Sabrina Shizue McKenna (born October 7, 1957) is an American judge from the U.S. state of Hawaii. Since March 3, 2011, she has served as a justice of the Supreme Court of Hawaii.
Early life and education
McKenna was born on October 7, 1957, in Tokyo, Japan.[1] Her father was a professor from the Midwestern United States and her mother was a Japanese national.[2] McKenna's father died when she was 9 years old.[3] McKenna graduated from Yokota High School in Tokyo.[1]
McKenna attended the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where she played on the Hawaii Rainbow Wahine women's basketball team.[3] She was one of the first beneficiaries of Title IX. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Japanese.[3] McKenna then earned her Juris Doctor from the William S. Richardson School of Law.[3]
Career
McKenna was an associate at Goodsill Anderson Quinn & Stifel until 1987, then served as general counsel to Otaka, Inc. until 1990. She became an assistant professor at the University of Hawaii Law School before being appointed a District Court judge on November 30, 1993. She was elevated to the Circuit Courts on June 29, 1995.[4]
McKenna was one of three candidates recommended to President Barack Obama by Senators Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka to fill a judicial vacancy on the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii.[1] McKenna did not receive the nomination, which went to Leslie E. Kobayashi in April 2010.[1]
On January 25, 2011, Governor Neil Abercrombie nominated McKenna to a seat on the Hawaii Supreme Court.[1] The Hawaii Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on her nomination on February 4 and advanced her nomination to the full Senate by a vote of 5–0.[5] Over one hundred pieces of testimony were submitted to the Judiciary Committee with respect to her nomination, the vast majority of which were supportive of McKenna.[5] Of the five testimonies that opposed McKenna's appointment, four did so because of her sexual orientation.[5] On February 16, 2011, the Hawaii Senate approved her nomination by a vote of 23–0.[6] She was sworn in on March 3, 2011.[7]
Personal
McKenna has three children.[1][3] McKenna is the first openly gay judge to serve on the Hawaii Supreme Court.[1] As of 2023, she is one of twelve openly LGBT state supreme court justices serving in the United States.[citation needed]
See also
- List of Asian American jurists
- List of LGBT jurists in the United States
- List of LGBT state supreme court justices in the United States
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Kobayashi, Ken (January 26, 2011). "McKenna is named to state's high court". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
- ^ Clark, Kimberly (June 6, 2014), "Giving Back and Paying It Forward", The Hawaii Herald
- ^ a b c d e Kobayashi, Ken (January 31, 2011). "Judge secure with sexual orientation". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
- ^ "Hawaii State Judiciary: Sabrina McKenna". Archived from the original on May 6, 2010. Retrieved March 9, 2011.
- ^ a b c Kobayashi, Ken (February 5, 2011). "Nominee to Supreme Court easily wins Senate panel's OK". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
- ^ Star-Advertiser Staff (February 16, 2011). "McKenna confirmed to Hawaii Supreme Court". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
- ^ "Associate Justice Sabrina S. McKenna". www.courts.state.hi.us. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
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