The Senate Judiciary and Labor Committee  today unanimously approved two nominations by Gov. David Ige to the the state Circuit Court and a third nomination by Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald to the Honolulu District Court. 

The judicial nominees — Shirley M. Kawamura, Melvin H. Fujino and James C. McWhinnie — now face a full floor vote by the Senate on Friday, part of a two-day special session. 

Kawamura, 43, who was nominated by Ige to Oahu Circuit Court, is a former commercial and insurance defense litigator at Kawashima Lorusso, and previously worked as a trial deputy at the Office of the Public Defender. She has served as a district judge on Oahu since 2012. 

Fujino, 55, who was nominated by Ige to the Circuit Court on Hawaii island, has served as a judge with the District Family Court on the island since 2008. He previously worked as deputy attorney general, and was a team leader responsible for the Statewide Wiretap Review Unit and Asset Forfeiture program. 

Fujino was also a deputy prosecuting attorney and supervisor, as well as a community oriented prosecutor for the West Hawaii branch of the Hawaii County Office of the Prosecutor. 

McWhinnie, 62, who was nominated by Recktenwald to Honolulu District Court, has been a director with Damon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert since 1989, handling primarily commercial, product liability, construction, environmental and personal injury cases. He was previously a partner with Rother, Bybee, Chang and Rulon, and has served as an advocate, arbitrator and mediator.