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For admissions inquiries, please contact the Enrollment Management team at lawadm@hawaii.edu or attend an upcoming admissions event.
Admissions FAQ
Check out the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s Pre-Law Advising Center’s Spring Workshop Series
Please see Application Fee Waivers.
First year JD candidates are encouraged to apply before the February 5 priority date. The final deadline is May 1.
Transfer, Visitor, AJD, and LLM candidates have extended deadlines, often as late as July 15.
The Law School may exclude from consideration any application submitted after the final deadline or any application that is incomplete after the final deadline. That said, we try to be as flexible as possible, depending on seat availability.
We only accept incoming first-year students in the Fall term. Transfer, Visitor, and LLM students may start in either the Spring or Fall term. AJD students typically start in the Fall, but Spring term starts may be a possibility.
For applicants applying for the Fall 2025 term, first decisions will be released on October 18, 2024. Most applicants will receive decisions within four to six weeks of completed application. This includes your electronic application through LSAC, transcripts, letters of recommendation, and any other requested documentation. We strive to provide decisions to everyone who completes their application by February 5 by the end of February.
We will email you when we have made a decision about your application. We will also update your LSAC online status page.
Applicants themselves may not request an interview. However, we encourage you to visit our law school, tour the facilities, and sit in on a law school class. Visit our Request a Visit page.
In rare cases, the admissions office may reach out to an applicant to request an interview. These will be conducted via Zoom or phone only.
Because we are the only law school in Hawai’i, we give preference to applicants who
- are residents of Hawai’i
- have a close relationship to our state
- have a strong background and continuing interest in Native Hawaiian Law, Pacific-Asian Legal Studies, International and Comparative Law, or Environmental Law
- have a compelling personal need to study in Hawai’i (e.g., immediate family, military transfer, etc.)
Most years, approximately 30% of our incoming students are non-residents.
We are a small law school and pride ourselves on the 1:1 attention we provide to our students. Our goal is to welcome 90 new full-time and 40-50 new online part-time students each Fall, plus our Transfer, Visiting, LLM and AJD students. For more information see our About Us page.
You can find the most up-to-date class profile on our Statistics page.
Each year, the Admissions Committee selects approximately twelve students from the entering class to join the Ulu Lehua Scholars Program. These students have overcome adversity and demonstrated their academic potential, leadership ability, and commitment to social justice.
It is the Law School’s hope that students in the Ulu Lehua Scholars Program will:
- Address the legal and related needs of communities underserved by the legal profession in Hawai’i and Pacific Island nations
- As allowed by law, represent communities that are presently underrepresented in the Law School and underserved by the legal profession
- Serve as role models for and mentors to others who are striving to overcome adversity to reach their full potential as community leaders in Hawai‘i and the Pacific
- Bring distinctive viewpoints and life experiences to the Law School community, enriching the understanding of everyone who works and learns here
NOTE: This is not a financial scholarship program
We will accept your degree if the online school has been regionally accredited. You may look to see if your school is accredited by going to the US Department of Education Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs search page HERE
Yes. The 2023-2024 American Bar Association Standards and Rules of Procedure for Approval for Law Students provides that “A law school shall not admit or readmit a student who has been disqualified previously for academic reasons without an affirmative showing that the prior disqualification does not indicate a lack of capacity to complete its program of legal education and be admitted to the bar. For every admission or readmission of a previously disqualified individual, a statement of the considerations that led to the decision shall be placed in the admittee’s file.” You must address the circumstances surrounding your dismissal on your application and have a letter of standing from your previous law school sent directly to the Admissions Office at lawadm@hawaii.edu. See ABA Standards.
Because lawyers and law students are held to high ethical standards, you must be truthful and candid during the entire admissions process. The Law School expects you to furnish requested information in a complete and accurate manner. Similar inquiries will be made when you go to apply for bar admission in nearly every US jurisdiction.
You should familiarize yourself with the requirements for bar admission in the jurisdiction(s) where you plan to practice law.
