University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law

More in Apply:

For JD admissions inquiries, please contact the Enrollment Management team:
lawadm@hawaii.edu 
or attend an info session:
admissions event

For AJD admissions inquiries:
intlaw@hawaii.edu

For LLM admissions inquiries: lawllm@hawaii.edu

Upcoming Admissions Events

How to Apply

Application deadlines

ProgramAvailability & Deadline
First Time JD – Fall 2026 (Full-Time & Online Part-Time)Application Available via LSAC.org: September 1
Priority Date: January 28
Final Deadline: May 1
Transfer and Visiting StudentsSpring Application Period: October 1 – December 1
Fall Application Period: May 1 – July 1
Advanced JD (AJD) September 1 – June 1 (after June 1 if space is available)
Master of Laws (LLM)September 1 – June 1 (after June 1 if space is available)
Hawai’i Summer Law ProgramFinal Deadline: May 1
International applicants: priority deadline is April 1;
if applying after April 1, contact intlaw@hawaii.edu
I-20 and student Visa processing time vary by country

* Applicants should plan to have materials sent to and processed by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) before these deadlines to minimize any delays with their CAS report. Please do not send any physical mail to the Law School.

APPLICATION PROCESS OVERVIEW

JD applicants must complete the online application with the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC). We must receive all application materials (below) from LSAC before the posted deadline.

Applicants are encouraged to review our detailed application instructions: see Apply with the GRE or LSAT

  • Application Fee: Pay the $75 nonrefundable application fee online at LSAC. See if you may qualify for a fee waiver from our law school. Students already enrolled in law school are not eligible for an LSAC fee waiver.
  • Personal Statement: compose a 500-word personal statement on a subject of your choice.
  • Résumé: Write a résumé detailing your education, extracurricular activity, professional experience, and community service.
  • GRE Applicants: Please see additional instructions to send scores in Step 2 of How to Apply. We will manually waive the LSAT requirement after receipt of your GRE scores.
  • Credential Assembly Service (CAS): We must receive your complete Credential Assembly Service (CAS) report from LSAC by our deadline. Your complete CAS report will include the following items:
    • if applicable, LSAT Score and Writing Sample;
    • and all Undergraduate and Graduate/Professional Transcripts;
    • and at least two Academic or Professional Letters of Recommendation
    • if needed, Proof of English Proficiency (applicants whose native language is not English) 
      Exempt: applicants who have earned a bachelor’s or graduate degree from an institution in the United States, Canada (excluding Quebec), the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, or Singapore.
      TOEFL minimum score: 60 (school code 8395)
      IELTS minimum score: 7

To be eligible for the AJD program, applicants must hold a law degree from an accredited or approved law school outside the U.S.

Application Materials

AJD applicants must order a CAS Report when applying through LSAC. The CAS report is an assembly service that will receive, evaluate, and compile application documents.

  • Personal Statement
    Tell us about your experience and qualifications, your reasons for seeking an AJD degree, and the course of study you wish to pursue. (about 800 words)
  • Writing Sample
    Submit a document written by you at work or school in English on any topic, up to three pages, as a sample of your English writing ability. The writing sample does not need to be a complete document. You may black out any confidential information.
  • Resume or Curriculum Vitae
  • $75 Application Fee
    Not refundable or transferable.
  • Two Letters of Recommendation
    We prefer that one of the letters be from a former or current law professor, if possible. Letters must be written in English or have an English translation attached. Applicants to the AJD who have earned an LLM degree in the U.S. will ideally include one letter of recommendation from an LLM instructor.
  • Official Transcripts
    Official transcripts from all graduate and undergraduate institutions sent directly from the school to LSAC.
  • LSAT and/or GRE test scores
    Applicants may submit LSAT and/or GRE scores, but they are not required.
  • Proof of English Proficiency (if applicable)
    Applicants whose native language is not English should send scores that are no more than three years old directly to LSAC.
    • TOEFL minimum score: 60 (UH school code 8395)
    • IELTS minimum score: 7
    • Cambridge English Exam C1 or C2

      Exempt from providing English proficiency test scores: applicants who have earned a bachelor’s or graduate degree from an institution in the United States, Canada (excluding Quebec), the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, or Singapore.
      Other exemptions may be granted at the discretion of the AJD Admissions Committee.
Interview

Once all application materials are received, the Admissions Committee may request a Zoom interview before making their decision.

