From the Desk of the Attorney General

David M. Louie had been a civil trial lawyer in private practice for thirty-two years when he was named Hawai‘i’s attorney general by Governor Neil Abercrombie in 2010. What followed was an eye-opening education in the nature of government—how it works and how the sausage of government policy is made. His historic koa wood desk in Hawai‘i’s state capitol gave Louie a frontrow seat for viewing—and shaping—the inner workings of government. In this incisive, behind-the-scenes memoir, the country’s first Chinese American state attorney general recalls the landmark cases of his time in office—environmental issues, Native Hawaiian rights, Internet safety, same sex marriage, human trafficking and even the unlikely concert hoax known as the “Wonder Blunder.”

“An eye-opening narrative of one attorney general’s experience as the top law enforcement official of his state. I thought I knew what responsibilities an AG handled but was surprised at the scope and depth of David Louie’s time in office, as he displayed a remarkable ability to navigate the intricacies of his job as a newcomer to the world of government. If you enjoy inside stories about politics, law and Hawai‘i, you will love this book!”

—Dale Minami, civil rights lawyer and recipient of the American Bar Association’s Thurgood Marshall Award and ABA Medal, the Association’s highest honor