Shawn Ching, who co-anchors the 10 p.m. news on KITV, will leave the ABC affiliate in November to join the law firm of Kobayashi Sugita & Goda, specializing in commercial litigation.

"The opportunity to work with Bert T. Kobayashi, Jr. and the highly respected attorneys at Kobayashi, Sugita & Goda presented itself and I jumped at it," Ching said in a statement yesterday.

"Some people tell me that I am crazy to leave a successful career, but this is something I have always wanted to do and I am truly energized about it."

He began his law studies at the University of Hawai'i's William S. Richardson School of Law and passed the Hawai'i State Bar in 2003.

Ching, who started his broadcast career covering UH athletics at KHNL8 and Channel 4 in 1995 as sports director, said he made his decision to finally change careers last week. "There were legal aspects; I had to be released from my contract and wanted to inform my colleagues before going public," he told The Advertiser.

Ching moved to news in 1999 and became a weekday co-anchor in 2002. He has shared the anchorship with Paula Akana at 6 and 10 p.m. and just recently moved to only the 10 p.m. slot.

"It has been an amazing ride," he said of his broadcast carer, "but now it is time to live out my dream."

He'll leave KITV after the November sweeps — the Nielsen TV ratings period — while acclimating his move to the law firm.