Supreme Court Hustisia Award recipient, attorney Michael White with wife Rose White and their children pose for a photo with Judge Lilian Ada Tenorio, Judge Kenneth L. Govendo, Judge Teresa Kim-Tenorio, Justice John Manglona, Chief Justice Alexandro Castro and District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona in the CNMI Supreme Court courtroom, Friday, May 17.
ATTORNEY Michael White on Friday received the CNMI Supreme Court Hustisia Award.
The award is given to an individual who has “shown dedication to the principles of justice, outstanding expertise in their field, and a commitment to public service.” In addition, the recipient must have made “substantial contributions to the advancement of justice throughout their career, showing a level of dedication above what is required of an attorney or other professional in the normal course of work.”
“Sometimes pursuing justice isn’t popular,” White said in his acceptance speech. “Sometimes it makes our lives difficult, but even with these challenges this principle is and must be our guiding light not just as lawyers and judges but as responsible human beings.”
He added, “The principle is simple, do the right thing even if it’s not the easy thing to do. The command to pursue justice is not directed just to us as individuals. Each of us must make our own small contributions, but to pursue justice we need to work together. If we do, our individual efforts are multiplied and we can do things collectively that we could never accomplish individually. An important part of the pursuit of justice is giving back. Each of us in the legal profession was given the intelligence and the opportunity to graduate from university and from law school and to succeed in our chosen profession. But as the saying goes, to whom much is given much is expected. One of the ways we can pursue justice is by giving back. When we volunteer to serve, we make our profession better and our society stronger. That’s one important way that each of us can fulfill our obligation to pursue justice,” White said.
He said he is “deeply grateful for this award that I’m given today. I want to thank the justices and judges of our courts for this tremendous honor, truly an honor of a lifetime, and especially to my wife Rose and to my family for putting up with me all these years especially when my devotion to the law and my devotion to my family compete for my time and attention. And for anyone who thinks this is a retirement speech — think again. I’m not done pursuing justice yet. From the bottom of my heart, thank you,” he added.
In his introductory remarks, Justice Manglona noted that the Hustisia Award is not an annual presentation. It has been previously awarded to two individuals only: Saipan Tribune senior reporter Ferdie de la Torre, who has covered the local judiciary since the mid-1990s, and Elizabeth Balajadia, a civil engineer, for her record of service in the completion of the judiciary’s projects.
“The award not only acknowledges achievements but also celebrates the commitment to upholding the principles of justice that are the bedrock of our society,” Justice Manglona said.
“Mike’s contributions to the legal profession extends far beyond the confines of his legal practice,” he added.
As a Peace Corps volunteer, White came to Micronesia in the 1970s. Later he became a staff attorney for the Congress of Micronesia, and opened a private practice in 1975, which is still running to this day.
White also served as a special judge for the Superior Court from 1995 to 2001. He co-founded the CNMI Bar Association and was its first president. He has served on numerous committees within the bar and has shared his legal expertise in conferences across the Pacific. Furthermore, he has lent his expertise to the CNMI Supreme Court as chairman and contributor for multiple advisory committees on judicial rules.
White is a graduate of Temple University School of Law and is admitted to practice before the Supreme Courts of the United States, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, and Pennsylvania, among other jurisdictions.
Also on Friday, the CNMI judiciary held a ceremony for the unveiling of official portraits and a judiciary timeline as part of its 35th anniversary.