For example, applicants may not sit for the Hawai’i Bar Exam or be admitted to the Hawai’i Bar if they have not complied with a court order for child support, or a subpoena or warrant relating to a paternity or child support proceeding. Likewise, applicants may not sit for the Hawai’i Bar Exam or be admitted to the Hawai’i Bar if they have not complied with an obligation under a student loan, student loan repayment contract, scholarship contract, or repayment plan. For more information, see Rules of the Supreme Court of Hawai’i. For requirements for additional states, see the National Conference of Bar Examiners website.
Failure to disclose an act or event may be more significant and may lead to more serious consequences than the event itself. Failure to provide complete and truthful information, or failure to inform the Admissions Office of any changes to your answers over time, may result in dismissal from or disciplinary action by the Law School, revocation of a degree, or denial of permission to practice law by the state in which you seek bar admission.
Admitted full-time JD students may apply for conditional admission to the Shidler College of Business. See JD/MBA Dual Degree Program.
Admitted full-time or part-time JD students may apply for admission to the Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work. See JD/MSW Dual Degree Program.
Most students will apply for the joint program during their 1L year to begin their joint degree program during their 2L year.
Please choose a major that interests you. We have no preference in undergraduate majors. To learn more about the legal profession and applying to law school, you may want to explore the LSAC Discover Law website.
For UHM students, alumni, and Hawai’i residents, the UHM Pre-Health/Pre-Law Advising Center (PAC) is staffed by current law students who are trained to help you clarify your career goals, choose a major, plan appropriate coursework, research professional programs, find opportunities to gain experience, and apply to law schools. PAC is open to the public. You do not need to be a student to access their services. Request a Pre-Law Advising appointment on this website. Email: prelaw@hawaii.edu.
More generally, you may wish to explore the Discover Law resources through LSAC.
For first-year JD candidates, February 5 is the priority date to complete (not merely submit) your application. We will continue to accept applications until our final application deadline of May 1. The Law School may exclude from consideration any application that is incomplete after the final deadline.
Transfer, Visitor, AJD, and LLM candidates have extended deadlines, often as late as July 15.
Do not wait until the last minute to submit your application. LSAC warns, “Internet slowness, server problems at your ISP or elsewhere, or other issues beyond LSAC’s control may occur, resulting in the deadline passing without your application being transmitted.” See LSAC FAQ for Electronic Applications.
No. You can submit your application now. LSAC will forward the letter of recommendation and/or updated transcript(s) to us after they receive it and your CAS report (transcripts, test score, and Letters of Recommendation) is complete.
Your application will not be considered complete and we will not review an application until all materials have been received.
We will send you an application acknowledgment email when we receive your application. You can always find the most up-to-date information about your application via your online status page. Log in using your LSAC credentials.
Please check your junk and spam email folders and make sure that you can accept messages from lawadm@hawaii.edu. If more than seven business days have passed and you still have not received an application acknowledgment email from us, email lawadm@hawaii.edu.
No. Once you complete the LSAC checkout process, you cannot make changes to your application.
You may email the admissions office with a correction at lawadm@hawaii.edu. Please email us from the primary email used in the application and include your LSAC # in the subject line to ensure timely processing.
Contact LSAC.
We strongly prefer that your personal statement stay within the 500-word limit.
You’ll have the opportunity to included addenda if you need to provide additional context to other sections of the application. Typically these should be concise (no more than two paragraphs), directly address the heart of the matter or question at hand, and should not include superfluous information (no photographs, irrelevant case documents, third-party materials, etc.).
We require two letters of recommendation, but you may submit up to three.
Your letters should be completed by professors, instructors, or other persons who are familiar with your academic work. We understand that if you have been out of school for a number of years, it may be difficult to find an academic recommender. If that is the case, you may ask an employer or supervisor to write a letter of recommendation for you. Please do not ask family members or persons who do not know you well to write letters of recommendation for you. Visit the LSAC Letters of Recommendation page for more detailed information.
