Bringing Courts, Communities, and Classrooms Together in Hawaii: A Q&A with Judge Gregory Meyers

Street Law’s work is rooted in the belief that civic and law-related education can do more than build knowledge. At its best, they can strengthen relationships, increase understanding, and bring courts, schools, legal professionals, and community organizations together in support of young people and their communities.

That vision is taking shape in Hawaii through partnerships among the judiciary, educators, youth-serving organizations, and Street Law. At the center of those efforts is Judge Gregory Meyers, whose connection to Street Law spans nearly 30 years—from his time as a law student at George Washington University in 1998 to his work with the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, to his current role as a Family Court judge.

In February 2026, Judge Meyers helped bring together participants from across the islands for a Street Law Legal Life Skills training designed to expand civic and law-related education opportunities statewide.

How did you first become involved with Street Law, and what initially stood out to you about its approach?

I first became involved with Street Law decades ago, when I was in law school. What drew me in then, and what has stayed with me ever since, is the way Street Law teaches. The lessons are practical, interactive, and grounded in real life. Instead of just talking at students, the curriculum gets them engaged through role-plays, activities, and discussion. That approach makes the material more accessible and memorable, and it gives people confidence to speak up, think critically, and understand their rights and responsibilities.

Over the years, I have stayed connected to that approach in different ways. I used Street Law materials in community workshops, explored opportunities to build Street Law programming through legal education in the school system, and continued looking for ways to bring that model to the communities I was serving. Once I became a judge, I saw an opportunity to help make that vision a reality here in Hawaii.

Why do you believe this type of civic and law-related education is especially important in Hawaii?

It is important because it gives young people relevant information they may not otherwise receive, and it delivers that information in a way that builds confidence and self-awareness. Many youth need practical legal and civic knowledge, not in the abstract, but in terms they can apply to their own lives. Street Law helps meet that need.

In Hawaii, and on Kauai in particular, this kind of programming can also help strengthen understanding between young people and the institutions they encounter, including law enforcement. Some of the lessons we are focusing on, such as traffic stops and understanding rights and responsibilities during an arrest, are not about teaching young people how to avoid the law. They are about helping youth understand how to navigate interactions with confidence and respect.

More broadly, this programming helps people understand how systems work and how to advocate for themselves. We have already seen interest not only in bringing these lessons to youth, but also in adapting them for adults, such as tenants learning about housing rights and responsibilities.

Can you tell us about the recent Street Law workshop in Hawaii, what it was designed to accomplish, and how participants responded to the training?

In February 2026, we brought Street Law trainers to Kauai for a day-and-a-half workshop with 30 participants—including representatives from Kauai, Maui, Oahu, and Hawaii Island. The participants represented youth-serving organizations, government agencies, and other non-profits that work directly with young people. At the end of the training, they received licenses to use Street Law’s Legal Life Skills curriculum.

The workshop had two main goals. First, it prepared people already working with youth to take the lessons back to the students and communities they serve. Second, it began building a volunteer network of people who can teach Street Law lessons more broadly in schools, community organizations, and other settings.

My hope is that this effort is just the beginning. I would like to see similar trainings happen on the other islands so this work can continue to grow statewide.

Although it is still early, the response from participants has been very encouraging. People were energized and excited at the training, and some have already put their new Street Law skills into action.

Participants have also begun exploring ways to use the curriculum with tenants, in schools, in youth-serving programs, and even with youth involved in correctional settings. One of the things that stood out to me was how quickly people began identifying opportunities in their own communities. That is exactly what I hoped would happen.

What impact have you seen Street Law have on young people?

One of the recurring ways I have used Street Law materials is through school outreach tied to National Judicial Outreach Week and Law Day. Each year, I speak with eighth and ninth graders and use Street Law lessons as part of those workshops.

Because many of these have been one-time visits, it can be difficult to measure long-term impact directly. But I have seen clear signs of engagement in the moment. The interactive format matters. When students are invited to participate, move around, discuss, and respond to activities or games, they become more invested. I have had students come up to me afterward and say they felt inspired, including at least one student who said the experience made them want to become a lawyer.

