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How to Get Into Hawaiʻi Law (2026-2027 Guide)

Moshe Indig

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa William S. Richardson School of Law connects legal education with Hawaiʻi and the Pacific. Its strengths include Native Hawaiian law, environmental law, Pacific-Asian legal studies, and clinical training.

This guide walks you through how to get into Hawaiʻi Law.

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1. Hawaiʻi Law Admissions Numbers and Statistics

Richardson's fall 2026 announcement reports a 159 LSAT median and 3.61 GPA median across its incoming JD programs. The first-year JD group includes 89 full-time and 54 online part-time students. The larger welcome group also includes advanced-standing, graduate, transfer, and visiting students.

Hawaiʻi Law Class of 2028:

The Class of 2028 block covers the full-time fall 2025 division in the ABA report. Across both JD divisions, the fall 2025 medians were 158 and 3.62. The newer combined profile therefore shows a one-point LSAT increase and a 0.01 GPA decline, not a two-point full-time LSAT increase.

Aim to be at or above at least one median to be competitive. Above both puts you in a stronger position. Below both medians, this is a prayer, not a reach.

For context on how medians affect your strategy, see How to Build a Smart Law School List.

2. Hawaiʻi Law Application Essays

Personal Statement (required)

Richardson limits the personal statement to 500 words. The topic is yours to choose. Goals, achievements, formative influences, and your interest in legal education can all supply the substance.

For more on how to write a personal statement, see my Personal Statement Examples and Personal Statement Guide.

Why Richardson

The detailed application instructions describe an approximately 250-word response explaining your interest in Richardson.

For more on how to write a Why X essay, see my Why X Essay Guide.

For more on making all of these essays work together, see my Cohesive Narrative Guide.

Addenda and Character & Fitness Resources

I'll be publishing a guide to addenda and character and fitness.

3. Hawaiʻi Law Resume Requirements

A resume is required. Present your education, employment, service, and leadership with clear dates and concrete responsibilities. Include sustained commitments outside formal employment when they help explain your record. Make the document easy to scan rather than compressing every experience into dense paragraphs.

For more on preparing your resume, see my Resume Examples and Resume Guide.

4. Hawaiʻi Law Letters of Recommendation

Richardson requires two letters of recommendation and accepts up to three. Choose people who can explain your analytical ability, writing, reliability, and contribution through examples. A third letter should add a perspective the first two do not provide.

For more on recommendations, see my LOR Guide (Applicants) and LOR Guide (Writers).

5. Hawaiʻi Law Interview Process

Richardson occasionally invites applicants to interview by Zoom. Prepare to explain your interest in law, your choice of Richardson, and the experiences emphasized in your application. Keep your answers conversational and specific rather than memorizing another personal statement.

6. Hawaiʻi Law Deadlines and Decision Options

Testing Policy

Richardson accepts the LSAT or GRE without a preference between them. Applicants use LSAC's Credential Assembly Service.

If you're considering the GRE, read my LSAT vs. GRE guide before deciding.

Application Dates and Fees

A complete file by February 3 also receives guaranteed consideration for merit scholarships. Richardson describes a typical decision period of four to six weeks. The school offers a full-time, in-person JD and a part-time online JD, so identify the format that fits your work and other responsibilities before building the application.

7. Hawaiʻi Law Scholarships and Financial Aid

Merit Scholarships

For fall 2027, applicants whose applications and CAS reports are complete by February 3 receive guaranteed merit consideration. That priority extends to the in-person and online routes, including the residency categories described in Richardson's scholarship program. Later awards depend on available funds.

Richardson's 2025 ABA disclosure reports no scholarships conditioned on grades above good academic standing. Award amounts and the effects of changing enrollment or residency depend on the award terms.

Tuition and Budget

For 2026-27, full-time tuition is $11,880 per semester for residents and $23,592 for nonresidents. Online JD tuition is $990 per credit. Fees and living expenses are additional.

