William A. Harrison
Attorney Profile
Top Rated Criminal Defense Attorney in Honolulu, HI
- Free Consultation
William A. Harrison is a partner at the law firm of Harrison & Matsuoka in Honolulu, Hawaii. He understands that being arrested or charged with a crime is serious business and can upset a person’s future and reputation indefinitely. He has spent more than four decades in the courtrooms of Hawaii aggressively representing the rights of his clients who are accused of federal and state criminal offenses.
Mr. Harrison guides his clients through each stage of the legal process and goes the extra mile to thoroughly investigate the case and mount the most comprehensive defense strategy. He aids in all areas of criminal law including white collar offenses, cybercrimes, fraud, federal gun charges, assault and battery, murder, sexual offenses, drug trafficking, money laundering, racketeering, vehicular homicides and theft.
A 1977 B.A. graduate of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Mr. Harrison obtained his master’s degree from the same university in 1981. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, William S. Richardson School of Law and became licensed to practice in the state and federal courts of Hawaii in 1981. Additionally, he is licensed to appear in New Jersey, the Supreme Court of the United States, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.
As a result of his high ethical standards and exceptional legal ability, Mr. Harrison was rated AV Preeminent* by Martindale-Hubbell and also listed in the Martindale-Hubbell Registry of Preeminent Lawyers for multiple years. He was selected for inclusion in Who's Who in American Law and Hawaii’s Best Lawyers by Honolulu Magazine. Furthermore, he was recognized by The Best Lawyers in America for several years in a row.
A lifetime member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Mr. Harrison also holds active memberships in the New Jersey State Bar Association, the Hawaii State Bar Association, the Hawaii Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the American Association for Justice, the American Bar Association, the National Institute for Trial Advocacy, the American Society of Law, Medicine and Ethics, and the Christian Legal Society. He served among the executive committee of Phi Delta Phi International Legal Fraternity, Richardson Inn.
Mr. Harrison volunteers a part of his time to offer pro bono legal services. He founded the Afro-American Lawyers Association of Hawaii and was the former legal redress officer of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) – Hawaii Chapter. Committed to ending domestic violence, he functioned as the president of the board of the Domestic Violence Clearinghouse and Legal Hotline. He has also made many media appearances as a legal television commentator.
*AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rating™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.
- 70%Criminal Defense
- 20%Criminal Defense: White Collar
- 10%Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff
Assault & Battery, Criminal Fraud, Criminal Law, Expungement, Felony, Motor Vehicle Offenses, Murder, Sex Offenses, Theft, Criminal Domestic Violence, White Collar Crime, Criminal Law - Federal, Assault, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Wrongful Death
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2008 - 2021
Top Lists
Additional Sources of Information About William A. Harrison
Visit my FindLaw® profile
About William A. Harrison
First Admitted: 1981, Hawaii
Professional Webpage: https://hamlaw.net/firm-overview/attorneys/william-a-harriso...
Videos
- Child pornographer's motion to suppress granted, Child pornographer's motion to suppress granted.
- Shark expert sentenced in pornography case to two months in federal prison, Shark Expert Sentenced, 2015
- Dog breeder sentenced to less than State wanted, Dog breeder sentenced to less than State wanted, 2017
- Roynes Dural's conviction for sex assault was overturned by the appellate court. Innocence Project Attorney William Harrison, Sex Assault Conviction Overturned, 2019
- Plea by Honolulu Police Officer in the Kealoha case, Plea by Honolulu Police Officer, 2019
Pro bono/Community Service
- President, Christian Legal Society, Hawaii Chapter
- Director, Christian Legal Society
- Member: Lt. Governor’s Hawai’i Drug Control Strategy, Legal Working Group (2004)
- Former Member of the School Board, Our Savior Lutheran School
- Litigation Committee Member: ACLU of Hawaii
- Interscholastic League of Honolulu, Coach of the Year: Wrestling 1990 – 1991
- Delegate: Hawaii Democratic Party State Convention 1988 – 2008
- Past President and Founding Member: Afro-American Lawyers Association
- Former Legal Redress Officer: NAACP Hawaii Chapter
- President of the Board, Domestic Violence Clearinghouse and Legal Hotline (1991-1992)
Honors/Awards
- Best Lawyers in America 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
- Who’s Who in American Law, 2003 to present
- Outstanding Lawyers of America
- Martindale-Hubbell Registry of Preeminent Lawyers 2003 to present
- Martindale-Hubbell AV-Rated for ethical standards and legal ability
- Hawaii Super Lawyers 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016,2017,2018,2019,2020, 2021, 2022
- Hawaii’s Best Lawyers, Honolulu Magazine 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016,2017,2018,2019,2020, 2021, 2022
Scholarly Lectures/Writings
- 1980 Law Review: the University of Hawaii, William S. Richardson School of Law, Honolulu, Hawaii
- Peoples Law School: American Trial Lawyers Association
- Lecturer: Trial Advocacy Program, Public Defender State of Hawaii
- Faculty member: National Business Institute Legal Seminars
- Faculty Member, Department of Land & Natural Resources (“DLNR”) Police Academy
- Faculty member: National Institute of Trial Advocates (“NITA”)
- Adjunct professor: “Hawaii Innocence Project,” the University of Hawaii at Manoa, William S. Richardson School of Law
Bar/Professional Activity
- 1981 Hawaii
- Christian Legal Society
- American Society of Law and Medicine
- American Bar Association
- The Association of Plaintiffs Lawyers of Hawaii 1989 – 1990
- The Association of Trial Lawyers of America
- Hawaii Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- Hawaii State Bar Association –Oahu Director
- Executive Committee: International Legal Fraternity of Phi Delta Phi – Richardson Inn 1979 – 1981
- Bencher: American Inns of Court IV, Hawaii
- Board of Governors: The Association of Plaintiffs Lawyers of Hawaii 1989 – 1990
- 1993 U.S. Court of Appeals Federal Circuit
- 1985 U.S. Supreme Court
- 1982 U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit
- 1982 U.S. District Court District of New Jersey
- 1982 New Jersey
- 1981 U.S. District Court District of Hawaii
- Hawai'i State Bar Association, 1981
- New Jersey State Bar Association, 1982
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers - Life Member
Educational Background
- Master of Arts, American Studies, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, 1981
- Bachelor of Arts, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1976
Other Outstanding Achievements
- Lecturer in Law, “Innocence Project,” William S. Richardson School of Law, 2020
- Oahu Director: Hawaii State Bar Association, 2010-2012 and 2019-2021, 2020
- William S. Richardson School of Law; Bencher, American Inns of Court IV
- Chairperson of the Judicial Selection Commission (Term 1991-1997)
Last Updated: 5/15/2022