Nelson v. University of Hawai'i

Opinion of the Court by

MOON, C.J.

Following this court’s opinion in Nelson v. University of Hawai'i, 97 Hawai'i 376, 38 P.3d 95 (2001), plaintiff-appellant Karyn Nelson filed a motion seeking: (1) $263.59 in costs, pursuant to Hawai'i Rules of Appellate Procedure (HRAP) Rule 39 (2000); 1 and (2) $16,761.60 in attorneys’ fees for work on appeal, pursuant to HRAP Rule 53(b) (2001) 2 and Hawai'i Revised Statutes (HRS) § 378-5(c) (1993), see infra, a fee-shifting statute that mandates an award of reasonable fees for “any judgment awarded to” an employment discrimination plaintiff.…