Helping Students Build Decision-Making Skills

Junior Judges Program

The Young Lawyers Division of the Hawaii State Bar Association (“YLD”) is now accepting applications for their annual Junior Judges program. Volunteer attorneys visit 3rd, 4th & 5th grade classrooms statewide and help students to think about the challenges they face each day and how they can make ethical decisions when “feeling the pressure”.

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As “Junior Judges” Participating Students Will:

• Watch a video that presents the “mini-cases” of kids like them placed in challenging situations involving issues such as bullying, stealing, and drug use.
• Analyze the facts of each case and decide what is the best way to handle each situation.

This year’s Junior Judges program will take place the week of October 20 to 24, 2025. The Junior Judges program is offered at no cost to schools. The YLD will work with you to select an appropriate time on one of the program days, during which an attorney-volunteer will report to your classroom to interact with your students.

The Program is:

• Open to 3rd, 4th or 5th grade classes.
• Select one hour during the week of Oct 20-24, 2025 (11AM – 1PM) or another 1-hour window
• All students will receive a participation certificate
• Classroom size limited to 60 students (multiple sessions recommended for more than 60)
• Please provide a DVD player for use during the presentation

The application packet is available below. The deadline to apply is September 5, 2025.