University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law

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Student Organizations

STUDENT BAR ASSOCIATION (SBA)

The Student Bar Association (SBA) is the student body’s advocate within the the Law School campus, the larger university and is also an umbrella organization overseeing nearly two dozen student organizations.

Student Leaders (2025-2026)
  • President: Logan Luke
  • Vice-President: Sam Wiener
  • Treasurer: Zhan Cacho
  • Secretary: Kyson James-Foree
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ADVOCATES FOR PUBLIC INTEREST LAW (APIL)

Advocates for Public Interest Law is an organization within the Hawai’i legal community whose purpose is to encourage public interest legal work. APIL began with a gift from the 1985 graduating class of the University of Hawai’i’s William S. Richardson School of Law.

Today, through its fund-raising activities APIL is able to award several grants each spring to Hawai‘i law students, enabling them to intern with various public interest organizations during their summer recess. The goal of this program is to provide legal services to underrepresented groups in the community, while providing valuable training and experience to each of our grantees.

APIL also aims to raise the consciousness of Hawai‘i’s law students and the entire legal community regarding public interest law.

APIL consists of an all-student group at the William S. Richardson School of Law, and a community group headed by a board of directors composed of attorneys, students, and other members of the Hawai’i legal community.

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AHAHUI O HAWAIʻI ADVOCATES FOR NATIVE HAWAIIAN JUSTICE

ʻAhahui o Hawaiʻi Advocates for Native Hawaiian Justice (aka the Hui) is the Native Hawaiian Law Student Organization at the William S. Richardson School of Law. The Hui, founded in 1973, is the oldest student organization at the Law School. The Hui raises significant issues of concern to Native Hawaiians at the Law School and in the community.

The Hui’s mission is “to accept and fulfill our kuleana by providing a safe and respectful forum to discuss issues from a Hawaiian perspective in a way that is pono.”

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KA HULI AO

Ka Huli Ao Center for Excellence in Native Hawaiian Law is an academic center that promotes education, scholarship, community outreach and collaboration on issues of law, culture and justice for Native Hawaiians and other Pacific and Indigenous peoples.

Established in 2005 at the Law School through a Native Hawaiian Education Act grant, Ka Huli Ao focuses on education, research, scholarship, community outreach, and the preservation of invaluable historical, legal, traditional, and customary materials. It also offers new courses and supports Native Hawaiian and other law students as they pursue legal careers and leadership roles.

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AMERICAN CONSTITUTION SOCIETY FOR LAW AND POLICY (ACS)

American Constitution Society for Law and Policy (ACS) is a national organization that believes that law should be a force to improve the lives of all people. The mission of ACS is to harness the values of compassion and respect for each individual, and to re-incorporate them into American law and politics, in order to build a stronger and more decent national community. ACS strives for positive change by shaping debate on important legal and constitutional issues through development and promotion of high-impact ideas to opinion leaders and the media; and by building networks of lawyers, law students, judges and policymakers dedicated to those ideas.

The ACS student chapter of William S. Richardson School of law seeks to embrace the goals and values of ACS as they pertain to the law school, the University of Hawaii and the local community at large. By bringing together powerful, relevant ideas and passionate, talented people, ACS makes a difference in the constitutional, legal and public policy debates that shape our democracy.

Visit our ACS website or find us on Facebook.

To become a member of ACS, please visit our ACS website.

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ASIAN-PACIFIC LAW & POLICY JOURNAL (APLPJ)

The Asian-Pacific Law and Policy Journal (APLPJ) is a web-based, American legal journal covering issues in Asia and the Pacific Rim. Our objectives are to disseminate legal research by law professors, legal practitioners, social scientists, economists, and students; to increase awareness of legal issues impacting the region and to provide a forum to discuss legal topics that fall within the Journal’s geographic scope. In addition to the web format, the journal is available through the legal databases LexisNexis.

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BLACK LAW STUDENTS ASSOCIATION (BLSA)

The mission of NBLSA is to increase the number of culturally responsible Black and minority attorneys who excel academically, succeed professionally, and positively impact the community.

