Aloha Hawai'i, this is a non-partisan initiative to open up the paths to becoming an attorney to those traditionally impeded by economic standing. This is not legal advice and the author will make an attempt to be politically neutral.

        However, everyone knows the power imbalances in this country are expanding as our public resources are dwindling and that the freedoms we hold dear are being repealed. The slow erosion of democracy is being facilitated by the fact that we do not have enough qualified, vocal advocates to protect the civil rights and protections of the  "underfunded"; made all the harder by the fact that the path to becoming a certified attorney is governed by outdated laws, which prejudicially restricts qualified candidates through unrealistic entrance parameters, economic disparities and geographic impediments. But these laws are archaic. Legally, anyone may become an attorney, but in 1966, the American Bar Association, decreed that we must attend pricey law schools in order to just take the test to become certified. A Law School Degree makes you a "Lawyer", but you still have to take the "Bar Exam" to be an Attorney, However, almost everything one needs to study the law is now on-line and if the pandemic taught us anything: remote learning is doable and desirable.  To break it down, "Reading into the Law" means that one has the right to take the "Bar Exam", (attorney certification test), without coughing up obscene amounts of money to attend law school. Considering any true changes to this country have been implemented by people who know how to read the law, whether certified or not, the real question is why wouldn't you want to? Understanding the law makes you a better business person, community advocate, or simply able to survive grabby relatives in an inheritance dispute. There is also a crisis of not having enough attorneys, per capita, nationwide and here in the Pacific, the numbers are much more imbalanced, so practically, more Hawai'i residents need to be able to "Read into the Law" in order just to function in these uncertain times. This "privilege" is considered a "right" in other rural and, or Libertarian states, such as California, Vermont, Virginia and Washington, the only states that do not require an institutional education to become a certified attorney. As well, since the Department of Education is being gutted by this Administration, and caps on student loans are being implemented, this petition is more relevant than ever, because without viable education funding alternatives for low income, would- be attorneys, we must do the unthinkable.... provide no cost solutions, such as allowing our citizenry to "Read Into the Law!!!". There is a strong argument to be made that this is an American "Constitutional Right" and a "Civil Right" and not just a "privilege".

The language of governmental power is the law, and the law is supposedly here to protect all of our constitutional (fundamental liberties) and civil rights (legal equality protections), yet many of us are mystified by the entire system, especially when finding ourselves in the midst of any kind of legal issues, civil, or criminal. If we break it down, Politics are the arguments and the law is here to govern how we argue, which is a fundamental Institution of Democracy. As well, Constitutionally, this nation decided long ago that it could not prosecute its citizens for breaking laws, without providing them access to those laws (Statutes & Procedures), all of which are currently hosted online, on every state's judiciary website, and access to legal history (case law) can be found at any courthouse law library. One may also self-represent in any civil, or criminal legal matter, made possible by the 'Statutes", and "Rules of Civil Procedure" (how the laws are practiced), being available online, if you have internet access.

So why this petition? The regulations banning self-study students who want to become practicing attorneys in 46 States, were created in 1966, by the American Bar Association, (not a government organization). Ironically, now that everything is decentralized and online, there are not enough qualified attorneys to meet the needs of the public, primarily because of the many roadblocks put in place by the legal system, itself, i.e. The American Bar Association (ABA) and the Supreme Court. While one is freely allowed to self-represent, it is far from free to becoming certified in order to lawfully represent, or champion the rights of others, which is often the first step to becoming a  judge, politician, or even just an effective advocate for community issues and if you get caught providing legal advice without ABA certification, it is a punishable offense. While arguments of whether this public policy is "Constitutional" (1st & 14th Amendments), or whether certain components of the testing process violates our "Civil Rights", have failed in prior cases, those cases also expose paths to winning the same arguments within those same prior Supreme Court Decisions: (in agreement with the ABA mandate that in order to maintain "quality legal representation, certification must rely on a University education). But attending law school is no guarantee you will pass the test and at its core seems prejudicial, because the Bar Exam is the same test, no matter whether you study institutionally, or not. It's  60 years since this mandate was ratified and it is time for us to collectively renew the portions of the American experiment that aren't working for modern Americans. 

So let's look at the numbers. In 1966, there were roughly 228,000 attorneys for roughly 196,000,000 citizens. In 2025, (if the census tallies are correct), there are roughly 1,300,000 attorneys for 347,000,000 citizens. While there may be more attorneys per capita in 2025, not surprisingly, as much as 61% of registered attorneys with the American Bar Association, identify as "estate planning and financial advisers", which means almost 2/3 of the attorneys, nationwide, solely represent the top 5% of wealthy citizens. As well, the current US census does not include an estimated 35 million legal immigrants awaiting green cards, or the population of undocumented persons, who are now entirely unrepresented. In these rough statistics, we see that the remaining US citizens listed in the census, roughly 309 million low, to middle income families, are only represented by approximately 780,000 attorneys (meaning only one attorney, per 396 citizens and only 3,700 of those are public defenders). Here in Hawaii, the disparities are much higher. The American Bar Association is asleep at the wheel.

