Lisa M. Ginoza

Lisa Miyoko Ginoza is an American lawyer from Hawaii who has served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of Hawaii since 2024. She previously served as the chief judge of the Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals from 2018 to 2024.

Education

Ginoza received her bachelor's degree from Oregon State University, and her Juris Doctor from the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaii.

Career

Ginoza served as a law clerk to the Judge Samuel Pailthorpe King of the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii. In 1990 she entered private practice with the law firm of McCorriston Miller Mukai MacKinnon, where she became a partner and over the course of fourteen years had an extensive civil litigation practice. Her 10-year term would have expired on May 6, 2020.

She was appointed chief judge of the court by Democratic Governor David Ige in March 2018. She was confirmed by the Hawaii Senate on April 4, 2018. She was sworn in as Chief Judge of the Intermediate Court of Appeals on April 24, 2018. On November 1, 2023, the governor sent a letter to the Senate, clarifying that Ginoza was nominated to the seat vacated by Justice Michael D. Wilson who retired on March 31, 2023. A hearing on her nomination was held on November 17, 2023. On November 21, 2023, Ginoza was confirmed in the Hawaii Senate by a unanimous 21–0 vote. She was sworn into office on January 12, 2024.