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Hawaiʻi Online JD Flex
Overview
Access to a top-tier legal education at the William S. Richardson School of Law doesn’t have to be restricted to being on campus. We recognize that talented law students can come from anywhere and shouldn’t be bound by location, family, or professional obligations. The Hawaiʻi Online JD Flex is a part-time program where the curriculum format is 100% online.
You can complete the Hawaiʻi Online JD Flex program in 4 years when and where it is most convenient for you – meaning you won’t have to put your career on pause to earn your degree. In this flexible learning format, students of diverse backgrounds interact with their peers and instructors in a blended synchronous (on a set schedule) and asynchronous (on your schedule) educational environment.
Ideal for working professionals, the Hawaiʻi Online JD Flex program offers a curriculum that includes vigorous discussion in traditional Socratic classroom settings. Through lectures, seminars, and informal small group discussions, you will be encouraged to study law and legal institutions as integral parts of larger social, political-economic, and ecological systems.
Hawaiʻi online jD flex Curriculum
The curriculum below represents a sample schedule to give you an idea of the program’s course schedule. For more information on the upcoming term, please schedule an appointment with an enrollment specialist to discuss.
Fall Semester:
- Civil Procedure I
- Torts
- Lawyering Fundamentals I
J-Term*
Spring Semester
- Civil Procedure II
- Constitutional Law I
- Lawyering Fundamentals II
- Legal Research
Summer Semester
- Elective
- Professional Responsibility
*In addition to the above, a one-week term will run the first full week after the winter break before the Spring semester starts. Distinguished scholars will teach specialized courses for one week, which can be attended either on-campus or 100% online.
Fall Semester:
- Contracts I
- Criminal Law
- Elective
J-Term*
Spring Semester
- Contracts II
- Real Property I
- Elective
*In addition to the above, a one-week term will run the first full week after the winter break before the Spring semester starts. Distinguished scholars will teach specialized courses for one week, which can be attended either on-campus or 100% online.
The upper division experience will allow students to choose from various elective and experiential learning courses.
Writing skills are sharpened in a required Second Year Seminar in which students engage in an in-depth exploration of a legal topic to produce a scholarly paper. Seminar topics include, for example, Family Law, Native Hawaiian Rights, Property, Labor Law, Electronic Commerce, Race, Culture and Law, Intellectual Property, International Law, and Environmental Law.
Why Choose the Hawaiʻi online jD Flex program?
- You will be joining a diverse, mission-driven community:
Recognized as one of the nation’s “Best Law Schools for Diversity,” with the majority of students belonging to underrepresented groups. Richardson is a collaborative, multicultural community of students and legal professionals who are passionate about the law. - You will be receiving a top-tier education and joining a network of successful alumni:
William S. Richardson School of Law is recognized for its excellence in legal education, ranking among the best law schools in the United States by both The Princeton Review and U.S. News and World Report. The school has an established reputation for its particular strengths in Environmental Law, Native Hawaiian Law, Pacific-Asian Legal Studies, and International Law.
The Hawaiʻi Online JD Flex program’s rigorous curriculum prepares graduates for challenging and rewarding professional careers equipped with skills in legal counseling, advocacy, and decision-making. You will become part of an alumni network of leaders in business, government, and the community committed to making a better society for Hawaiʻi and beyond. - You won’t have to relocate or quit your full-time job:
At Richardson, you only need the right motivation, a strong academic background, and an internet connection to earn your JD. Individuals can earn their JDs part-time in 4 years through a combination of synchronous (on a set schedule) and asynchronous (on your schedule) virtual classes and coursework. The Hawaiʻi Online JD Flex is one of the few 100% online, part-time, ABA-accredited JD programs at a nationally ranked law school. - You may qualify for financial aid and scholarships:
In addition to an affordable cost per credit, there are also a variety of scholarships and financial aid opportunities to help offset the cost of attendance including Renewable Merit Scholarships (up to $10,000), Annual Need-Based Grants (up to $5,000), UH Foundation Scholarships for Current Students (up to $5,000), WRGP Regional Scholarships (up to $5,000), Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, and Direct PLUS Loans. Learn more about tuition and financial aid opportunities.
Connect with Admissions
Program Format
The Hawaiʻi Online JD Flex program includes 89 credits of coursework and lectures that are delivered through dynamic, remote instruction and assignments. The program includes live, virtual classes with vigorous discussion in traditional Socratic classroom settings and self-paced, recorded coursework that can be completed when and where it’s most convenient for you.
For the Fall 2023 semester, synchronous, online courses will be scheduled 2 evenings per week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
In order to qualify for graduation, students in the Hawaiʻi Online JD Flex program are required to complete 6 credits of experiential learning and 60 hours of law-related pro bono legal services under the supervision of an attorney, law school faculty or dean, or other supervisor, as approved by the Pro Bono Program Administrator. Pro bono services include law-related public service activities for nonprofits, government agencies, and the courts. Law students are encouraged to provide a portion of their pro bono service to persons of limited means or to organizations that serve such persons. The pro bono work is meant to be law-related in nature, not clerical or administrative. Learn more about the Pro Bono Program.
Questions? Schedule an appointment to speak with a Richardson admissions representative.
Application Requirements
To apply, ensure the following have been submitted:
- Application by June 1, 2023
- Résumé
- Personal Statement
- Current CAS report that includes LSAT score(s) or GRE score(s) (no more than 5 years old), two letters of recommendation, writing sample, all required transcripts, and Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Scores (if necessary).
- LSAT: The April and June LSAT will be accepted; however, please ensure all materials have been sent to and processed by LSAC to minimize any delays.
- GRE: ETS School Code is 2381.
- You must have received your bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university before you enroll in law classes.
There is a $75 application fee.*
*The Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) waives its fees for applicants who are absolutely unable to pay for the LSAT and other essential applicant services. See LSAC Fee Waiver.
*Richardson also offers a Service Recognition Fee Waiver, the request form can be found on the Application Fee Waivers page.
FAQs
Your program is a preference, and you may choose to switch programs prior to matriculation if your situation changes. Download our Application Checklist to learn more about applying to the Hawaiʻi Online JD Flex.
No. Applicants to both programs must meet the same admissions criteria.
The number of credits varies by year and semester. Please see the curriculum section above to find out how many credits you’ll be taking each semester.
The Hawaiʻi Online JD Flex program is designed to be completed in 4 years.
Yes. There are no restrictions on how much you work if you remain in the Hawaiʻi 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.
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 services will be available to you. We have evening hours and staff available to assist you virtually.
KEY FACULTY
8:1
Student-to-faculty
The ratio of student to faculty members is 8:1. Faculty members engage with students as partners as well as serve as sources of knowledge. A foremost concern of the Law School is to provide assistance in “learning how to learn.”