John Roth

John has taught Estate Planning as an adjunct law professor at the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawai`i–Manoa, and lectured in several other law courses there.  He also has taught the Business Law course at the University of Hawai`i–Hilo.  John has spoken at seminars for lawyers and other professionals in the areas of estate planning, probate administration, law firm management, and legal ethics.  His publications include co-authorship of the Hawaii State Bar Association’s Estate Planning Forms Manual (2012) and Hawaii law section of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) Report, Comparison of Domestic Asset Protection Trust Statutes (2014). In 2016, John was recognized as one of Hawaii's "40 Under 40",  an annual award given by Pacific Business News to 40 of the most influential professionals under 40 years old, in the State of Hawaii.  John has served as president of the Young Lawyers Division and the Estate Planning Section of the Hawaii State Bar Association, and cofounder of the Solo & Small Firm Section.  He is past president of the Rotary Club of North Hawaii and served on the board of the Parker School.  John is also a past president of the North Hawaii Hospice board; and on the advisory board for the West Hawaii Fund of the Hawaii Community Foundation. John is currently on the Hawaii Island Leadership Council of the Hawaii Community Foundation and serves on the board of The Donkey Mill Art Center in Holualoa. John earned a B.S. degree in Business Communications from the University of Kansas in 2003 (Phi Beta Kappa), and joint J.D. and M.B.A. degrees from the William S. Richardson School of Law and Shidler College of Business at the University of Hawai`i–Manoa in 2007.  He grew up on Oahu where he attended public elementary schools and graduated with honors from Punahou Academy. WILLIAM "KUMU" BELCHER is an associate attorney with Hawaii Trust & Estate Counsel, working primarily out of the Hilo office. Kumu has worked as an estate planning attorney for over a decade and has been with Hawaii Trust & Estate Counsel since its inception in 2014. Kumu was born and raised in Hilo, where he graduated from Hilo High School and the University of Hawai`i–Hilo, with a degree in cell and molecular biology. Prior to entering law school, he served as an East Hawaii Ocean Safety Officer. He received his law degree from the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawai`i–Manoa in 2013. While in law school, he interned at the First Circuit Court, Probate Division, for the honorable Judge Derek H.M. Chan. In