Tim Silvester is an associate at Kobayashi Sugita & Goda in Honolulu, Hawaii, and the head coach of the mock trial program at Henry J. Kaiser High School. Across his legal career, he has served in a wide range of roles—federal and state, military and civilian, as advisor, prosecutor, litigator, and trial attorney. He spent nearly a decade in the U.S. Army JAG Corps, where he first-chaired over 25 felony jury trials and led investigations into war crimes, fraud, and public corruption. He later clerked for a federal judge, practiced complex litigation at a large international law firm, and now serves as a litigation counsel at Hawaii’s leading firm, where he handles white collar investigations, class actions, and high-stakes commercial disputes. His practice has consistently involved matters at the intersection of law, policy, and government, and he has maintained an active courtroom presence throughout his career.

Tim’s passion for trial advocacy started in ninth grade, when he joined his high school’s mock trial team. He competed all four years, later founding the mock trial program at his college, leading it to success, and earning numerous individual attorney awards along the way. After graduating from Bob Jones University, first in class, with a B.A. in English, Tim attended the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University, where he continued to hone his advocacy, ultimately winning the Mid-Atlantic regional for the National Moot Court Competition, earning the award as best oral advocate, and placing as a quarterfinalist on the national stage.

For over twenty years of his life, whether through mock trial or real-world practice, Tim has spent time in a courtroom. As the son of two university professors, he is thrilled to travel back to his hometown and work with students investing in themselves and their futures by spending part of their summers sharpening their mock trial skills.