Юридическая школа имени Уильяма С. Ричардсона Гавайского университета

The William S. Richardson School of Law is the professional graduate law school of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Located in Honolulu, Hawaii, the school is named after its patriarch, former Hawaii State Supreme Court Chief Justice William S. Richardson, a zealous advocate of Hawaiian culture, and is Hawaii's only law school. Richardson's regime of legal studies places special emphasis on fields of law of particular importance to Hawaii and the surrounding Pacific and Asian region, including Native Hawaiian Law, Pacific Asian Legal Studies, Environmental Law, and maritime law. A member of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS), the school is accredited by the Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar of the American Bar Association (ABA). It offers a Juris Doctor, with certificates available in Native Hawaiian Law, Pacific Asian Legal Studies, and Environmental Law, with students able to matriculate either full time or part time. It also offers an Advanced Juris Doctor, for foreign students who have earned a law degree abroad, and a LLM. For 2021, U. S. News & World Report ranked Richardson 96th among American law schools. Richardson's part time program was ranked 30th.

The establishment of the Law School in 1973, was considered the achievement of former Hawaii State Supreme Court Chief Justice, William S. Richardson. According to Hawaiian legend, Kānāwai Māmalahoe was declared by King Kamehameha after an incident where he chased two fishermen who were fishing illegally, when he caught his leg in the reef, and one of the fisherman, Kaleleiki, hit him mightily on the head with a paddle in defense, which broke into pieces. Luckily, Kamehameha was able to escape. Years later, when the same fisherman was brought before him to account for the incident, Kamehameha held that in the interest of justice he should be released, as he had only been searching for food for his family. Reflecting this commitment, its unofficial logo is Kaleleiki, the fisherman.

1968 – The Hawaii State Legislature established the William S. Richardson School of Law. 1973 – Richardson welcomed its first class of 53 students. 1972 – David Hood appointed Dean. 1974 – The American Bar Association granted William S. Richardson School of Law provisional accreditation. 1976 – Jerome Dupont appointed Acting Dean. 1977 – Cliff Thompson appointed Dean. 1978 – Richardson holds first Ete Bowl. 1979 – University of Hawaii Law Review created.

1991 – Elder Law Program formed. 1992 – Environmental Law Certificate established. 1995 – Lawrence Foster appointed Dean. 1995 – Pacific Asian Legal Studies Certificate established.

2002 – Law Student Pledge adopted. 2003 – Aviam Soifer appointed dean. 2003 – LLM program started. 2005 – Ka Huli Ao Center for Excellence in Native Hawaiian Law established through a Native Hawaiian Education Act grant. 2005 – Hawaii Innocence Project established. 2008 – Richardson established a part time evening law program. 2009 – Richardson received a grant from SBS Media Holdings in Seoul, South Korea for $200,000 to establish a Korean Law Faculty Fund.

2010 – Chief Justice William S. Richardson died on June 21.

U. S. News & World Report ranked Richardson 82nd amongst its 142 ranked law schools.

According to Richardson's official 2013 ABA required disclosures, 50.9% of the Class of 2013 obtained full time, long term, JD required employment nine months after graduation. Richardson's Law School Transparency under employment score is 10.2%, indicating the percentage of the class of 2017 unemployed, pursuing an additional degree, or working in a short term, part time, or non professional job nine months after graduation. It is unclear whether the Law School's above average clerkship placement rate for new graduates is reflected in these numbers.

The total cost of attendance (indicating the cost of tuition, fees, and living expenses) at the Richardson School of Law for the 2014–2015 academic year is $37,934 for Hawaii residents and $57,662 for non residents. Law School Transparency has estimated debt financed cost of attendance for three years is $166,060 for residents and $261,639 for non residents in 2017. In July 2016, Richardson was ranked #1 by U. S. News & World Report among American law schools whose alumni have the least debt, at an average of $54,988 for the Class of 2015.

