Thinking about applying to law schools in Hawaii? Good news: there’s just one law school to know—the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. In a state known for beaches and surf, this school has a reputation for something just as compelling: producing great lawyers with expertise in environmental law.
Below, we’ll cover what you need to apply to the William S. Richardson School of Law, what admissions looks like, and whether studying law in Hawaii is the right fit for you.
Top Law Schools in Hawaii
University of Hawai’i Manoa William S. Richardson School of Law
U.S. News Top Law School Ranking: #91
Tuition: $24,076 (in-state) $47,500 (out-of-state)
Median Undergrad GPA of Program Entrants: 3.62
Median LSAT Score of Program Entrants: 158
Acceptance Rate: 26.2%
First-Time Bar Passage Rate: 76.9%
The University of Hawai’i Manoa William S. Richardson School of Law, located in Honolulu, is Hawaii’s only law school. It is named after former Hawaii State Supreme Court Chief Justice William S. Richardson. Given the location, there is a natural focus on Native Hawaiian Law, Pacific-Asian Legal Studies, Environmental Law, and Maritime Law.
According to U.S. News and World Report, the school comes in at:
- #18 in Environmental Law
- #18 in Law Schools With the Most Graduates in Federal Clerkships
- #24 in Part-Time Law
- #41 in International Law
- #47 in Dispute Resolution
The application fee is $75 and the deadline falls on May 1. Tuition is in the midrange at $47,500 for full-time out-of-state students. However, if you are local, it is on the lower end for a law school at $24,076 full-time. While this Hawaii law school is ranked #91 by U.S. News & World Report, the part-time program is ranked #24. The acceptance rate is in the midrange at 26.2%.
How Do I Get Accepted to Law Schools in Hawaii?
Whether you’re applying to law schools in Hawaii or another part of the country, the process is the same. The first step in the law school admissions timeline is to take the LSAT. Although there are no required LSAT scores, the University of Hawaii School of Law’s median LSAT score of 156 gives you a pretty good indication of how you compare to the previous incoming class. Remember, law schools want to attract the best of the best, so make sure you give yourself the ultimate shot by getting a high LSAT score.
Further Reading
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