Yes. You may reassign the letters to us in your LSAC account. Visit LSAC Letters of Recommendation. You may also switch out the letters, add a third letter (if you originally submitted just the two required letters) or ask the same writers to submit new letters, especially if there is updated information about your qualifications the Admissions Committee should be aware of.
First-year JD candidates must have an LSAT or GRE score. We do not accept other exams for admission purposes, including the GMAT, JD-Next, or international law school entrance exams.
For AJD candidates, we recommend (but do not require) that applicants take the LSAT or the GRE examination. Applicants do not have to be members of the bar in their home countries.
LLM student may require an English proficiency test.
No, we do not set arbitrary cutoffs. We will evaluate your application in its entirety.
We will evaluate your entire application in a holistic manner. Your LSAT and/or GRE score, along with your GPA, will constitute a considerable part of our review. Please be sure to detail your experiences, skills, interests, and strengths in your application, personal statement, and résumé.
Please don’t be overly concerned about a low undergraduate GPA, LSAT, or GRE score. The Law School seeks a diverse class of students with varied life and professional experiences. We recognize that a significant amount of time may have passed since you were an undergraduate student. We will consider graduate work, life experience, work experience, community service, and non-academic accomplishments. If you have any questions about your academic credentials, please contact the Admissions Office at lawadm@hawaii.edu. We will be happy to speak with you about how best to communicate your strengths to the Admissions Committee.
See How to Apply with the GRE (Step 2). Our GRE school code is 2381. Note that this code is different from that of the UH Mānoa campus.
We do not have a preference for one test over the other. If both LSAT and GRE scores are part of your application, we will consider your stronger test and the highest score(s) of that test. The Committee will consider your highest LSAT score, but will see all of your reportable scores. You may want to explain significant score differences in an addendum.
You may elect to submit your GRE General Test score in addition to your LSAT score. Send all your GRE scores from the last five years to the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa Richardson School of Law (Code: 2381). All test administrations will be considered, and we can use the highest subscores from various tests.
GRE and LSAT scores are reportable for up to five years after the test date.
LSAT scores are automatically included in your LSAC CAS Report.
For GRE Scores, go to Ordering Additional Score Reports (ASRs) on the ETS website. The Law School institution code is 2381.
See LSAT Dates and Deadlines on the LSAC website.
The GRE General Test is offered many times each month. Please visit the ETS website to see the available GRE General Test Centers and Dates.
Fee waiver programs exist for both the LSAT and GRE Exams. For LSAT Fee Waiver information, visit the LSAC Fee Waiver site.
Visit the ETS website for information on the GRE Fee Reduction Program.
Yes. If you want to explain the circumstances surrounding your cancellation or absence, please attach an addendum to your electronic application.
You may submit your application now. Please indicate on the application if we should wait for a future score(s) before reviewing your application. Your application will not be reviewed until we have received all required documentation and outstanding test scores.
We will accept the January LSAT to meet our February 5 Priority Deadline. We will accept the April LSAT to meet our May 1 Final Deadline
Applicants should plan to take the GRE General Test with enough time for your test to be scored and sent to our Law School to meet the posted deadline. Scores for the computer-based GRE General Test are available approximately 10-15 days after the test date. Applicants are advised to take the GRE several weeks in advance of the final deadline. Visit the ETS website for FAQs about the GRE General Test.
The latest acceptable test date for the TOEFL is April. Scores from TOEFL tests taken more than three years ago will not be accepted.
Yes. Although LSAC does not include your graduate school grades in your cumulative reported GPA, we will consider your graduate level coursework in the admission review process.
See LSAC Credential Assembly Service. LSAC considers all pre-bachelors conferment undergraduates courses in their calculations. This includes dual enrollment courses from high school, community or junior college grades, grade replacements, etc. You may provide an addendum to explain significant discrepancies between your LSAC assembled GPA and your degree GPA.
