Hirono, Judiciary Committee Vote to Advance Two Hawaii Federal Judge Nominees

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, voted to advance the nominations of two nominees to serve as federal judges on the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii during a full committee hearing. The nominations of Shanlyn A.S. Park’s and Micah Smith’s were advanced out of the Judiciary Committee with bipartisan support, and now must be confirmed by the full U.S. Senate on the Senate floor.

“Judge Park and Micah Smith are both highly qualified to serve on the U.S. District Court—both have led impressive legal careers and have exhibited a strong commitment to justice, fairness, and objectivity,” said Senator Hirono. “Their nominations reflect the Biden-Harris Administration’s dedication to establishing a diverse federal judiciary that has the experience and dedication necessary to serve on the federal bench. I look forward to voting to confirm both Judge Park and Mr. Smith on the Senate floor.”

Since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration, the Senate has successfully confirmed 147 federal judges nominated by President Biden.

Judge Shanlyn Park has been a state court judge on the First Circuit Court on Oahu since 2021. Previously, Judge Park worked from 2017 to 2021 at the Honolulu law firms McCorriston Miller Mukai MacKinnon, L.L.P. and Gallagher Kane Amai & Reyes. From 1997 to 2017, Judge Park served as an assistant federal public defender in the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the District of Hawaii. Prior to her service in that office, Judge Park was in private practice at Hisaka Stone & Goto from 1996 to 1997. She served as a law clerk for Magistrate Judge Francis I. Yamashita on the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii from 1995 to 1996. Judge Park received her J.D. from the University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law in 1995 and her B.A., cum laude, from Chaminade University of Honolulu in 1991.

A graduate of Kauai High School, Micah W. J. Smith has served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii since 2018. He is currently Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division and Criminal Civil Rights Coordinator in that office. He has also been the office’s Chief of Appeals and Legal Strategy since 2022. Previously, Smith served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York from 2012 to 2018. From 2008 to 2012, he was an associate and counsel at O’Melveny & Myers L.L.P. in Washington, D.C. Smith served as a law clerk for Justice David H. Souter on the U.S. Supreme Court from 2007 to 2008 and Judge Guido Calabresi on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit from 2006 to 2007. Smith received his J.D., magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 2006 and his B.A., summa cum laude, from Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania in 2003.

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