Applications are submitted online through LSAC and interested prospective students are encouraged to review our LLM Program page for detailed application instructions.

To be eligible for the LLM program, applicants must hold a law degree (or its equivalent) from a recognized law school. Both graduates with a foreign law degree and graduates with a U.S. JD are encouraged to apply.

Application materials

  • Personal Statement: Tell us about your experience and qualifications, your reasons for seeking an LLM degree and the course of study you wish to pursue (about 800 words).
  • Resume or Curriculum Vitae
  • $75 Application Fee, non-refundable/non-transferable
  • Two Letters of Recommendation
  • We prefer that one of the letters be from your former or current law professor, if possible. If a recommendation letter is not written in English, an English translation must accompany the original recommendation letter.
  • Transcripts
    Official transcripts from all institutions (graduate and undergraduate) where you have studied. These must be sent directly from the school. If the transcripts are not in English, a certified English translation must be submitted with each transcript.
  • English Proficiency Test taken within the last 3 years (if applicable)
    • TOEFL suggested score: 90+
      (UH school code: 8395)
    • IELTS suggested score 6+
    • Cambridge English Exam suggested C1 or C2

      Exempt from providing English proficiency test scores: applicants who have earned a bachelor’s or graduate degree from an institution in the United States, Canada (excluding Quebec), the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, or Singapore.
      We are flexible with English proficiency scores for LLM students in certain cases. Exemptions may be granted at the discretion of the LLM Admissions Committee.
  • Interview
    • Once all application materials are received, the Admissions Committee may request a Zoom interview before making their decision.

Transfer and Visiting JD student applicants must complete the online application with the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC). We must receive all application materials (below) from LSAC before the deadline.

Applicants are encouraged to review our detailed application instructions: see Transferring & Visiting Students.

  • Application Fee: Pay the $75 nonrefundable application fee online at LSAC. See if you may qualify for a fee waiver from our law school. Students already enrolled in law school are not eligible for an LSAC fee waiver.
  • Personal Statement: compose a 500-word personal statement on a subject of your choice.
  • Résumé: Write a résumé detailing your education, extracurricular activity, professional experience, and community service.
  • GRE Applicants: Please see additional instructions to send scores in Step 2 of How to Apply. We will manually waive the LSAT requirement after receipt of your GRE scores.
  • Credential Assembly Service (CAS): We must receive your complete Credential Assembly Service (CAS) report from LSAC by our deadline. Your complete CAS report will include the following items:
    • if applicable, LSAT Score and Writing Sample;
    • and all Undergraduate and Graduate/Professional Transcripts;
    • and at least two Academic or Professional Letters of Recommendation
    • if needed, Proof of English Proficiency (applicants whose native language is not English) 
      Exempt: applicants who have earned a bachelor’s or graduate degree from an institution in the United States, Canada (excluding Quebec), the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, or Singapore.
      TOEFL minimum score: 60 (school code 8395)
      IELTS minimum score: 7
  • Submit an addendum discussing your reasons for wanting to transfer or visit our law school. 
  • Provide a letter of standing from your law school(s):
    • The letter of standing must be sent to us by email (lawadm@hawaii.edu) from your law school before our application deadline. Letters of standing should contain the:
      • Dates of your enrollment;
      • Indicate if you are welcome to continue your legal education at the law school;
      • If available, in the same letter, ask that the Registrar indicate your class rank or quartile standing (e.g., top quarter, top half)
    • Visiting Students: If you intend to transfer credits back to your home institution, we will also need a statement that informs us that the credits you earn at our law school will be accepted toward your degree at your home institution.
  • Submit law school transcripts to LSAC
  • Two Letters of Recommendation
    • We strongly recommend that you submit at least one letter from a law school professor or instructor.

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