Chief Judge Joseph E. Cardoza retired as the Chief Judge of the Second Circuit, State of Hawai`i, after serving as a Circuit Court Judge for approximately twenty years. He currently serves as Chair of the Hawai`i Access to Justice Commission, a commission established pursuant to the Rules of the Supreme Court of the State of Hawai`i.

He served as the Chief Judge of the Second Circuit from 2012 until his retirement in 2019. During his time as a circuit court judge, he presided over a wide range of civil cases, including probate and trusts, and criminal cases. He also served as a judge for the Maui/Moloka`i Drug Court and the Second Circuit Veterans Court He was among the first group of judges to serve as an environmental court judge, Hawai`i at the time being one of two states having a statewide environmental court system.

In 2018, he was named the State of Hawai`i Jurist of the Year by the Chief Justice of the Hawai`i Supreme Court. In 2019, he was the recipient of the Hawai`i State Bar Association’s Golden Gavel Award. In 2022, he received the Hawai`i State Bar Association’s President’s Award.

He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from Washington State University and his Juris Doctor Degree from the University of Puget Sound School of Law (now known as Seattle University School of Law).

He remains active in a variety of community and athletic activities.