Photo Credit: Mahealani Wendt, East Maui kalo farmer
About the founder
Sandra Ann K. Pratt-Aquino ("Kau'i") is a licensed attorney authorized to practice law in the State of Hawai'i. She is the founder and principal attorney at Pratt Law Hawai‘i, LLLC.
She graduated from the William S. Richardson School of Law with a Juris Doctor and a certificate in Native Hawaiian Rights in 2015. She is a product of the law school's evening division for working professionals. Through this experience, she managed law school, a career, a family and community service. Raised in Kāne'ohe, Kau'i brings a lifetime of experience in community outreach and development to the practice of law. She is a member of the Solo Practitioner, Probate and Estate Planning and Family Law Sections of the Hawai'i State Bar Association.
In 2015, she was an intern for the State of Hawai'i, Department of Attorney General's Division for the Department of Hawaiian Homelands. Prior to graduating from law school, she was a clerk for a local estate planning and probate law office for four years.
As interim chair and area chair of the student led Access to Justice Working Group, Kau'i and a team of students advocated for a loan repayment program to provide relief for public interest lawyers. The goal of the program was to increase legal services for high need individuals. In addition to this, she served on the leadership board of 'Ahahui o Hawai'i where she was involved in several initiatives to strengthen Native Hawaiian communities.
From 2006 to 2016, Kau'i worked for the Institute for Native Pacific Education and Culture ("INPEACE") serving high need areas where poverty and poor health have had a significant impact on the well-being of our young children and their families. She was involved in almost every aspect of non profit development including operations, grants, federal compliance, public policy, advocacy, programs, community outreach, partnerships, data development and evaluation and board communications. She helped to facilitate a private public partnership called the Ke Ala Hānau Moku Initiative in Wai'anae. The goal of this initiative was to build community capacity by creating a seamless pipeline of services for all ages. Kau'i represented INPEACE at the state sponsored Keiki Caucus Resource Group where community stakeholders collaborated to create viable policy solutions for children. She has and continues to be an active community member. She is an advocate for those who do not have a voice.
Through Pratt Law Hawai'i, LLLC, Kau'i intends to use her background in non profit development and law to serve community members with compassion and understanding for their individual circumstances.
Her areas of practice include revocable trusts, wills, advance health care directives, durable power of attorneys, medicaid planning, uncontested guardianship, custody and divorce. She also provides advice for prospective actions for legislative and community initiatives in the area Native Hawaiian rights.
She enjoys spending time with loved ones and helping high need communities fight for justice.