More in Apply:

For admissions inquiries, please contact the Enrollment Management team at lawadm@hawaii.edu or attend an upcoming admissions event.

Apply with the LSAT or GRE

Our application for Fall 2025 will become available on September 1, 2024. We accept the LSAT or the GRE. See our LSAT, GRE & GPA FAQ. The Law School may exclude from consideration any application that remains incomplete after the deadline.

• Priority Deadline (Full Time and Part Time): February 5, 2025
• Final Deadline: May 1, 2025* (We will accept the April 2025 LSAT to meet this deadline)

See the Master of Laws and Advanced JD program pages for their respective deadlines and application instructions.

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

STEP 1: EARN A BACHELOR’S DEGREE

Ensure you will earn a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher learning in the United States or an equivalent degree from a university-level institution in a foreign country before August 2025.

STEP 2: TAKE THE LSAT or GRE

An admission test is required as part of the JD application and cannot be waived. We accept LSAT or the GRE, without preference.

Take the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). To register for the LSAT please visit the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) website. We will use your highest reportable LSAT score in our evaluation. We recommend also checking if you qualify for an LSAC Fee Waiver.

OR

Take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).  Send your GRE scores from all test administrations in the last five years to the William S. Richardson School of Law using the Educational Testing Service (ETS) School Code 2381. We will use your highest section scores (“superscore”) when submitting multiple tests in our evaluation. To register for the GRE please visit the ETS GRE website.

Applicants who submit both an LSAT and GRE will have their highest scores evaluated in the admissions process. See GRE & GPA FAQs.

Learn More about ETS

STEP 3: REGISTER FOR THE CAS AT LSAC.ORG

By visiting the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS) they will combine your writing samples, transcripts, letters of recommendation, and TOEFL score (if applicable) into a CAS report that will be sent to the Law School. You must still register for this even if you will not be applying with an LSAT score.

The following is required for your completed application to LSAC:

Institutions Attended

Provide information about the schools you attended to LSAC. You must list your high school and each undergraduate and graduate institution you attended (including community colleges and law/medical/professional institutions). To enter your school information, log into your LSAC.org account.  Choose the “Credentials and CAS” tab at the top of the page. Then click on the “Transcript Status/Add Institutions” button to add the school. If you receive the message “You cannot add institutions to your file at this time” please send your request to LSACinfo@LSAC.org. Include the name of the school, dates attended, level (graduate/undergraduate), degree expected or awarded if applicable, and your name and LSAC account number.

Official Transcripts

Make sure all the required official transcripts are sent to LSAC.  If you currently enrolled in classes, you may send the transcripts now without waiting for the current semester’s grades. Later, have an updated transcript sent to LSAC and the will automatically forward it to us. LSAC will not send us your law school report until you enter your school information and they have received and processed the required transcripts.

To request your transcripts, log into your LSAC.org account. Choose the “Credentials and CAS” tab at the top of the page. Then click on the “Transcript Status/Add Institutions” button. Under each institution you have added, you will see a link to download the printable Transcript Request Form. NOTE:  Transcript Request Forms will be available in your LSAC.org  account only after you register for the Credential Assembly Service (CAS) and enter your school information.

LSAC may take up to two weeks to process your transcripts after receipt. For more information, please visit Requesting Transcripts on the LSAC website.

If you are admitted to the Law School, you must have an updated, final official transcript sent to LSAC before enrolling (early August) so that your LSAC-generated undergraduate GPA will reflect the undergraduate academic work you completed AFTER you applied to law school.

Letters of Recommendation

Make sure that two (minimum) to three (maximum) academic or professional letters of recommendation are sent to LSAC.  Please do not ask for letters of recommendations from family members or from persons who do not know you well.

LSAC will not send us these letters if you do not assign them to us.  To assign a letter to us, log into your LSAC account at LSAC.org. Choose the “Credentials and CAS” tab at the top of the page. Then click on the “Manage LORs” button. Be sure you have already added your Recommender. Under “My LOR Assignments” click the blue “Assign” button next to our school’s name and select each letter you would like to have included with your law school report.

For more information, please visit Letters of Recommendation on the LSAC website.

