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The William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawai‘i was again ranked among the nation’s outstanding law schools for 2022, according to The Princeton Review.
The education services company published its latest “Best Law Schools for 2022” list, which is based on data collected from surveys of school administrators and of over 15,000 students attending 168 law schools.
Richardson ranked second for “Most Diverse Faculty” and third for the law school “Most Chosen by Older Students.” It is also among the 49% of the 168 schools profiled that appeared on one or more of the ranking lists.
“I am grateful that the Princeton Review has again recognized Richardson Law as the exceptional school that it is,” said Dean Camille Nelson. “The students, staff, faculty and alumni come together to create a law school that has an outsized impact in this region and beyond. There is so much to be celebrated and it is nice for this community to be so deservedly recognized.”
The Princeton Review‘s Editor-in-Chief Rob Franek said, “We recommend Richardson Law School and every one of the 168 law schools on our 2022 list as an excellent choice for an aspiring attorney.” Law schools profiled include information on each school’s academics, student life, admissions information, and graduates’ employment data.
The company does not rank the law schools from 1 to 168 or name one law school best overall, but instead publishes 14 ranking lists of the top 10 law schools in various categories. Six lists are based on both student survey and institutional data. Five are based entirely on student survey data, and three entirely on institutional data. The Princeton Review explains its methodology for each ranking list category, which includes “Best Classroom Experience,” “Best for Federal Clerkships,” and “Most Chosen by Older Students.”
Student surveys included questions covering their schools’ student body, academics, and campus life; it also asked respondents about themselves and their career plans. For the 2022 edition, student surveys were conducted during the 2020-2021, 2019–20, and 2018–19 academic years; institutional data was collected from surveys of administrators at law schools during the 2020-21 academic year.
UH law students commented that Richardson has a “small student body,” “access to some of the best faculty in the field,” and numerous moot court teams that “do extremely well on a national level.”
Also noted was the inclusive, collaborative nature of the Richardson community and viable opportunities for networking and graduate employment. Professors are approachable, “well-versed in their fields” and are active scholars and practitioners.” Administration is supportive of student success, and students appreciate the “tight-knit community on the islands,” which provides opportunities for “amazing access to professionals in the field, such as the judges, big law firms, and politicians.”
Internships, externships, and jobs are “numerous and relatively easy to procure,” with many opportunities for networking and career development with the local legal community that is actively involved with their education, with lawyers and judges regularly providing guidance and opportunities for students.
Richardson’s excellent programs in environmental law, international law, and the Pacific-Asian region were also recognized in many students’ responses. UH Law students noted the in-depth focus on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Pacific-Asian Law, and a vibrant international law program which allows collaboration with law students internationally.
As one second year law student notes, “If you want to make changes in the world, this is the law school to come to.”