The Fourth Branch Interviews: FSM Supreme Court Associate Justice Dennis K. Yamase

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"The Hon. Dennis K. Yamase is an Associate Justice of the Supreme  Court of the Federated States of Micronesia.  He is a 1982 graduate of  the University of Hawai’i Richardson School of Law, where he was a  member of the school’s law review editorial board.  During and following  law school he served as an intern, law clerk, and/or attorney for the  FSM Supreme Court, FSM Congress, and the Supreme Court of the Republic  of Palau (ROP).  His other legal experiences include serving as:  the  Senior Senate Legislative Counsel, Senate of the Olbiil Era Kelulau (ROP  National Congress); the Executive Secretary, ROP National Code  Commission; attorney in private practice in Honolulu, Hawai’i at the law  firm of Dandar, Manuia & Castroverde; the Deputy Legislative  Counsel and Legislative Counsel, FSM Congress; the Special Legal Counsel  to the ROP Vice President/Minister of Administration; and the  Executive  Director of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands  (CNMI) Law  Revision Commission.

Associate Justice Yamase developed the FSM  Legal Information System  (LIS) website at http://www.fsmlaw.org., as a  Consultant to the Asian  Development Bank (ADB) for the Improving Access  to Laws project.  He  completed or assisted on projects for the  codification of:  the Yap  State Code (YSC); the FSM Code (F.S.M.C.); the  draft Chuuk State Code  (CSC); the ROP National Code (PNC) and ROP  National Code Annotated  (PNCA); and the Commonwealth Code for the CNMI  (hard copy and CD  formats).

Associate Justice Yamase was  nominated by President Leo A. Falcam on  April 9, 2002 and confirmed by  the FSM Congress on June 25, 2002 as an  Associate Justice on the FSM  Supreme Court.  He is certified as a  judicial trainer through the  Pacific Judicial Development Programme  (PJDP) Training of Trainers (TOT)  program, has taken a trainers class  at the National Judicial College  (NJC), and has a B.Ed. degree in  Secondary Education – Psychology from  the University of Hawi’i.  He has  conducted numerous training programs  for high school students and  local, municipal, and land court judges  within the FSM and has taught  classes in Constitutional Law, Contracts,  and Torts for the College of  Micronesia – FSM Trial Counselor’s program."

The Interviewer for the Fourth Branch is Russell Thoulag. Provided is a video recording of the interview:

Provided below is the transcript of this interview and the case: "Gerhart Aten vs. National Election Commissioner, Chuuk State". They are available for download as .pdf.

1. Associate Justice Dennis K. Yamase interview (.pdf)

2. Gerhart Aten vs. National Election Commissioner, Chuuk State (.pdf)