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ENVIRONMENTAL LAW SOCIETY (ELS)

The University of Hawai`i at Mānoa William S. Richardson School of Lawʻs Environmental Law Society provides students and the community with exposure to environmental issues and laws, participates in conservation efforts, and develops students’ skills to participate in the making of sound environmental policy. ELS organizes opportunities for students to go on exciting hikes and to participate in service projects throughout the school year. To enhance and enable student opportunities to work in the public sector of environmental law, ELS students raise funds for the summer grant program No Ke Ola O Ka `Aina (For the Life of the Land).

ELS members actively raise and promote awareness for greener living through ELS sponsored activities and by “living green” themselves. Living green does not necessarily entail radical sacrifices but those seemingly small changes that can have a big impact in the future. Some of those changes include: recycling, using re-usable coffee mugs and take-out containers, taking re-usable shopping bags to the grocery store, and turning off lights when not in a room, be it at home or at school.

Other ELS activities include participating in the City and County of Honolulu’s Adopt-a-Stream program. In addition, ELS sponsors island-wide hiking trips and beach cleanups, presents papers at, and participates in, regional and national environmental conferences, and organizes service trips to the uninhabited island of Kaho’olawe to assist in cleanup and re-vegetation efforts on the former U.S. military bombing target. ELS welcomes all those who are interested in environmental law or even those who just love the outdoors and want to keep Hawai`i beautiful so that we can continue to say, “lucky we live Hawai`i.”

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ENVIRONMENTAL LAW PROGRAM (ELP)

Recognizing the challenges that Hawai‘i and the world face in maintaining an environmentally sustainable economy, the William S. Richardson School of Law has developed a vibrant and diverse Environmental Law Program (ELP). Since its inception in 1988, the ELP has been a leading specialty program at the Law School, and Richardson Law School is ranked among the top 25 schools in the nation for studying environmental law. In training future environmental lawyers, the ELP contributes to the advancement of environmental law doctrine and scholarship, and practice locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. For more detailed information visit the ELP website.

Student Leaders (2024-25)
  • Malia Taylor-Wolfe
  • Kamehanaokala Sabado-Halpern
  • Jessielyn Ho
  • Korynn Grenert
  • Alyssa Neri
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  • For more information about this program, contact David M. Forman at (808) 956-5298, Richard Wallsgrove at (808) 956-9620 or by email.

ETE BOWL

The Ete flag football team is made up of female law school students. Each year they play in the Ete Bowl, a flag football game between the Etes and the alumnae team, The Bruzers.  For more information, please see Ete Bowl History, Scores & Rosters.

Student Leaders (2024-25)
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  • For more information, contact Haley Yoshioka.

FEDERAL BAR ASSOCIATION – HAWAIʻI STUDENT CHAPTER

The mission of the FBA Hawai‘i Student Chapter is to support the interests and needs of Richardson law students aspiring to Federal practice, both public and private, as well as to strengthen student interest and knowledge of the Federal legal system. The Hawaii Student Division, like other law school chapters, strives to advance the mission of the national FBA as set forth in Article III, Section 1, to “strengthen the federal legal system and administration of justice by serving the interests and the needs of the Federal practitioner, both public and private, the federal judiciary and the public they serve.” Law School Student Chapters also serve to advance the General Objectives of the FBA, as set forth in Article III, Section 3, including but not limited to:

  • To enhance the professional growth and development of members of the Federal legal profession and promote high standards of professional competence and ethical conduct, including through the provision of quality education programs. 
  • To support the members of the Association including through promoting professional and social interaction, notifying and educating members as to developments in their respective fields of interest, encouraging member involvement in activities of the Association, and providing opportunities for members to assume leadership roles in the Association.

