University of Hawaii at Manoa - William S. Richardson School of Law (WSRSL)

The University

The University of Hawaii at Manoa is a major research university founded in 1907 and known nationally and internationally for its programs in Asian and Pacific studies, oceanography, marine biology and astronomy, as well as in law and medicine. Research interests are supported not only by the Law Library's holdings but also by the University's Hamilton Library, which houses one of the best collections of Asian materials in the U.S. and an internationally-recognized Pacific collection. Nearly 20,000 students are enrolled in the University, representing all fifty states and more than seventy countries.

The Law School

The William S. Richardson School of Law in Honolulu, Hawai'i is exceptional both for its location and its commitment to pluralism and diversity within the law, society, and academia.

As the only ABA-accredited law school in the Pacific-Asia region, the school offers outstanding teaching and first-rate professional training by a talented and very accessible faculty. The student body at the School of Law is the most diverse in the nation and represents over 124 undergraduate schools. The curriculum offers the traditional Juris Doctor degree as well as a nationally-ranked Environmental Law Program, and a concentration in Pacific Asian Legal Studies. n 2003, the School introduced a one-year LL.M. program that gives foreign law graduates a strong foundation in American law.

The Program

The University of Hawaii's LL.M. program is a one-year course of study open to foreign legal professionals and law graduates who wish to gain a broader understanding of U.S. and international legal issues something that is increasingly necessary in today's globalized law practice. If you are a practicing lawyer, law teacher or judge interested in studying at an American law school, then our program offers useful training and can greatly expand your career options. What you learn here will help you represent clients who have business dealings with the U.S., as well as advise American clients interested in doing business in your country. Law teachers have the opportunity to learn about the American approach to legal education, at a time when legal education is undergoing reform in many countries. More generally, your LL.M. year here will also help you enhance your legal English skills and your understanding of American legal culture, while providing you with excellent training in the U.S. legal system.

Our LL.M. program begins in August. To graduate, you must complete a total of twenty-four credit hours during two semesters of residence and maintain satisfactory standing in your courses.

Location

The William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaii is located in the beautiful Manoa valley on the island of Oahu and is the only law school in the State of Hawaii. Opened in 1973, the school is fully accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. A permanent faculty of twenty-one is supported by distinguished visiting professors, and its adjunct faculty includes prominent members of the local bar and judiciary. The School of Law offers specializations in environmental law as well as Pacific-Asian legal studies, and a very favorable student-faculty ratio (14:1) results in small classes and close interaction between teachers and students. The student body now numbers around 275 and is the most ethnically and racially diverse in the nation, drawing applicants from Pacific and Asian countries as well as from Hawaii and throughout the United States. The School of Law has awarded nearly 2,000 degrees and its graduates pursue careers on the U.S. mainland and throughout Asia and the Pacific as well as in Hawaii.

The school has its own two-story classroom and office building built around a landscaped inner courtyard with views of Diamond Head crater and Waikiki on one side, and the lush green mountains of Manoa on the other. The separate Law Library building holds a collection of approximately 300,000 volumes and microfiche equivalents, supplemented by automated legal research systems providing the latest in legal research technology.