Mr David FORMAN

Director, Environmental Law Program, Environmental Law Program at the William S. Richardson School of Law

David M. Forman is Director of the Environmental Law Program, William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, and Faculty Specialist with the Ka Huli Ao Center for Excellence in Native Hawaiian Law. He is the Law School's first tenured member of Filipino descent. David learned about traditional and customary Native Hawaiian practices on the island of Moloka‘i--sometimes referred to as "the last Hawaiian place"--from aloha ‘āina warriors including Dr. Emmet Aluli, Prof. Davianna McGregor, Uncle Water Ritte, and many others involved with Protect Kaho‘olawe ‘Ohana (PKO). PKO succeeded in stopping the United States military from using the island of Kaho‘olawe as a live-fire bombing range.  The island and its waters are currently held in trust by the State of Hawai‘i, which is obligated by law to transfer management and control upon formal recognition of a sovereign native Hawaiian entity.