After more than two years, the familiar buzz of celebration echoed through the halls of Richardson once again. 

On May 15, 2022, our Ka Huli Ao Center for Excellence in Native Hawaiian Law (KHA) and Environmental Law Program (ELP) co-hosted a Pre-Commencement Reception. The event honored and celebrated certificate recipients for both entities as well as LLM graduates with Specializations in Environmental Law.  

“It was so wonderful to congratulate the graduates of both programs in person and witness the pride that showed in the faces of their family and friends,” said ELP Co-Director David M. Forman ‘93.  “We are looking forward to the impactful contributions that we expect these graduates to make as their careers continue to develop!”

The well-attended reception included faculty and graduates, along with family and friends. It was the first in-person graduation reception since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic back in 2020, making the occasion especially significant for those in attendance. For some, this reception was the first time they had ever actually met their peers and professors in person. 

ELP and KHA presented the graduates upon arrival with lei and special cords representing the Environmental Law and Native Hawaiian Law certificates, respectively. The graduates and their ʻohana also received charcuterie boxes and enjoyed a reception featuring ‘awa, māmaki tea, and a bellini bar. Each graduate also posed at a photowall made of lei for a polaroid picture they signed, which will be placed in a commemorative shadow box.

Congratulations to the Class of 2022!

SM 6/14/22