Institute of Asian Pacific Business Law. The Institute of Asian Pacific Business Law was established in June 2006. Its goal is to become an academic center for research and training in the field of business law in Asia and the Pacific. The Institute focuses on commercial law, insolvency and secured transactions, corporate law and business transactions, securities, intellectual property, real estate financing, and labor law issues. The Institute's activities facilitate direct exchanges between the academic, legal, and business communities in Hawaii and throughout the Asia Pacific region. Hammurabi Legal Forum: The Hammurabi Legal Forum for the Rule of Law (HLF) was established in 2008 at the school to aid law schools in Iraq re invigorate the country's tradition of scholarship. By providing an online database of free legal resources, HLF originally sought to provide information on issues that are important to Iraq and the Iraqi legal community. In 2009, the HLF expanded its efforts to assist Rule of Law activities in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. In 2010, it further expanded its research to incorporate additional regions of the globe, including Afghanistan and the Pacific Region, with a special focus on Timor Leste.

Hawaii Innocence Project: The Hawaii Innocence Project's mission is to provide pro bono representation to incarcerated persons who have a credible claim of actual innocence. University of Hawaii Elder Law Program (UHELP): Operating throughout the year, UHELP provides Hawaii's elder community basic legal assistance, advice and information.

Ka Huli Ao Center for Excellence in Native Hawaiian Law. Established in 2005 through a Native Hawaiian Education Act grant, the Center is an academic center that promotes education, scholarship, community outreach and collaboration on issues of law, culture and justice for Native Hawaiians and other Pacific and Indigenous peoples. The center focuses on education, research and scholarship, community outreach, and the preservation of historical, legal, and traditional and customary materials. It also offers new courses and supports Native Hawaiian and other law students as they pursue legal careers and leadership roles. Hawaii Health Law Policy Center aims to 1) to conduct and disseminate research on health law policy aimed at improving health care access in Hawaii; 2) to serve as a focus for multidisciplinary research, teaching, on health law and policy in the context of Hawaii; and 3) to bring community leaders, health care policymakers, faculty members, and students together to find solutions to health care shortages and other barriers to access in Hawaii's rural, impoverished, or otherwise underserved communities.

The University of Hawaii Law Review is a scholarly legal journal run by students that publishes works by jurists, scholars and practitioners. It publishes two issues annually, and hosts a biennial symposium.

The Asian Pacific Law and Policy Journalis a biannual peer reviewed open access law journal published by the school. It covers issues facing Asia and the Pacific Rim. The journal was established in February 2000, with Jim Hitchingham as editor in chief and with assistance and support from Lawrence Foster, Dean of the law school, and professors Ronald Brown and Mark Levin. In addition to its web format, the journal is available through the legal databases LexisNexis and Westlaw.

Each year, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit sits specially at the school to hear some appeals from the United States District Court for the Districts of Hawaii and Guam. The Hawaii Supreme Court also sits regularly.

Started in 2007 under the tutelage of Senior Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eight Circuit, Myron H Bright, the Bright International Jurist in Residence program hosts international jurists to facilitate dialogue with the wider community and the school's faculty and staff. In 2007, Israel Supreme Court judge Aharon Barak was the visiting scholar. In 2010, the president of the International Court of Justice Hisashi Owada served as visiting scholar.

Instituted in 1987, with the support of Myron H. Bright, a Senior Circuit Judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Eight Circuit, Richardson has a U. S. Supreme Court Jurist In Residence Program. Biannually, a visiting U. S. Supreme Court Justice presents seminars on current judicial issues as well as teaches classes.

In 2013, U. S. News & World Report ranked the school 25th of 190 Law Schools for "Most Selective". In addition, Richardson is recognized for its highly diverse student body. In 2013, U. S. News & World Report ranked it 1st of 190 Law Schools for "Diversity Index," while Princeton Review ranked it "Best Environment for Minority Students."

Richardson fields Moot Court teams, composed of students, in competitions across many legal areas. In addition, Richardson fields a competitive Client Counseling Team.