One premise of this Petition is the First Amendment, or that the current laws barring certain citizens from practicing their right to free "legal speech", based on income disparities is unconstitutional. This argument was lost in prior lawsuits brought to the Supreme Court, from other states, but the core issue is that: if the only people who can become practicing attorneys, licensed to represent the rights of others, are those who can afford law school, it stands to reason that the  "under-funded" population will not be adequately represented by their own demographic. No matter what the Court has ruled previously, from a basic logic standpoint, this is the definition of a prejudicial public policy and discriminatory based on economic standing, and a failed public policy based on the numbers alone. 

If anyone is paying attention, the Courts, no matter how flawed, are the only effective, long term buffer zone between us and "Authoritarianism", and as such, law schools themselves have a monopoly on those who wield power through maintaining how the law is practiced and amended, which alone is  dangerous for a democracy's survival in its monopolized and exclusionary format. There is only one Law School in the State of Hawai'i, Richardson's Law School and it is on Oahu. This initiative is not in any way a commentary as to the quality of this school, or an indictment against it and if I was a member of the 1%, I would likely have attended. But because I, among the majority of Hawai'i Island Residents, can barely afford a trip to the grocery store, much less regular, inter-island flights, I have to point out that even if one were to choose the online courses, the four years of baseline education can cost anywhere between:  $17,000.00 and $34,000.00, annually (vs. the traditional in-person route, which is between: $23,620.00  and $47,044.00, per annum, not including Hawai'i's expensive room and board). One may be able to apply for scholarships if one were to be able to, but here on Hawai'i Island, there are not even any regular testing sites for GRE's or LSAT's, which are the entrance exams required to even apply to law school. 

If the local census is correct, that means a quarter of a million people, on the Big Island alone, are geographically and prejudicially barred by location and by income, from being able to competently litigate their own rights, or the rights of their community members, which can cause further losses. My friend was unable to save her elderly mother's house from a scammer because he got there first and, at best, the courts are lax on protecting the rights of the kupuna, or elderly. Another friend is worried about public policy taking away his rights to protect his keiki, or child in the face of government policy changes regarding health and education. I personally couldn't find a competent probate attorney, on-island, or on Maui, after my mom died and wealthy family members fraudulently seized our property.  It turns out that even if you have the "Statutes" (state laws) on your side, in Civil matters (non-criminal offenses), unless you, or your attorney, present your complaint and evidence in a "legally mandated" manner, (timing and format), not one judge sitting on the bench is obliged to protect you from this form of theft.  After a selfish family member had our stepfather with dementia assign to her all our shared property, I lost a lot of my money trying to get our assets back, due to seemingly minor procedural failures on the part of licensed attorneys, who themselves attended law school, wasting five years of my life. As well, if I understand it correctly, it took Lawyers for the Hawai'ian Nation, 35 years of litigating just to attain damages from the government's refusal to release "Hawai'ian Homelands" to only 2,700 families, only a fraction of the community. I can't even imagine what is happening to former residents of Lahaina, an underserved, under protected port town in the middle of the Pacific, which if current events are any indication, is an enormously desirable location for both national and international, neo-colonial power brokers, launderers and traffickers. Let's not even get started on the Criminal Courts. They just don't have the manpower throughout the State, so dangerous criminals are often given a hall-pass for felony offenses, which a DA may actually reduce to a misdemeanor just to save himself time. I am talking about a shootings, arson, drug production and larceny, while a young couple who forgot to wear masks at Walmart in Hilo, might get prosecuted. No matter what the issue you find you need to litigate, whether civil, or allegedly criminal, you may prepare for a case for months, or years, but you will only ever be in front of a judge for a matter of minutes and they may not even have had time to read your motions, or the inclination to look at your evidence. Our communities need to be able to "Read into the Law!", to protect their own rights, families and homes and it needs to happen now.

To "Read into the Law", however, costs next to nothing to the would-be participants and it would be a low, to no cost incentive for the State to shore up its foundation with local voices. And let's be real, "reading into the law" is not a freebie, it still requires a lot of time and determination to understand the baseline constitutional rights, the state governed procedures & statutes, plus complimentary federal laws and universally accepted citations of case law. But, the automation of the law through AI writing tools, pushed by universities, is making writing legal Briefs far more accessible to the average man. I have, personally, shied away from AI until the regulation process becomes more well defined, but I see the ultimate benefit as a learning tool which could save you hundreds of thousands of dollars. That is also evident when you hire an attorney at exorbitant rates, with no guarantee of them knowing enough law to secure you a judicial victory. From my experience, no one will ever be as invested in your rights and the rights of your loved ones and community as you will. Many of us learn by doing and maybe an eventual apprenticeship program should be mandated, or an accounting of how many hours a pro se (self-represented) litigant may log in court as real-world experience towards what is known as a hybrid degree, (i.e. partial schooling, partial apprenticeship). These and other incentives should be created in Hawai'i, along with allowing its citizens to "Read into the Law!" Lord knows, public defenders and prosecutors may be able to use free help with their un-ending caseloads. While these spots are often reserved for law school graduates, unsurprisingly, it is not a mandated step and most of these grads, opt for the private sector because of the massive pay increase needed to pay off their massive student loans, and here on Hawai'i Island that means criminals go free and civil litigants have no competent counsel.

