u2019s legal services. Students regularly engage in pro bono work, and a developing partnership with the Hawaiʻi<\/span> Judiciary will expand opportunities for placements within the courts.<\/p>\n

“Kapiʻolani<\/span> CC<\/abbr>\u2019s paralegal program has strengthened Hawaiʻi<\/span>\u2019s legal community and expanded pathways for students to make meaningful contributions to justice and society,” said Chancellor Misaki Takabayashi. “Hawaiʻi<\/span>\u2019s legal system relies on skilled legal support professionals, and our graduates are prepared to serve with integrity and commitment.”<\/p>\n

\"Group
Kapiʻolani<\/span> CC<\/abbr> leadership, faculty, Advisory Committee member and friends of the Legal Education Program<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The program has produced legal professionals who are deeply embedded in Hawaiʻi<\/span>\u02bbs justice system.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":225608,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[63,154,1719,71],"class_list":["post-225616","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-news","tag-kapiolani-community-college","tag-law","tag-paralegal-program","tag-uh-community-colleges","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t