Senate Judiciary Committee hears Daniel M. Gluck's nomination to the Intermediate Court of Appeals; vote set for March 21

The Senate Judiciary Committee met March 20 to consider Governor's Message 725, the nomination of Daniel M. Gluck to serve a 10-year term as an Associate Judge on the Intermediate Court of Appeals.

Gluck, who described his career as spanning private practice, nonprofit work and service in all three branches of government, told senators that "reducing and eventually eliminating" the court's backlog would be his primary focus if confirmed. He said having a full complement of judges and issuing briefer opinions are practical steps to shorten decision times and that he is "exploring the possibilities of using AI in different capacities" to summarize voluminous records while stopping short of using tools for core legal analysis.

The nominee received broad professional support in written filings and oral testimony. A committee reader listed endorsements from retired and sitting judges, public defenders and local officials; the clerk reported "72 in support, zero opposition, one comment." Supporters who spoke included Bob Toyofuku, who called Gluck a "perfect combination of integrity [and] legal knowledge," and Joshua Wish, who said Gluck carries himself "with wonderful humility" and urged confirmation.

Committee members questioned Gluck about his current duties as deputy corporation counsel for the City and County of Honolulu, noting his work advising the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation and handling constitutional and administrative litigation. Gluck described his caseload as spanning trial and appellate practice and cited recent federal and state matters he has handled.

On the backlog, Gluck said staffing the court fully and shortening opinions would help, and he described efforts to reallocate staff attorneys and consider procedural changes. "I don't think anything that is out there right now is anything close to ready for legal analysis," he said of available AI tools, but added they "may be room for some of these tools in summarizing a voluminous record." Senators pressed him on procedural details such as briefing schedules, jurisdictional statements and opportunities for earlier motions to dismiss in cases that fail to present final judgments.

Members also raised questions about impartiality given Gluck's prior government roles and past work before the committee. Gluck emphasized his commitment to following binding precedent, noting that "as an ICA judge, we follow the precedent that's set by the Hawaii Supreme Court," and said his varied experience gives him perspective across different viewpoints.

The committee took no vote on GM 725 during the March 20 session. Chair Rhodes told those present that the committee would reconvene to make its decision on March 21 at 10:45 a.m. in room 016.

The committee record includes written testimony from dozens of legal professionals and members of the public; the Hawaii State Bar Association told the committee it had conducted a standard subcommittee fact-finding process and found the candidate qualified.