Recent Appellate Highlights
9.8.2022 - Featured in Pepperdine Law Alumni Newsletter
2022 Oral Argument Before Hawaii’s Supreme Court - Namahoe v. Nutter (wrongful foreclosure appeal, decision pending).
2021 Appellate Win in CAAP-20-0000690 (the ICA agreed that the Defendant should have been allowed to withdraw his plea pre-sentencing where his plea agreement contained errors.)
Dissenting Opinion Obtained in State v. Silva (2022 Criminal Appellate Decision).
Hawaiian Sovereignty Appeal Presented to Appellate Court (State v. Kekaualua, decision pending, brief available here)
Work Experience
2011-2013 Prosecuting Attorney, County of Kauai (DUI Law)
2013-2019 Kai Law - Criminal Defense and Estate Planning
2019-Present - Kai Law - Appellate Practice (specializing in Criminal, Civil, and Family Law)
Education
Brigham Young University - BS, Business Mgmt 2008
Pepperdine Law - JD 2011 (Cum Laude Honors & Dean’s Merit Scholarship recipient)
Background
My name is Kai and although I was born and raised in Utah, my family is from Maui (‘Cockett’ and ‘Kekahu’ family names). I have six sisters, no brothers (four of the six sisters are half sisters from two different step-mothers). Hawaii has been my home since 2012, when I found a job on Kauai as a prosecutor after finishing law school at Pepperdine in Malibu. I surf, rock climb, play guitar and uke, and dabble in creative writing. I played competitive rugby in college and post-college, and I now play 11-a-side soccer in Oahu’s men’s league. I love using my mind and my talents and look forward to using both to help you with your legal appellate needs.
Volunteer Work
Native Hawaiian Bar Assoc. Board Member - 2021 to Present.
Hawaii State Bar Association Board Member - 2016 to 2019.
Special Olympics Head Coach - 2015 to 2019.
Special Olympics Volunteer - Summer 2022