Aloha!
Located in Honolulu, the William S. Richardson School of Law is a vibrant, multicultural community of students and legal professionals dedicated to the law.
ADMISSIONS
Admission to the Law School is competitive. Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree, a valid LSAT or GRE score, register with the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS), and submit an online application at www.lsac.org.
LEHUAADMISSIONS
There is no separate application process for the Ulu Lehua Scholars Program. However, applicants interested in being considered for the Program must include an additional statement in their application packet discussing how they meet the Law School’s criteria for admission as a Lehua Scholar. These criteria include:
Activities and/or employment showing a strong commitment to social justice, community service, and working with disadvantaged communities.
A record of overcoming social, educational, economic, or other forms of adversity.
The ability to serve as a role model and mentor for disadvantaged individuals striving to overcome challenges.
The ability to bring distinctive viewpoints and life experiences that enrich the law school community.
Educational and other achievements that indicate potential for success in law school beyond what is reflected by numerical admissions indicators, such as LSAT/GRE scores and GPA.
TheUluLehuaScholarsProgram
The Ulu Lehua Scholars Program, established by the William S. Richardson School of Law in 1974, aims to make legal education accessible to Hawai`i’s diverse communities. Each year, it selects a cohort of about a dozen students who have shown exceptional academic potential, leadership, and dedication to social justice. Recipients are chosen for their commitment to community service, resilience, strong academic records, and the qualities needed to excel in law school and become dedicated legal professionals.
Ulu Lehua Scholar
Attorney and Founder
Speak Out & Up Law, LLLC
AndresY.Gonzalez
Ulu Lehua Scholar
Access to Justice Fellow
Corporate Attorney, Comity Inc.
“I consider the program as a pioneer on the frontier of legal education. One gets to experience the best of legal education while maintaining a critical eye on the process as a whole. . . .There is much to learn from this program.”
RandyCompton, Ulu Lehua Scholar Former Fellow and Staff Attorney
Medical-Legal Partnership for Children in Hawai‘i
LesleeDawnMatthews
THELEHUA1LYEAR
Lehua Scholars enter the Law School as J.D. students and, like all first-year students, take Contracts, Civil Procedure, and Lawyering Fundamentals. They also have a fourth class, Torts, taught by the Program Director, along with American Legal Systems I, which covers legal reasoning, writing, and study techniques. This seminar also explores critical legal theory and law’s role in social change. In their second semester, scholars may have additional course flexibility based on their first-semester performance.
THELEHUATUTORIALPROGRAM
Lehua 1Ls and first-semester 2Ls receive structured tutoring in civil procedure, contracts, criminal law, real property, and constitutional law from upper division Lehua Scholars who excelled in these subjects. Tutoring helps these upper division students give back to the program and prepare for the Bar Exam.
JeremyButterfield Ulu Lehua Scholar
Attorney
Law Office of Jeremy J.K. Butterfield
SeenherespeakingtostudentsattheUniversityofHawai‘iatHilo duringtheircelebrationofConstitutionDay
“Entering law school as an Ulu Lehua Scholar was the greatest gift. Our program is a symbol of Richardson’s commitment to social change in Hawai‘i. We, Lehua, have a very strong, special kinship among our students and alumni. We have a deep understanding of our responsibility to serve our communities and protect those most vulnerable to injustice. ”
State of Hawai‘i Office of the Attorney General
“I grew up in the village of Fagasa, American Samoa, and am the first in my family to attend college, let alone law school. When I graduated from high school, my English was very limited. But now, I can look forward to being a successful lawyer – an inspiration to my village and to the Samoan community.”
UilisoneTua, Ulu Lehua Scholar Judge Advocate United States Army
AmandaJenssen Ulu Lehua Scholar