You may send the transcripts now without waiting for this semester’s grades. Later, you may choose to send an updated transcript to LSAC. LSAC will automatically forward it to us.
If you are admitted to the Law School, you must have an updated, final official transcript sent to LSAC before August 1 so that your LSAC-generated UGPA will reflect the undergraduate academic work you completed AFTER you applied to law school.
Please visit our section on Tuition and Financial Aid.
$87,946 (reported to US News) for 2022-2023 graduates
Proportion of 2023 J.D. graduates who borrowed at any time in their legal education to finance their legal education? 65 / 92 = 70.65%
File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as it becomes available, typically October 1 of each year. Need-based scholarships are awarded based upon eligibility, need, and the order of FAFSA received.
Our priority financial aid date is February 1. See Financial Aid.
The FAFSA now uses previous year tax return information (“prior prior year”). You do not need to wait to file current year’s taxes to submit your FAFSA. See FAFSA FAQs.
We do not differentiate between GRE-only and LSAT applicants for merit scholarships. Find information on our automatic merit scholarships HERE.
The federal school code is 001610. To add our school code to an existing FAFSA, click “Add a school” under “Returning User?”
See the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS). Use your social security number and FAFSA pin to access your account. Your account information will include current loan amounts, lenders, and lender contact information.
Based on information gleaned from your application, we will make an initial residency determination. If you believe this is incorrect, you can access the Residency Declaration Form within the Admitted Student Portal. For information on residency requirements, see Hawaiʻi Residency.
Yes
Admitted JD students who are residents of WICHE member jurisdictions pay 150% of the resident tuition for the JD program at the Richardson School of Law for the entire length of their law school careers through the Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP). All admitted JD applicants from those jurisdictions will be considered for the program. You do not need to complete a separate form or application to apply for the WRGP tuition exemption. Recipients will be notified by the Admissions Office when they are admitted.
The William S. Richardson School of Law welcomes applications from all highly qualified prospective law students, regardless of their ability to document their status. Undocumented applicants who meet Hawai’i residency requirements may be considered Hawai’i residents for tuition purposes. See also External Scholarships for Undocumented Students/DACA Recipients.
Prospective JD students do not need to complete a separate scholarship application for admission merit scholarships. All admitted students will be automatically considered for internal merit scholarships and will be notified by the Admissions Office shortly after they are admitted. Some merit scholarships require that students maintain satisfactory academic progress. These requirements are outlined in the scholarship award email. Admitted JD students should direct questions about merit scholarship awards to the law school admissions office at lawadm@hawaii.edu. See Scholarships.
Yes! Check out your possible scholarship award levels by going to our Grants & Scholarships page and selecting your appropriate tuition rate.
Yes. This may affect your financial aid package.
Some, though not all, internal scholarships can be awarded to international students. There may be additional options you want to explore other options via the East-West Center website.
To be eligible for federal student loans, you must be eligible to complete a FAFSA. Learn more about private loans (which may require a US co-signer).
No. Students from the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau are not eligible for federal student loans. You may, however, be eligible for the Pacific Islander Scholarship. In order to qualify for the scholarship, you must complete a FAFSA.
Yes. Reapplying suggests that you are serious about studying law at our school. When you reapply, you will need to register with LSAC and submit a new application.
As a reapplicant, we will waive the $75.00 application fee waiver; email us at lawadm@hawaii.edu for a waiver code. You must request this fee waiver before you submit your new application. We cannot refund application fees that have been paid.
No, our admissions decisions are final. We hope you will consider reapplying to our school. You may request a meeting – in the Summer after the admissions cycle ends and before the next one begins in the Fall – with our Director of Admissions to discuss your application.
No. If you were invited to join the waitlist, this invitation would have been included in your Admissions Decision Notification email.
No. Applicants to both programs must meet the same admissions criteria. We will not reconsider your application within the same admissions cycle.