Another long-term problem we face here, is that Judges are required to retire at 70, arguably right when they are at the peak of their knowledge. Their replacements are often pulled from the small pool of attorneys working with each State's Attorney Generals, then nominated by their Governors, in an insular and as we see in the news, a political process. Judges are not voted in by the people they vow to protect, so we should probably figure out how to broaden this power base, which currently lacks transparency and oversight.  According to LNC Chairman, Austin Martin, here in Hawai'i, there is a crisis of not enough working attorneys to take on caseloads for public defenders and as a result, many of our lawyers and judges are imported to Hawai'i, which may not be a terrible interim solution, but it cannot be the only long-term solution. Being in the middle of the Pacific Ocean is also problematic, in that we face an overwhelming phenomenon of "brain drain", where the absence of opportunities causes kids to leave the islands. We as a collective, need to open up any opportunities we can, in order to keep invested young people here at home and who better to advocate for Hawai'i, than a keiki o ka a'aina (child of the land)?  This is why Hawai'i must become the fifth State that allows its citizens to "Read into the Law!" We have a unique cultural melting pot here and unique challenges, which cannot solely be handled by outsiders.

Public policy must be changed to suit the needs of the people it serves in the time it exists. The numbers are on our side, nationwide and we may as well start here at home. Personally, I believe those who can, should study the law, with or without permission. Since  certified attorneys ran me broke in 2023, I have been a self-represented plaintiff (Pro Se), in a couple of lawsuits and I can tell you that writing complaints, motions and oppositions, etc... is a lot like doing research papers, so if you want to preserve your rights and wealth and have a desire to compete, or enjoy logic games, this Petition is for you, or anyone other community advocacy group. Some local politicians who deal with practical nuts and bolts budgetary concerns have given a thumb's up to this concept, as it is a low, to no-cost initiative, to open up remedial paths for many of the problems faced here in Hawai'i by all of our communities, which is a critical population decline for those who add stability to our remote culture.

While in theory, even a President of the United States may be held accountable in the Court system, it is those at the bottom of the economic spectrum that tend to pay the price of what seems like "ignorance by design" and being that there is estimated to be one attorney, per 1000 residents on Hawai'i Island alone, we need to take the initiative ourselves. No one is coming to save us. We have to do it ourselves. At a time when our country is so clearly in flux, with potential wars on the horizon, economic instability and even power grid destabilization being distinct possibilities, it's an "all hands on deck" moment  and our citizens need to involve themselves, to a greater extent with the maintenance of local laws, in order to protect our own rights and property (and consent) that others seek to strip us of through increasingly legalized "deviation" of laws, charters and contracts, enforcement of lopsided policies, that enrich the few, at the expense of the many.  

Being shut out from pursuing a career in law, for geographical and financial reasons is prejudicial at its core and with seven residential islands, here in the State of Hawai'i, it is often both of these issues that block locals from this pursuit and, in my opinion, unnecessarily so with the internet catering to remote workers and remote learners. Once again people, it isn't 1966 anymore and the quality control being espoused by the ABA is nonsense in that there is no way the tiny number of certified attorneys in our region can competently handle every complicated legal issue. Let's empower ourselves and keep our kids on island, our money in our pockets and our homes free from seizure. We can and should do so, by expanding lawful opportunities to those outside the income bracket typically afforded this clear path to empowerment. Sign this petition to make Hawai'i the fifth State to allow all Hawai'i Residents the ability to "Read into the Law". Let's seize this opportunity to broaden our own potential. 

Quoting John F. Kennedy:  "In rising tides, all ships will rise." 

This would need to be a Supreme Court Amendment, so if you would like to sponsor any of the multiple lawsuits being formulated at this time and required to be effectuated by non-attorney, citizens, as a proof of concept, rather than donating to this petition site, please donate to the "Read into the Law, Hawai'i!"  through crowd funding: https://gofund.me/1cbd7cbd8

Anyone interested in starting this initiative in any of the other 45 states should copy and paste anything applicable from this petition or be in touch. "Many hands make light work!" Thanks again for reading, signing, promoting, sharing and donating to this Petition and crowdfunding, for: "Read into the Law, Hawaii!" Mahalo nui loa for reading, signing and sharing this Petition. Best Regards, Starr Cole