Compare the full cost of your chosen format, not just the tuition rate. A residency classification, scholarship amount, and number of enrolled credits can produce very different budgets. Keep the written award and your intended enrollment plan together when comparing offers.

For more on scholarship strategy, see How to Negotiate Law School Scholarships.

8. Hawaiʻi Law Joint Degree Programs

Richardson offers two dual-degree combinations with other University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa professional schools:

The business combination connects to organizational and transactional work. The social-work combination aligns with Richardson's opportunities involving children, families, immigration, and community legal needs.

9. Hawaiʻi Law Employment Outcomes (Class of 2025)

Hawaiʻi Law's Class of 2025 employment outcomes (reported to the ABA, measured 10 months after graduation):

Hawaiʻi is the largest employment destination. That local concentration should shape how you evaluate the school. An applicant planning a Hawaiʻi career should connect academic interests with the legal work and communities they intend to serve. An applicant planning to practice elsewhere should make the destination part of the school comparison, rather than assuming the same recruiting opportunities in every market. Native Hawaiian law and Pacific-Asian legal studies give that regional career planning a particular academic context.

10. Hawaiʻi Law Areas of Study and Specializations

Native Hawaiian Law: The certificate and Ka Huli Ao Center for Excellence in Native Hawaiian Law connect coursework with issues involving Native Hawaiian rights, communities, and resources. This is a substantive reason to choose Richardson when it grows out of your experience or professional goals.

Environmental Law: The Environmental Law Program and certificate connect legal study with natural-resource questions. The Environmental Law Clinic adds a practical dimension, giving students a way to connect legal analysis with the development of environmental cases and projects.

Pacific-Asian Legal Studies: The certificate focuses study on legal systems and issues across Asia and the Pacific. It fits applicants whose language skills, regional experience, or professional interests give them a concrete reason to pursue comparative and cross-border legal study.

International and Comparative Law: The International and Comparative Law Certificate offers a route into legal questions that cross jurisdictions. Tae-Ung Baik's work in international human rights and Korean law adds a faculty connection for students interested in comparative legal institutions and rights protection.

11. Hawaiʻi Law Clinics and Experiential Learning

Richardson's clinical offerings connect legal study with client and community work. Opportunities include:

Pro Bono and Experiential Learning

Richardson's experiential program also includes defense and prosecution offerings. Consider which setting would help you develop the skills your career requires: investigating facts, organizing legal arguments, communicating with clients, or understanding how an institution handles a case. The full-time curriculum's second-year seminar adds sustained work beyond the foundational first-year courses.

12. Hawaiʻi Law Notable Faculty and Journals

Faculty

Journals

13. Hawaiʻi Law Culture and Student Life

Richardson describes its community as collaborative and multicultural. Student organizations include the Student Bar Association, Advocates for Public Interest Law, and ʻAhahui O Hawaiʻi. Together with journals and clinics, these groups connect academic interests with classmates, public-interest work, and Native Hawaiian community commitments.

Honolulu is the base for a school whose graduates primarily work in Hawaiʻi. The Medical Legal Partnership for Children in Hawaiʻi, immigration representation, and Native Hawaiian rights work connect legal training with local institutions and residents. That combination makes sustained participation in the island's legal community part of the educational experience.

Want Help Getting Into Hawaiʻi Law?

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Related Reading
→ How to Build a Smart Law School List
→ Should You Apply Early Decision to Law School?
→ How to Negotiate Law School Scholarships
→ 6 Proven Steps to Get Off a Law School Waitlist
→ How to Get Into Law School Below Both Medians
→ What Holistic Law School Admissions Really Means
→ Blog Directory

Note: While I try to keep this guide up to date, always verify deadlines, requirements, and policies at the Hawaiʻi Law website before applying.

Think you spotted an outdated requirement or something that doesn't look right? Email moshe@sharperstatements.com with the school and a link to the current information.

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