Hawaii Women’s Legal Foundation, formerly known as the Hawaii Women Lawyer Foundation, was established in 1982 as an offshoot of Hawaii Women Lawyers. The women who had founded Hawaii Women Lawyers saw the necessity of creating an entity that would have many of the same goals and ideals as Hawaii Women Lawyers, but which would be able to raise funds as a nonprofit entity for the common goals of empowering and preserving the legal rights of women and children and the advancement of women in the legal profession.

Over the years, HWLF has grown its endowment to almost a million dollars through its fundraiser, while at the same time distributing funds to worthy organizations in Hawaii that meet its mission.

Hawaii Women’s Legal Foundation has combined two special funds established to benefit projects supporting the mission of HWLF. The first is the Nancy J. Stivers Memorial Fund, honoring the late Nancy J. Stivers, HWLF’s first president. She was active in the struggle for women’s rights and for the reformation of Hawaii’s rape and sex abuse laws, and she was a leader in the successful effort to gain admission of women to “men’s only” clubs.

The C. Frederick Schutte Fund honors the memory of the late Fred Schutte, a long-standing supporter and benefactor of HWLF.

A list of our current and past presidents can be found here.