Her Story
About Adrianne
Adrianne Heely Caires is a retired Family Court judge who now serves as Lead Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for the Specialty Courts within the Maui County Prosecutor's Office, overseeing efforts across Veterans Court, Mental Health Court, and Drug Court. She brings 24 years of public service and government law experience to her current role, including 12 years on the bench in the Maui Second Judicial Circuit, where she focused primarily on matters involving children and families. Since transitioning to the prosecutor's office in 2024, she has led a specialty unit dedicated to helping adults rebuild their lives by connecting them with education, housing, counseling, and mental health treatment, with the broader goal of reducing reoffending and strengthening the community.
Throughout her career, Caires has earned recognition for both her judicial service and her ongoing mentorship within the legal community. The National Judicial College named her among 60 courageous judges nationwide, making her the sole honoree from Hawaii in that distinction, while the National Council of Juvenile Family Court Judges recognized her as Humanitarian of the Year. She has also been honored locally as Mana Wahine by the Committee on the Status of Women. Caires remains active as a mentor to judges both in Hawaii and across the country through her continued involvement with the National Council of Juvenile Family Court Judges and the National Judicial College.
Caires traces her commitment to public service back to her family: a father who served as a Family Court judge, a mother who worked as a schoolteacher, and a grandmother who rose from janitress to dietician at the Hawaii State Hospital. Her professional philosophy is grounded in Hawaiian values, including togetherness and strength, aloha, mālama, and kuleana, alongside a strong belief in the power of small acts of service to create lasting change. A graduate of the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, she continues to encourage young women entering the legal profession to approach their work with compassion, framing each act of service as a ripple capable of shaping a much larger impact.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Adrianne
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the people who came before me — my father, who served as a Family Court judge, my mother, a schoolteacher, and my grandmother, who worked her way up from janitress to dietician at the Hawaii State Hospital. Each of them modeled hard work and a deep sense of duty to give back, and my father's strong work ethic in particular has shaped how I approach my own career.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
My father once told me that serving on the family court bench is some of the most challenging work a person can do, but also the most rewarding, because it gives you the opportunity to help families and children find safety and healing.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I encourage young women entering this field to lead with a heart willing to serve others. Even small acts of service can create a ripple effect that makes a real difference, so I encourage them to think of themselves as a single raindrop capable of setting much larger change in motion — especially when working with children, families, and people recovering from trauma.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest opportunities in our field right now is expanding specialty court services in our county, particularly establishing a Veterans Treatment Court in Maui County. More broadly, we need greater access to mental health treatment, housing, and other supports that help people become productive members of their communities.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that guide me most are rooted in Hawaiian culture: kilina, which speaks to togetherness and strength; aloha, which is love and caring; mālama, which means to care for and cherish; and kuleana, which represents responsibility. Alongside these, hard work remains central to everything I do, both professionally and personally.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.