think of the job market in other small cities around the world. now add to that the fact that hawaii is relatively isolated. since honolulu is our largest city (and it's not that large to begin with), jobs are scarce all around, and even more so for lawyers. honolulu is pretty much where you'll find the bigger firms, while the outer island cities are predominantly more private practice. however, if you specialize in international transaction law with expertise on asia/pacific rim, hawaii is a really great place to be.