Justice Daniel R. Foley has been a litigator, negotiator, mediator and judge during a legal career that began in 1974.

Justice Foley currently serves as a nonresident Justice of the Palau Supreme Court. He served as an Associate Judge of the Hawai‘i Intermediate Court of Appeals from 2000 to 2016, handling thousands of appeals from Hawai‘i circuit, district and family courts, and administrative agencies. During his tenure, Justice Foley chaired the Hawai‘i Access to Justice Commission and co-chaired both the Hawai‘i Appellate Task Force and Committee on Equality and Access to the Courts.

Prior to his appointment to the Intermediate Court of Appeals, Justice Foley spent 16 years (1984-2000) doing trial and appellate work in state and federal courts. He was a partner in Partington and Foley for 11 years, spent two years in solo practice and worked as the legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai‘i for three years.

As a judge and litigator, Justice Foley has handled nearly every kind of civil and criminal case but is best known for his civil rights litigation. He drafted the rules and regulations of the Hawai‘i Civil Rights Commission and taught civil rights litigation at Williamson S. Richardson School of Law. In recognition of Justice Foley’s groundbreaking work in civil rights and access to justice, he has been honored by Volunteer Legal Services Hawai‘i, Japanese American Citizens League Hawai‘i, Hawai‘i State Bar Association, Hawai‘i Women Lawyers, Hawai‘i Justice Foundation, American Civil Liberties Union Hawai‘i, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and Honolulu Magazine.

Prior to his law practice in Hawai‘i, Justice Foley spent eight years (1975-1983) in Micronesia as legal counsel to various government bodies, constitutional conventions and organizations. He wrote charters, constitutions and statutes, negotiated and mediated disputes, while assisting Micronesians achieve self-government and sovereignty over their lands and waters.

Justice Foley also served (1974-1975) as an associate for the Marin County, California, law firm of Carrow, Jones, Applen and Forest, focusing on construction litigation. He is a graduate of the University of San Francisco where he obtained his B.A. and J.D. degrees. Justice Foley has been admitted to practice before the courts of Hawai‘i, California, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the US Supreme Court, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Hawaii District Court. Justice Foley has completed mediation training at the Mediation Center of the Pacific and at Pepperdine School of Law. He is a Fellow with the American College of Civil Trial Mediators.