PONO Legal provides free legal services to community members impacted by the Maui wildfires.

We are your local disaster legal aid organization dedicated to expanding access to justice for Maui’s disaster relief, recovery, and resilience efforts.

We are Maui People helping Maui People.

Welina Mai

Heartbroken by the August 2023 wildfires on Maui, we felt called to help. So much loss in our community . . . the lives, the missing, the homes, the businesses, as well as our historic Hawaiian Kingdom landmarks. We knew there would be a need for legal services and we wanted people to be able to receive them for free. We started our non-profit organization and named her PONO, which stands for Pro bono Organization for Native ʻOhana.

Guided by Pono

Pono in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi means “righteousness” or “to do what is right.” Similarly, it means to achieve excellence, prosperity, and a state of equity - living in balance with ourselves, those around us, and the world that sustains us. We hope to serve our community through “PONO” Legal by listening, connecting individuals and families with supportive resources, and advocating for those in need of legal assistance. 

Check out Executive Director Heidi Ho's interview with Hawaiʻi News Now

Executive Director Heidi Ho shares the mission, purpose, and services of PONO Legal.

Stay Connected with PONO Legal on Instagram

And just like that, they’re pau! 👏 Ho‘omaika‘i to our summer interns for completing our inaugural Summer Disaster Relief Internship Program and mahalo nui for all of their hard work, commitment, genuine care, and aloha in helping t
Recovery efforts that ignore systemic imbalances risk repeating the very harms that marginalized communities have long endured. Mahalo to our bilingual partners at l @pacificgateway for naming systemic barriers - and creating space for accountability
Spread ALOHA with the PONO Legal team! 🤙🏽🌺 With our summer internship program more than halfway through, these mana wahine are doing incredible work and learning so much about our amazing community ❤️
Aloha Pō‘alima kākou! 🌈🌺🤙🏽 Stop by and say hi to Lei‘ohu, Lynzee, and Lenei at the Lahaina Resource Center next week and throughout the summer. So grateful for these brilliant minds and all their kōkua ❤️
Our inaugural 2025 Summer Disaster Relief Internship has officially launched! Meet our outstanding interns, all with deep connections to Maui and a commitment to social justice. If you see them around, please say hi! 🤙🏽
Please join us welcoming our disaster relief summer interns! We’re excited to have you join the PONO Legal team and look forward to a season of growth, learning, and impact together. Stay tuned to learned more about their individual backgrounds
This past weekend, team members Tanya and Margot brought PONO Legal's mission to the bustling MEMA Emergency Preparedness Expo at Queen Kaʻahumanu Center. What an inspiring sight to witness our community's resilience network gathered under one roof!
Our applications are OPEN! ✨ We are proud to announce that this summer, PONO Legal is hosting a paid, 8-week internship program that immerses students in the fields of disaster relief, community lawyering, social justice, Native Hawaiian rights, and
Aloha Friday kākou! 🌺🌈✨ Our office got an upgrade - we just got a NEW SIGN! Check us out at 96 Central Ave. in Wailuku. Feel free to call beforehand to make an appointment (808) 244-1580 🤙🏽
After the Maui fires, many families experienced confusion and uncertainty regarding property ownership, and had to go through probate or other title-clearing processes to even begin their rebuild. To avoid these types of concerns in the future, we ar

Mahalo to Our Supporters & Partners

  • Hawaiʻi Community Foundation

    FUNDER

  • Hawaiʻi Justice Foundation

    FUNDER

  • Legal Aid Society of Hawaiʻi

    PARTNER

  • Native Hawaiian Legal Corp.

    PARTNER

  • Hawaiʻi State Bar Association

    PARTNER

  • Maui County Bar Association

    PARTNER