Judith A. Philips

Acting U.S. Attorney

Photo by Michelle Mishina-Kunz.

As the Acting United States Attorney, Ms. Philips is the chief federal law enforcement official in the State of Hawaii.  The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii serves the approximately 1.4 million residents of the State of Hawaii with 28 attorneys and over 40 support staff.

Ms. Philips assumed the duties of the office as the Acting United States Attorney following United States Attorney Kenji M. Price’s resignation on February 21, 2021.  Before taking on the duties of United States. Attorney, Ms. Philips served as the First Assistant United States Attorney, the senior-most management position in the office, for the preceding three years.

Ms. Philips is a career prosecutor who has more than 25 years’ experience in state and federal courts.  Following graduation from law school, Ms. Philips joined the Kings County District Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn, New York, where she served as an Assistant District Attorney for approximately eight years.  She played a major role in a variety of investigations and prosecutions of violent crime, many involving traditional Organized Crime and Asian gangs.  It was her involvement with Asian gang prosecutions that led to her appointment as a Special Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of New York, where she subsequently worked as an Assistant United States Attorney (“AUSA”). 

During her career as an AUSA in the Eastern District of New York, Ms. Philips served in various sections in the Criminal Division.  Ms. Philips successfully investigated and tried a number of significant violent gang and narcotics cases prior to her appointment as the Intake and Arraignments Chief.  As the Chief of the Intake and Arraignments Unit, Ms. Philips played a significant role in the supervision and training of all first year AUSAs in their investigation, prosecution and trial of federal offenses ranging from fraud to violent crime.  She trained hundreds of AUSAs during her tenure.  She served as Chief of that section until her departure to Hawaii in May 2018 to assume the position of First Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii United States Attorney’s Office.  In that position she oversaw the office’s civil and criminal litigation, as well as all administrative operations.

Ms. Philips received her law degree from Rutgers Law School- Camden, and her Bachelor of Arts Degree in political science from Drew University.