William S. Richardson School of Law

William S. Richardson
School of Law
MottoMa luna aʻe o na lahui a pau ke ola ke kanaka (Hawaiian)
Above all nations is humanity
Parent schoolUniversity of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Established1973
School typePublic
DeanCamille A. Nelson
LocationHonolulu, HI, United States
21°17′47″N 157°49′05″W / 21.29639°N 157.81806°W / 21.29639; -157.81806
Enrollment257
Faculty52
USNWR ranking135th (2024)
Websitelaw.hawaii.edu
ABA profileStandard 509 Report

The William S. Richardson School of Law is the professional graduate law school of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Located in Honolulu, Hawaii, the school is named after its patriarch, former Hawaii State Supreme Court Chief Justice William S. Richardson, a zealous advocate of Hawaiian culture,[1] and is Hawaii's only law school.[2]

Richardson's regime of legal studies places special emphasis on fields of law of particular importance to Hawaii and the surrounding Pacific and Asian region, including Native Hawaiian Law, Pacific-Asian Legal Studies, Environmental Law, and maritime law.[3]

A member of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS), the school is accredited by the Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar of the American Bar Association (ABA).[4] It offers a Juris Doctor, with certificates available in Native Hawaiian Law, Pacific-Asian Legal Studies, and Environmental Law, with students able to matriculate either full-time or part-time. It also offers an Advanced Juris Doctor, for foreign students who have earned a law degree abroad, and a LLM.

For 2021, U.S. News & World Report ranked Richardson 96th among American law schools.[5] Richardson's part-time program was ranked 30th.[6]

  1. ^ Hevesi, Dennis (2010-06-28). "William S. Richardson, Ex-Chief Justice in Hawaii, Dies at 90". New York Times. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
  2. ^ "University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (William S. Richardson School of Law)". University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (William S. Richardson School of Law). About Law Schools. Archived from the original on March 9, 2016. Retrieved March 2, 2012.
  3. ^ Mariani-Belding, Jeanne (August 4, 2008). "Concern For Others Key To Law School's Mission". Honolulu Advertiser. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved April 1, 2012.
  4. ^ "University of Hawaii Law School Retains ABA Accreditation". Pacific Business News. November 10, 2011. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved February 19, 2012.
  5. ^ Zaretsky, Staci (March 10, 2015). "The 2016 U.S. News Law School Rankings Are Here!". Above The Law. Above The Law. Archived from the original on September 9, 2017. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
  6. ^ "University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa -Richardson". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved 3 September 2014.