Walter S. Kirimitsu (Former Judge, Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals)

Judge Kirimitsu served as a Judge of the Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals and decided both civil and criminal appeals. He currently serves as a member of the State of Hawaii Judicial Selection Commission.

Judge Kirimitsu was recently awarded a Certificate of Completion of the Mediation Course by Pepperdine University Law School.

After his tenure on the State Intermediate Court of Appeals, he served as the first General Counsel/Vice President of Legal Affairs of the University of Hawaii and its 10 campus system for over 8 years. He gained extensive experience in educational law, issues and disputes, while advising the Board of Regents, President, executives, faculty, administration and all of the many other constituents of the university.

Judge Kirimitsu then served as President/Head of School of Saint Louis School, from which he retired in June, 2015 after nine years of service. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools. Here he gained further experience in educational law and issues, this time at the secondary educational level.

Prior to the above, Kirimitsu practiced law for over 25 years in private civil practice, mainly in the areas of personal injury, insurance, commercial transactions, and international law and finance. He is fluent in Japanese, and represented numerous corporate clients from Japan doing business in the U.S.

Kirimitsu also served as certified trial counsel in the Judge Advocate Corps, U.S. Air Force.

Judge Kirimitsu was also President of the Hawaii State Bar Association; is an Elected Fellow in the American Board of Trial Advocates and the American College of Trial Lawyers; Director, Japan-American National Museum, Los Angeles, California; member, Japan-America Society, Japanese Chamber of Commerce, and Japan-Hawaii Lawyers Association; Panelist Speaker at Osaka Gakuin University Law School’s symposium “Legal Education in Japan in the 21st Century.”

Judge Kirimitsu received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Michigan Law School.

The judge’s services as Mediator and/or Arbitrator may be arranged through Dispute Prevention & Resolution, Inc. at (808) 523-1234.