The activities of all Law School Student Chapters should primarily serve to encourage learning about Federal law, courts, and legal practice, to advance the Law Student Division’s purposes, to promote and to serve the interests of the Division members, and to support growth in the Division’s membership. The Hawai‘i Student Division in particular recognizes that the small size of the Federal Bar, located in one District Court comprising the entire State, presents unique opportunities for building networks between the Federal Bar and Hawai‘i’s only law school. This includes opportunities for students to interact with judges and attorneys both on and off-campus, utilizing a “hands-on” approach for students to learn about Federal practice. 

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THE FEDERALIST SOCIETY

The Federalist Society’s chief goal is to foster balanced and open debate about the fundamental principles of individual freedom, limited government, and judicial restraint. Our Federalist Society student chapter seeks both to promote an awareness of these principles and furthering their application through our chapter activities. Our WSRSL Federalist Society is one of more than 200 nation-wide law school chapters!

In the spirit of bringing frank and open discussion of current issues to the law school, we host balanced conversations featuring conservative and libertarian academics presenting diverse views alongside their more liberal counterparts. Topics include checking federal power, protecting individual liberty, interpreting the Constitution according to its original meaning (Originalism), and hot topics in the legal and political spheres. Practicing members play a central role in networking and mentoring young lawyers in student chapters, and student members also have access to the local and national Federalist Society network of over 65,000 legal professionals! 

Notable Supreme Court Federalist Society Members include:

  • Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts
  • Former United States Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia 
  • Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito
  • Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas
  • Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch
  • Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh
  • Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett

In 2019, Politico Magazine stated the Federalist Society “has become one of the most influential legal organizations in history.”

WSRSL FedSoc welcomes all students who are interested in increasing their knowledge of judicial theory and differing viewpoints. Be a part of our community by visiting our Instagram account and Facebook page.

Visit our website to become a WSRSL FedSoc member.

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FILIPINO LAW STUDENTS ASSOCIATION (FLSA)

The Filipino Law Students Association (FLSA) is dedicated to strengthening the Filipino community through Filipino scholarship and leadership in Hawai’i’s legal community. 

FLSA also aims to raise awareness about important contemporary issues facing Filipinos, especially Filipino women, as an oppressed class of Hawai’i society, mindful that these issues are related to struggles in the Philippines and in the Native Hawaiian community. 

FLSA works closely with Hawai‘i Filipino Lawyers Association (HFLA) to provide networking opportunities for FLSA members. Each year FLSA offers two (2) $500 Scholarship Awards to members. Membership is multiethnic and scholarship opportunities are free and open to all law school students.

Student Leaders (2024-25)
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  • Instagram: @wsrsl_flsa

FOOD LAW & POLICY SOCIETY

To educate, advocate and promote the discussion of food law and policy related issues amongst students, faculty and community members with the University of Hawai’i. 

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HAWAIʻI WOMEN LAWYERS (HWL)

We are committed to improving the lives and careers of women attorneys, influencing the future of our legal profession, enhancing the status of women and promoting equal opportunities for all.

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LAMBDA LAW STUDENT ASSOCIATION

Lambda Law Student Association, also known as Lambda, is a law student organization at the University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law (WSRSL). Our mission is to foster community and promote awareness of diverse sexuality and gender identity through social activism.

Membership is open to all current students at WSRSL who embrace the purposes stated above and have expressed an interest in participating in Lambda. We are committed to openness, inclusivity and active advocacy.

Visit the Lambda Law Student Association website for more information!

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LAW REVIEW – UNIVERSITY OF HAWAIʻI

The University of Hawaiʻi Law Review at the William S. Richardson School of Law serves the local legal community by providing an elite academic forum for legal scholarship in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific, and contributes to the national discourse on emerging legal issues through the publication of compelling legal writing.

First organized in 1979, the University of Hawaiʻi Law Review is a student-run organization that publishes Hawaiʻi’s leading journal of legal scholarship authored by contributors from the legal community, including law professors, practitioners, jurists, and law students. The Law Review produces two issues annually, published in the winter and summer. Each issue contains content that is on the cutting edge of legal scholarship, and addresses topics of great importance and interest to our legal community. Manuscripts have been published relating to Land Use in Hawaiʻi; Environmental and Energy Law; Native Hawaiians and other Indigenous Peoples; and Racial and Social Justice. Articles published in the University of Hawaiʻi Law Review are often cited by scholars and practitioners, both in the State of Hawaiʻi and throughout the United States.

