The UH Law School continues its tradition of strong admissions for another year, with an incoming class for 2021 that includes 113 students, including: 83 Full-Time day students; 19 Evening Part-Time students, 7 seeking a Masters or LLM degree; and 4 pursuing an Advanced JD.
The numbers for the new year closely match the numbers over the last few years, despite the volatility in law school admissions that have been seen across the country over the past decade.
A year ago, despite the challenges of Covid-19 and online classes, the William S. Richardson School of Law welcomed 105 students, with 86 of them in the full-time day program and 19 in the Evening Part-Time Program.
In 2019, there were 83 students in the Full-Time day program and 20 in the Evening Part-Time program.
“We are excited to be starting a new year and welcoming such a vibrant class of students,” said Dean Camille Nelson. “Despite our Law School’s relatively small size, we attract a strong group of Hawai‘i, continental, and international students who value excellence and learning in an environment of support and collegiality that comes from both the students themselves, as well as the faculty and staff.”
The number of applications Richardson received this year was the largest in the past nine years, and the admissions team calls it a hopeful sign that law school applicants are looking forward, and want to train themselves now so they will be ready for a post-pandemic future.
“We have been fortunate to further expand our reach and engagement with prospective students in the past year through virtual events,” said Loreto Coloma Jr., Associate Director of Admissions. “It is very encouraging to see the increasing interest in wanting to study law and to attend our Law School.”
Richardson received a 12.9% increase in applications, topping the national average of a 12.6% increase. The applicant pool was 55% female, and the incoming class is 71.5% female, said Coloma.
The Law School launched the new year with several days of orientation over zoom, bringing together graduates, professors, and legal experts to share advice and encouragement, as well as the school’s background and its founding by Chief Justice Richardson almost half a century ago. The orientation schedule culminated with the current Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald administering the Student Pledge from the Hawai‘i Supreme Court chambers.