UH Richardson School of Law lauded by magazine for value, diversity and practical training

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Contact:
Beverly Creamer, (808) 389-5736
Media Consultant, William S. Richardson School of Law
Posted: Jun 19, 2017

UH Law School students during a Diamond Head hike.
UH Law School students during a Diamond Head hike.

The UH William S. Richardson Law School has been highlighted in the spring 2017 issue of prelaw magazine – singled out for the high quality of its practical training and for its unique classes.

Prelaw’s latest issue profiled a number of Far West law schools, and included photos of Richardson's unique graduation ceremonies, with students draped in lei and honoring their families by performing a traditional hula.

Included in the discussion of the Western law schools is a full-page graphic depicting photos as well as the average GPA and LSAT scores of the class of 2015, for which the latest data was available to the magazine. Scores for incoming students at Richardson compared favorably with those of the other law schools surveyed.

The story highlighting Western law schools points out that the location of Richardson – in Hawai‘i and, specifically, in Mānoa Valley – isn’t all that the state's sole law school has to offer.

“It has scored as a Best Value school, as a top school for practical training, and as a most diverse law school,” notes the magazine’s managing editor, Katie Thisdell. “It’s among the smallest schools, and the faculty and staff are supportive of students of all ages and their families.”

The magazine also quoted Dean Avi Soifer, who noted that Richardson is “set in the beautiful, tropical environs of Honolulu’s Mānoa Valley, not far from white sand beaches."

Added Soifer, “Students not only study and work together, but they hike, swim, surf and paddle together in competitive water sports that help them bond as a class and as a future legal network.”

In the story evaluating 64 law schools based on their practical training, Richardson placed 11th in the "A-" Honor Roll of schools providing excellent practical training. The schools were evaluated in five categories: clinics, externships, simulation courses, inter-school competitions and other. Clinical experience received the most weight – 38 percent – and the editors noted that experts call this experience “a particularly effective” on-the-job training tool.

Richardson has 10 clinical programs and 12 other institutes, centers and projects. To graduate, students are required to have six credits of clinical training as well as 60 hours of ‘pro bono’ experience, which is volunteer legal work under supervision at agencies or nonprofits.

Prelaw is published by Cypress Magazines based in San Diego, California.

For more information, visit: https://www.law.hawaii.edu/