For the JD Program, we only accept transfer applications from students from ABA-approved law schools. However, you may apply as a first-year student.
See the American Bar Association website for a list of ABA-approved law schools.
Yes. You may apply to either program if you have successfully completed the full first-year curriculum at another law school approved by the American Bar Association (ABA). See Transfer & Visiting Students.
For the JD Program, we only accept transfer credits from ABA-approved law schools. However, you may apply as a first-year student. If you have already graduated from a from a foreign law school and wish to earn your US JD, you may be eligible for our Advanced JD program.
We anticipate allowing students to apply to transfer into the part-time online program beginning the Fall 2026 term. For now, you may apply to transfer into the in-person program.
If you do not respond before the deadline, you will lose the opportunity to join the waitlist.
The review of the waitlist is an ongoing process. We strive to make this process as transparent as possible by notifying you of any updates at the earliest opportunity.
We will email you and update your online status page. Please make sure that the contact information on your online status page is up-to-date. If we cannot reach you, we may offer the seat to another applicant.
We do not give out information about the length of the list, nor are candidates “ranked” on the list. Building a cohort is a holistic process, just as is reviewing applications for admission.
You are strongly encouraged to supplement your application with a Letter of Continued Interest. You may email the letter to lawadm@hawaii.edu.
You should discuss your particular interest in attending the William S. Richardson School of Law and how you can make valuable contributions to our law school community. The letter should include information above-and-beyond what we can already find in your application. You may also provide significant updates since submitting your application, including but not limited to an academic award, score update, or promotions. Do not include photographs.
Do what you think is best. Not all persons on the waitlist are eventually admitted. In fact, in some years, we have not used the waitlist at all. Please do not deposit at multiple schools. This is considered bad practice, and you could prevent another student from being offered a seat at either school.
If you choose to attend another law school, please email us at lawadm@hawaii.edu. We will cancel your application and remove your name from our waitlist.
Not typically. You may want to explore links to external scholarships. Eligibility for these scholarships may be based on financial need, academic achievement, and extracurricular activities. Please apply as early as possible and be mindful of filing deadlines. Many scholarships may consider the amount of financial need as determined by your FAFSA. Please complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) if you have not done so already.
You may be asked to make a non-refundable $400 deposit in as few as three business days.
No, applicants admitted from the waitlist may not defer.
If you would like to attend our law school, we hope you will reapply next year. Please email us at lawadm@hawaii.edu to receive an application fee waiver if you are applying again as a 1L student.
If you choose to attend another ABA-approved law school, you may apply to transfer to our Law School after your first year. Please note that the transfer application process is still selective. You might also choose to visit (take classes) at our Law School and then return to your home law school to graduate.
You can also elect to spend your summers with us. Our summer law program is open to students who have completed their first year at an ABA-approved law school.
You may only apply for one program in any given year. If you are admitted and your life circumstances change, you may request to switch programs prior to matriculation if seats are available in that cohort.
No. Applicants to both programs must meet the same admissions criteria.
The Hawaiʻi Online JD Flex program is designed to be completed in 4 years.
The number of credits varies by year and semester, but typically 9-11 credits per semester, plus 1 course each summer, in order to graduate in 4 years. Please see the program overview to find out how many credits you’ll be taking each semester.
Yes. There are no restrictions on how much you work if you remain in the Hawai’i Online JD Flex program, so long as you complete the required courses each semester. However, work demands are not permissible excuses for failing to meet the program requirements.
As with the full-time program, students must earn a minimum of 89 law credits. Please note the course requirements below:
- 1L Curriculum
- Constitutional Law I
- Professional Responsibility
- Second Year Seminar (SYS) or Law Thesis
- 6 Credits of Experiential Learning (EXL) Courses
- 60 hours of Pro Bono work
Refer to the graduation requirements page and the Student Handbook for complete details regarding the fulfillment of your graduation requirements.
Yes. All law school academic and student services are available to you. We have evening hours and staff available to assist you.