Rule 4.3 Activities of Judges Seeking Retention in or Appointment to Judicial Office

When a judge in Hawaiʻi wants to keep their job or move into a new judicial position through appointment (rather than election), this rule spells out what they're allowed to do to make that happen.

The judge can talk directly to whoever has the power to reappoint, retain, or confirm them. This includes screening committees, nominating commissions, or similar groups that help decide who gets judicial jobs. So the judge doesn't have to stay silent during this process. They can advocate for themselves.

The judge can also ask people or groups to publicly support their bid for appointment. The one limit is that these endorsements cannot come from partisan political organizations. This keeps judges from getting tied too closely to a political party while they seek to stay on the bench or gain a new judicial post.