Shanlyn A. S. Park

Shanlyn Alohakeao Souza Park (born 1969) is an American lawyer from Hawaii who has served as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii since 2024. She previously served as a judge of the Hawaii First Circuit Court from 2021 to 2024.

Education

A graduate of Sacred Hearts Academy, Park received a Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, from Chaminade University of Honolulu in 1991 and a Juris Doctor from the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in 1995.

Career

Park started her career as a law clerk for Judge Francis I. Yamashita, U.S. Magistrate Judge for the District of Hawaii, serving from 1995 to 1996. From 1996 to 1997, she was in private practice at Hisaka Stone & Goto in Honolulu. From 1997 to 2017, Park served as an assistant federal public defender in the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the District of Hawaii. From 2017 to 2021, she worked at the Honolulu law firms McCorriston Miller Mukai MacKinnon, L.L.P. and Gallagher Kane Amai & Reyes.

Federal judicial service

On September 6, 2023, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Park to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii. On October 4, 2023, a hearing on her nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee. On October 26, 2023, her nomination was reported out of committee by a 12–9 vote. On November 29, 2023, the United States Senate invoked cloture on her nomination by a 53–44 vote. On November 30, 2023, her nomination was confirmed by a 53–45 vote. She received her judicial commission on October 15, 2024. Park became the first Native Hawaiian woman on the federal bench.