Paula Aiko Nakayama (born October 19, 1953) is an American lawyer who served as an associate justice of the Hawaii State Supreme Court from 1993 to 2023. After Rhoda V. Lewis, Nakayama is second woman to ever serve on the Hawaii State Supreme Court. She is also the first Asian American woman to serve as a state supreme court justice nationwide. Currently serving her third term, Nakayama served her first term from 1993 to 2003 and her second term from 2003 to 2013. At a young age, Nakayama moved to San Jose, California where she graduated from Blackford High School. She then went on to study at the University of California at Davis where she obtained her bachelor's degree in consumer economics. She obtained her doctorate of jurisprudence at the Hastings College of Law.
Career
In 1979, Nakayama joined the staff of the Prosecuting Attorney of Honolulu as a deputy prosecutor. The Hawaii Judicial Selection Commission retained and reappointed Nakayama for a second term in 2003 and for a third term in 2013. She retired from active service on April 21, 2023.
Nakayama's notable written opinions include her 1996 opinion that ruled policyholders can sue insurance companies for acting in "bad faith" for delaying payment of claims, and her 2000 majority opinion rejecting part of the state water commission's landmark decision that divided Waiahole Ditch water between Windward and Leeward Oahu, which reaffirmed the state's commitment to the public trust doctrine "to protect, control and regulate the use of Hawai'i's water resources for the benefit of its people."
Personal life
Nakayama is married to attorney Charles Totto, who formerly served as executive director of the Honolulu Ethics Commission.