Overview

Applicants
785
Acceptance Rate
33%
Median Undergrad GPA
3.54
Accepted Applicants Who Attend
101

Test Scores

LSAT
25th-75th percentile
(enrolled students)
153 - 159

Deadlines

Application Deadlines
April 1

Application Process

Rolling Admissions
Yes

Application Fee
$75

CAS Service Used
Yes

Applicants accepted in terms other than fall
No

Transfer Applicants Accepted
Yes

Deferred Admission
Yes

Other Admission Factors

Academic

LSAT Score
Undergraduate GPA
Letters of Recommendation
Essay / Personal Statement

Selectivity Rating

Faculty Information

Student/Faculty
7:1
Total Faculty
45

50
Underrepresented Minorities
42
Female


Students Say

Located in beautiful Hawaii, the William S. Richardson School of Law is a “regional law school” where students “have access to some of the best faculty in the field.” Manoa is known for its “small student body” and “very accessible faculty.” Students praise the “collaborative nature of the students and faculty.” At Manoa “students are seen as valid contributors to the school and are given broad range to explore and introduce new topics in the field of law.” Students appreciate the “large selection of moot court teams to participate in” and the “tight-knit community on the islands,” which “allows for amazing access to professionals in the field, such as the judges, big law firms, and politicians.”
Being “part of the law school is being part of a family for life,” says one student. “We all feel welcomed into the Hawaii legal community from the first day of 1L orientation,” says one student. And one of the greatest strengths of the school is the way in which “students in each class support each other. As one student notes, “even ‘gunners’ are polite and helpful to others.” Unlike at so-called “cut-throat schools,” at Manoa, “aggressive behavior and sabotage are frowned upon and generally do not happen.”
The professors “are all well-versed in their fields” and “active practitioners and scholars.” Most teachers “are more than willing to speak with you,” and “have open door policies,” although not all may not be willing to “engage in mentor-style relationships.” While some students rave about the faculty, others wish there were more “heavy hitters” since students “need strong recommenders when they come from lesser known institutions.” Given Manoa’s “geographic location, however, [it has] some of the finest environmental law professors,” and “prestigious guest lecturers and speakers are prevalent because no one minds coming to Hawaii.” In courses for specialized fields, the “teacherto-student ratio is very favorable,” sometimes “less than 1:10.” The school has a “vibrant international LLM program, which allows law students from all over the globe to collaborate and exchange ideas.” There is a “heightened focus on ASEAN through the ASEAN Law Integration Center,” “China, Japan, and Korea through [the] Pacific Asian Law and Society Certificate,” as well as the “Pacific Asian Law and Society Organization” and the “Asia Pacific Law and Policy Journal.” Manoa also features “numerous moot court teams,” and “they all do extremely well on a national level (especially [the] Jessup team).” As a 2L notes, “If you want to make changes in the world, this is the law school to come to.”
The “administration is wonderful” and “supportive of each student’s success and career path.” Externships, internships, and jobs are “numerous and relatively easy to procure.” It’s extremely “easy to get involved” and “networking is very important to the administration and students, so networking events are very common.” The “larger legal community [of Hawaii] is actively involved with our education,” notes one student. And “lawyers and judges regularly provide guidance and opportunities for [Manoa] students.”

Career overview

Pass Rate for First-Time Bar Exam
74%
Median Starting Salary
$70,000
% of graduates who are employed within ten months of graduation
87%
% of job accepting graduates providing useable salary information
87%

Career Services

On campus summer employment recruitment for first year JD students
Yes

On campus summer employment recruitment for second year JD students
Yes

# of Employers that Recruit on Campus Each Year
35

Employers who most frequently hire graduates
Hawai`i State Judiciary; Bays Lung Rose & Holma; Cades Schutte; Damon Key Leong Kupchak & Hastert; Kobayashi, Sugita & Goda; Starn O'Toole Marcus & Fisher; McCorriston Mukai Miller; Department of the Prosecuting Attorney (Honolulu); Department of the Attorney General (Hawai`i); Office of the Public Defender (State of Hawai`i)

Graduates Employed by Area

43%
Private Practice
24%
Judicial Clerkships
12%
Government
11%
Business/Industry
5%
Academic
4%
Public Interes

Graduates Employed by Region

87%
Pacific
4%
MidWest
3%
International
2%
Mid-Atlantic
2%
South
1%
South West
1%
New England

Prominent Alumni

Rom A. Trader
Magistrate Judge, United States District Court District of Hawai`i

Sabrina S. McKenna
Associate Justice, Hawai`i State Supreme Court

Lisa M. Ginoza
Chief Judge, Hawai`i State Intermediate Court of Appeals

Keone Nakoa
United States Deputy Assistant Secretary for Insular and International Affairs

John Waihee
former Governor of Hawai`i

Dates

Financial Aid Rating
Apr 18
Application Deadlines
Jan 20

Financial Aid Statistics

Average Annual Total Aid Package Awarded
$29,441

% Students Receiving Some Aid
81%

Expenses per Academic Year

In-State Tuition
$22,392
Out-Of-State Tuition
$45,816
Estimated On-Campus Room and Board
$16,870
Estimated Off-Campus Room and Board
$16,870
Estimated Cost for Books / Academic Expense
$1,350
Fees
$772

Student Body Profile

Total Enrollment
330
Parent Institution Enrollement
17,490

Number of Foreign Countries Represented
5
Average Age at Entry
27

% Out-of-State
24%
% International
4%

Demographics

68.70%
% Under-represented Minorities

80% are full time
20% are part time
62% female
38% male

Campus Life

Students Say

Students at Manoa have access to all the beauty of Hawaii, from the mainland to beaches and neighboring islands. Island life does have some drawbacks, including slow Internet access. But even though some students bemoan the slow Internet, others note that they “have a very decent computer lab that always has open computers,” and “good law librarians who are always willing to help.” As one student says, “what we lack in terms of facilities and diversity we make up for in community, support and opportunity.” Students feel close to each other here. Everyone at Manoa “recognizes that they’re in it together,” “not just in school but in the small law community of Hawaii after graduation.” The “cohorts are very tight” and they “make it a point to look out for each other.”

More Information

% of Classrooms with Internet Access
100%

Admissions Office Contact

Contact
Loreto Coloma Jr.
Acting Director of Admissions

Address
2515 Dole Street
Honolulu, HI 96822-2350

Phone
(808) 956-3479

Email
lawadm@hawaii.edu


Articles & Advice