Contact Us
For more information about the Experiential Learning Program, please call us at (808) 956-0533, or email us at lawclin@hawaii.edu.
Experiential Learning
Overview
Our founders believed that legal education “should be pervasively ‘clinical’ whether this means representation of a flesh and blood client in court or hypothetical problem-solving in the classroom—or something in between, such as simulation or role-playing.” “[B]eyond all else,” they observed, “the School seeks to provide assistance in ‘learning how to learn.’”
To this end, we offer 11 clinics, an externship program, and a variety of simulation courses. In each of these experiential courses, students “learn how to learn” in real-world or simulated settings under the close supervision of faculty, judges, and leading practitioners. Each course also aims to serve the legal needs of Hawai’i’s communities.
Clinics
- Beyond Guilt Clinic
- Defense Law Clinic
- Elder Law Clinic
- Entrepreneurship & Small Business Clinic
- Environmental Law Clinic
- Family Law Clinic
- Medical Legal Partnership Clinic
- Hawaiʻi Innocence Project Clinic
- Native Hawai’ian Rights Clinic
- Prosecution Clinic
- Refugee & Immigration Law Clinic
Simulation Courses
- Estate Planning Workshop
- Trial Practice
- Real Practice of Criminal Law
- Appellate Advocacy
- Contract Drafting
- Lawyering Skills Workshop
- Negotiation & ADR
- Pretrial Litigation
“Externing at First Circuit Court allowed me to gain practical experience by observing court proceedings and refining my research, writing, and interpersonal skills. The support I received at my externship gave me the confidence to apply for a clerkship, where I hope to contribute to the important work of our state courts.”
— KEELY KITAMURA ‘25
