William S. Richardson School of Law

University of Hawai'i, William S. Richardson School of Law
Motto	Ma luna aʻe o na lahui a pau ke ola ke kanaka (Hawaiian) Above all nations is humanity
Established	1973
School type	Public
Parent Endowment	$3 billion
Dean	Aviam Soifer
Location	Mānoa, Hawaiʻi, USA
Enrollment	308[1]
Faculty	76[1]
USNWR ranking	82[2]
Bar pass rate	83%[1]
Annual tuition	$13,778[1]
Homepage	www.hawaii.edu/law/
ABA Profile	William S. Richardson School of Law Profile

The William S. Richardson School of Law is a public, co-educational institution of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. Named after the beloved Hawaiʻi State Supreme Court Chief Justice William S. Richardson, it is the only law school in the State of Hawaiʻi. It is fully accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools.

The William S. Richardson School of Law has adopted a mission of promoting justice, ethical responsibility and public service with special emphasis on field of law of particular importance to Hawaiʻi and the Pacific Rim region including environmental law, rights of native Hawaiians, maritime law and Pacific and Asian legal systems. There are approximately 270 students with an average of 90 students in each class, taught by 22 permanent faculty.

Establishment

The William S. Richardson School of Law was established by an act of the Hawaiʻi State Legislature in 1968 and welcomed its first doctor of jurisprudence candidates in 1973. There were fifty-three students in the first class, including John D. Waihee III, future Governor of Hawaiʻi. In 1974, the American Bar Association granted provisional accreditation and then received full accreditation in 1982. In 1983, the William S. Richardson School of Law moved into new facilities on the campus of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

Recent developments

• U.S. Supreme Court Justice Kennedy visited in Spring of 2006 as part of the school's Jurist-in-Residence program.
• U.S. Supreme Court Justice Breyer visited in Spring of 2008 as part of the school's Jurist-in-Residence program.
• The William S. Richardson School of Law was ranked in the top tier as one of America's Top Law Schools in 2004 by Law School 100.
• The U.S. News and World Report ranked it as one of America's Best Graduate Schools for 2005.
• In 2003, Aviam Soifer became the law school's newest Dean.
• The William S. Richardson School of Law was ranked 82nd among the top 100 law schools in the U.S. by U.S. News & World Report.
• The William S. Richardson School of Law, NALSA team, composed of Anosh Yaqoob and Scott Hovey, captured the 2007 National Native American Law Student Association Moot Court National Championship in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota. Mr. Yaqoob also garnered the 2nd Place Best Oralist Award.
• On February 23, 2008, the William S. Richardson School of Law's NALSA Moot Court team, captured four out of nine awards (placing in all three categories) at the annual moot court competition held in Tempe, Arizona at the Sandra Day O'Connor School of Law at Arizona State University. The duo of Moani Crowell & Greg Schlais was awarded First Place in the Best Brief category and Anosh Yaqoob won First Place in the Best Oralist category. Scott Hovey & Anosh Yaqoob garnered Third Place in the Best Advocate category (overall) and Edward Hu & Derek Kauanoe captured Second Place in the Best Advocate category (overall). Other participating Hawaii students include Ann Kanoelehua Otteman & Richard Wallsgrove (ranking in the Top 16), Christopher Santos & Terrence Thornburgh, and Rafael Renteria.

References

Resources

• University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
• William S. Richardson School of Law
• William S. Richardson Law Library