That kind of response reinforces why these lessons matter. Even when you do not see the full long-term effect right away, you can see that the material is landing and that students are thinking differently.

What gaps do you see in the support or information young people receive as they prepare for adulthood?

Young people are facing a range of challenges, and many of them come down to not having enough practical information or support as they move toward adulthood. Legal and civic education can help address that gap by giving youth a foundation in real-world knowledge, whether that is understanding interactions with police, learning basic financial concepts, preparing for employment, or figuring out how systems work.

The Legal Life Skills curriculum is especially valuable because it introduces topics that many adults may take for granted, but that are unfamiliar to a lot of young people, such as banking, credit, housing, and workplace expectations. These are not insignificant issues. They are the kinds of skills and understandings that shape whether a young person feels prepared and capable in everyday life.

Street Law also teaches a way of thinking. One of the things I value most is that the lessons encourage people to consider both sides of an issue. That kind of perspective-taking is important not only for civic life, but for decision-making in general. It helps young people assess situations more carefully, understand other viewpoints, and respond more thoughtfully.

Why is it important for judges and courts to be involved in civic education efforts like these?

Judges and the Judiciary have an important role to play in promoting civic education and public understanding of the legal system. Courts are public institutions, and part of our responsibility is helping people access information, understand processes, and engage meaningfully with the systems that affect their lives.

In Hawaii, this aligns with broader efforts through the Judiciary’s PACE Commission to Promote and Advance Civic Education. I see programs like Street Law as a natural extension of that mission. Judges can help convene partners, lend credibility to these efforts, and encourage broader participation across the legal and civic community. We can also serve as champions for the work, helping make the case that civic and legal education is not an extra, but an important part of building stronger communities.

For me, that has meant trying to model what is possible and encouraging colleagues to think about how similar efforts might take shape in their own communities and on other islands.

You recently attended Street Law’s Youth Court Collaborative Conference in Las Vegas. What potential do you see for youth courts or other restorative justice approaches in Hawaii?

The sky is the limit! I am so glad I was able to attend that convening. Aside from generating more ideas for youth courts, we were able to meet and connect with other like-minded people across the country who have found unique ways to run alternative diversionary youth courts.

The convening further motivated me to help ensure each of our other three Circuits in Hawaii join Kauai in implementing Teen Court for more of Hawaii’s youth.

It was great to hear all the different ways folks have engaged with youth in a meaningful manner to help try and improve their lives—which has always been one of my main goals everyday I step into the courtroom.

What is your long-term vision for this work in Hawaii?

What I hope happens next is that this does not become a one-time training that people file away and forget. I want the momentum to continue. That means creating some small wins, getting lessons into practice quickly, and helping participants identify settings where they can use the curriculum right away. To that end, we created two different four-lesson curricula—one for local high school aged youth and one for young adult construction academy apprentices—that the workshop participants have just finished teaching.

Over time, I hope this model becomes sustainable and replicable across the state. I would like to see organizations on all the islands statewide using Street Law lessons in ways that fit their own communities, whether through schools, youth programs, family services, housing organizations, or court-connected efforts. My longer-term vision is even broader. As a Family Court judge, I see an opportunity to integrate this kind of education into a more holistic approach to supporting youth and families, especially those already involved in the court system. I would like to see Street Law become part of a larger framework that helps young people and their families access information, resources, and practical tools that can improve their lives.

What would you say to someone considering starting this kind of effort in their own community?

Just do it. Get it done. Street Law gives you practical, well-designed resources and a teaching approach that works. The lessons are active, relevant, and easy to use, even for people who are not trained classroom teachers. That makes it possible for legal professionals, judges, and community leaders to get involved and make a real difference.

I would also say that bringing something like this to life takes persistence. It may not happen immediately. There may be staffing changes, funding questions, or logistical obstacles. But if you believe in the idea, keep going. Sometimes it only takes one person to be the champion who keeps moving it forward.

One of the things I have learned is that when you see a challenge, you should also see an opportunity. That is how this effort came together here. It took time, but we found a way to make it happen. My hope is that others will see that and realize they can do the same in their own communities.