In addition to written publications, the Law Review launched its very own podcast – Hawaiʻi Law.  Established in Fall 2022, Hawaiʻi Law brings together esteemed guests from all backgrounds to discuss legal issues facing our state. 

The University of Hawaiʻi Law Review has two primary purposes: (1) to advance legal scholarship and discourse in local, national, and international legal communities and (2) to provide an academic forum for Richardson’s leading law students to further sharpen their legal analysis, writing, and editing skills.

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LAW AND BUSINESS ORGANIZATION (LBO)

The Law & Business Organization is dedicated to providing resources and networking for individuals interested in the confluence of law and business. We host events and opportunities that ensure professional development in law and business as well as maintain an active network, while supporting students currently pursuing their degrees.

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NATIONAL LAWYERS GUILD

The purpose of the National Lawyers Guild is to serve the people, rather than public or private entities that do not put human needs first.

“The National Lawyers Guild is the nation’s oldest and largest progressive bar association and was the first one in the US to be racially integrated.” 

Visit the National Lawyers Guild Website for more information!

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NATIONAL NATIVE AMERICAN LAW STUDENT ASSOCIATION – HAWAIʻI CHAPTER

The National Native American Law Students Association (“National NALSA”) was founded in 1970 to support law students who are interested in the study of Federal Indian Law, Tribal Law, and traditional forms of governance. Through NNALSA, we increase the Native American law student population and promote indigenous legal issues that affect Native communities. We encourage Native Americans to pursue a legal education and advocate for Tribal communities.

Visit the National Native American Law Students Association website for more information!

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PHI DELTA PHI INTERNATIONAL LEGAL FRATERNITY, RICHARDSON INN (PDP)

A local inn of the fraternity, formed in the spring of 1979, is named in honor of former Chief Justice William S. Richardson of the Hawai‘i Supreme Court. The fraternity is dedicated to the professional and social interests of its members and to service to the School of Law. Membership is open to all students currently enrolled in law school.

Our singular mission is the promotion of legal ethics and academic distinction in the law schools and the profession at large. Phi Delta Phi was founded in 1869 by four law students at the University of Michigan Law. Since then, Phi Delta Phi has grown exponentially and internationally. Today, Phi Delta Phi is a significant legal organization with chapters at major law schools throughout the United States, Canada, Latin America and Europe.

Phi Delta Phi has one hundred and thirty-one active chapters — called Inns — in the Western Hemisphere and the number increases yearly. Phi Delta Phi has initiated in excess of 200,000 members. More judges, American presidents, governors, senators, representatives, cabinet members, ambassadors, American Bar Association presidents, Association of American Law School presidents and law school Deans have come from the ranks of Phi Delta Phi than from any other legal society.

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STUDENT ANIMAL LEGAL DEFENSE FUND (SALDF)

The WSRSL Student Animal Legal Defense Fund is dedicated to providing a forum for education, advocacy, and scholarship aimed at protecting the lives and advancing the interests of animals through the legal system, and raising the profile of the field of animal law.

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PACIFIC ASIAN LEGAL STUDIES ORGANIZATION (PALSO)

The Pacific-Asian Legal Studies Organization (PALSO) is a law student organization that regularly welcomes attorneys and academics for talks and lectures on a range of topics and hosts a number of social events that gathers the law school community to promote our common interests in Pacific and Asian cultures.

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PACIFIC ISLANDER LEGAL ASSOCIATION (PILA)

The Pacific Islander Legal Association (PILA) is committed to raising awareness on issues facing the Pacific community through community service, engagement and advocacy. The association supports Pacific Islander students and students interested in working with Pacific Islander communities by providing networking, social and professional growth opportunities.

Student Leaders (2024-25)
  • Co-President: Fahina Lauti
  • Co-President: Ainsley Aiono
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