Background
Recktenwald, Mark E. was born on October 8, 1955 in Detroit, Michigan, United States.
Recktenwald, Mark E. was born on October 8, 1955 in Detroit, Michigan, United States.
Harvard University (Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, 1978). University of Chicago (Juris Doctor, with honors, 1986). Order of the Coif. Comment Editor, University of Chicago Law Review, 1985-1986.
He wrote a thesis for his degree in anthropology titled "State and economy in Moche III-IV society". He worked as a reporter in the United Press International’s Honolulu Bureau. He published a paper on employment discrimination cases.
After law school, Recktenwald became a clerk for judge Harold Michael Fong until 1987.
In 1991 he became assistant United States Attorney, litigating both civil and criminal cases. He served as the health care fraud coordinator and environmental law enforcement coordinator for the United States. Attorney’ General’ s Office, and was a prosecutor in other types of cases.
In 1999 he returned to the United States. Attorney’ General’ s Office. He became director of the Hawaii state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) in 2003.
In May 2007 he was appointed chief judge of the Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals.
He participated in more than 250 cases and authored 10 published opinions. In February 2009 (confirmed in May 2009) he replaced retired Associate Justice Steven H. Levinson on the Supreme Court of Hawaii. On August 13, 2010, Recktenwald was nominated for chief justice by Governor Linda Lingle.
Member: Hawaii State and American (Member, Labor and Employment Law. Litigation Sections) Bar Associations.