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

If applicable, submit your TOEFL score to LSAC (institution code number 0058, department code 03) if: 1) English is not your first or primary language, and 2) you do not have a  bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) from an accredited institution of higher learning in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, England, or the English-speaking countries in Africa. You must score at least 100 on the iBT or 600 on the paper exam. TOEFL scores are valid for two years after the test date. Visit TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition to learn more information.

Fee Payment

Learn more about LSAT & CAS Fees for the Credential Assembly Service.

After you submit your application, we will request your LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS) Report from LSAC. LSAC will send it to us when it is complete and free of financial holds. For GRE-only applicants, we will manually waive the LSAT requirement of the CAS Report after the application is received.

STEP 4: APPLY FOR FINANCIAL AID

File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online as soon as possible. 

Need-based scholarships are awarded based upon eligibility, need, and order of FAFSA received. Do not wait to find out if you have been admitted before completing the FAFSA. You may indicate “will file” on tax-related questions and then update this information after you file your taxes. Our priority financial aid deadline is February 1. Our federal school code is 001610. To add our school code to an existing FAFSA, click “Add a school” under “Returning User?”. See Financial Aid FAQs.

NOTE: We will not be able to access your FAFSA if the name and Social Security Number in the “Biographical” section of this application do not match the name and social security number on your FAFSA.

STEP 5: APPLY TO THE LAW SCHOOL AT LSAC.ORG

Apply to the Law School using our online application at LSAC.org. We do not have a paper application. Major components include:

• Application Fee: Pay our $75 nonrefundable application fee online at LSAC.  See Application Fee Waivers.
• Personal Statement: Compose a 500-word personal statement on a subject of your choice. Many applicants write about their goals, achievements, influences, and their interest in our Law School.
• Why Richardson?  Please tell us why you would like to study at our Law School in approximately 250 words.
• Résumé: Write a résumé detailing your education, extracurricular activity, professional experience, and community service.
• Addenda: Upload any required addenda.

Interviews: 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. Applicants themselves may not request an interview.

DECISIONS

Checking on your Application Status

Decisions about your application will be delivered by email and we will update your Online Status page. Most applicants will receive decisions within four to six weeks after completion application and receipt of completed CAS report. We endeavor to provide decisions to everyone who applies by February 1 by the end of February.

If you have questions about the status of your application after checking the Online Status page, please contact us at lawadm@hawaii.edu.

Residency for Tuition Purposes

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.

The Board of Regents have allowed exemptions for reduced or in-state equivalent tuition for select populations including: residents of WICHE states, U.S. territories, or Pacific Islands; undocumented or DACA students; or active duty military stationed in Hawai’i. More information can be found on the UH Mānoa Tuition Status Exemption page.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Other Applicants

Transfer and Visiting Students: You must use the online application for transfer and visiting students at LSAC. This application has a separate set of deadlines. See Transfer & Visiting Students Application Instructions and Application Deadlines.

Previous Applicants: If you previously applied to our Law School and did not enroll, you must complete a new application.

Disclosure and Ethical Considerations

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. 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. Your obligation to disclose does not end upon admission and continues throughout your law school career.

In addition to a bar examination, there are character, fitness, and other qualifications for admission to the bar in every U.S. jurisdiction. Applicants are encouraged to determine the requirements for any jurisdiction in which they intend to seek admission by contacting the jurisdiction. Addresses for all relevant agencies are available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners. For example, applicants may not sit for the Hawaiʻi 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 Hawaiʻi 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 the Rules of the Supreme Court of the State of Hawaiʻi. For requirements for additional states, see the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

Nondiscrimination Policy

The University of Hawaiʻi is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution and is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination on the basis of race, sex, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and status as a covered veteran. See the University Non-discrimination Policy.

Accessibility

The University recognizes its obligation to provide equal access to programs, services, and activities to students with disabilities. For accessibility information and services, please contact our office for students with disabilities, the KOKUA Program (Kahi O Ka Ulu ‘Ana – “The Place of Growing”) website.

Social Security Number Usage

The University will issue unique and permanent student identification numbers to all students. The University requires Social Security Numbers for the purpose of tax reporting and reporting of enrollment status for deferment of loans.