Deadline for Fall 2008 admission is March 1, 2008

1.) APPLICATION FORM

Download the application form or request a hard copy of the application by emailing lawadm@hawaii.edu or calling the Law School at 808-956-3000

OR

Go to http://www.lsac.org, click on online services and register. You will be able to apply electronically.

IN ADDITION TO THE APPLICATION, THE REQUIRED MATERIALS TO COMPLETE ARE ITEMS 2 THROUGH 8 BELOW AS APPLICABLE.

2.) LSAT

Take the LSAT no later than February 2008. The February 2008 LSAT is the latest acceptable score that will be considered for Fall 2008 admissions. LSAT scores from test taken prior to 2005 will not be considered for Fall 2008 admissions without the permission of Associate Dean Tochiki.

3.) LSDAS

You must register with the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS). Required materials to be sent from LSDAS to the School of Law must be postmarked by March 15, 2008.

a. Undergraduate transcript(s) must be sent directly to LSDAS. Applicants to the William S. Richardson School of Law are required to register for the LSDAS and to submit official transcripts of their entire undergraduate record to LSDAS for processing.

b. Transcripts and any other materials sent to LSDAS should be received by February 15, 2008 in order to assure that they are sent to the School of Law by our March 15, 2008 postmark deadline for connecting materials.

c. Recommendation Letters - If you choose, you may have your Letters of Recommendation sent to LSDAS to be included with your LSAT Report. Please see item #7 below for further details on Letters of Recommendation.

d. Foreign-educated Applicants - If you attended a foreign college or university, you must check Appendix D in the LSAT & LSDAS Registration Packet. If your school is listed there, you must send your undergraduate transcripts to LSDAS to be included in your report. If your school is not listed, you must request official transcripts be sent directly to the School of Law and you should not register for the LSDAS.

4.) APPLICATION FEE

A $60 application fee (in U.S. dollars) made payable to the University of Hawai'i must accompany each application for admission. Please be advised that the University's Board of Regents has determined that under no circumstances is this fee waivable or refundable.

5.) TRANSCRIPTS

Undergraduate transcripts and Graduate transcripts must be sent directly to LSDAS.

6.) RESIDENCY FORM

All applicants who claim Hawaii residency, or who qualify for an exemption, must complete and submit a Residency Declaration form. This form should be received with your application or be postmarked no later than March 1, 2008. If you do not submit a Residency Declaration, you will be considered a non-resident for tuition purposes.

7.) RECOMMENDATION LETTERS

A minimum of two letters of recommendation are required to apply. You may choose either A or B to submit your letters: 

a. LSDAS - Letters may be sent directly to LSDAS (see #3 above). Letters must be sent to LSDAS by February 15, 2008 to ensure that they are forwarded to the School of Law in time to meet our March 15, 2008 postmark deadline for connecting materials. The School of Law's recommendation form need not be included if you choose to submit Letters of Recommendation through LSDAS.

b. School of Law - Letters may be sent directly to the School of Law. The School of Law's Letter of Recommendation form, which is included with our application materials, must accompany letters sent directly to the School of Law. Letters of Recommendation msut be postmarked by March 15, 2008.

8.) TEST OF ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE (TOEFL) (If applicable)

Results of the TOEFL are required for those applicants from foreign countries where English is not the applicant's first language. TOEFL results are also required for applicants who do not hold a bachelor's degree (or equivalent) from an accredited institution of higher learning in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Great Britain or English-speaking countries in Africa.

For Fall 2008 admissions, the January 2008 TOEFL is the latest acceptable test. TOEFL scores from tests taken prior to 2006 will not be considered. Applicants must score at least 600 on the TOEFL, or 250 on the computerized TOEFL exam to be considered competitive. 

PERSONAL INTERVIEWS

The School of Law does not require, nor does it grant, personal interviews as part of the admissions process. Occasionally, the Admissions Committee may wish to meet with an applicant for clarifying purposes. However, such meetings are rare and are initiated by the Admissions Committee.

Applicants are invited to seek clarification of application procedures by calling the admissions office at (808-956-7966) or by e-mailing lawadm@hawaii.edu.

DEADLINES, NOTIFICATIONS AND TIMING OF DECISIONS

The School of Law has a two-tiered deadline for receipt of application materials. The application, fee, and residency form must be postmarked by March 1. All other materials (LSDAS report and letters of recommendation) must be postmarked by March 15.

In order to assure that you meet these deadlines, the Admissions Office strongly recommends that you inform your recommenders that LSDAS must receive your transcripts and letters of recommendation by February 15.

INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS

Applications which remain incomplete or those with late-arriving material will be withdrawn from consideration.

Upon receipt of the application, the School of Law will notify each applicant as to the status of the application file. This is the only notice the applicant will receive that an application is incomplete. A complete notice is sent only when all required materials/documents are received; until so notified, applicants should assume that their files remain incomplete. Applicants are encouraged to call or write to the admissions office about the status of their files if they have not received a complete notice in a timely manne.

Incomplete applications will be withdrawn from consideration after the stated deadline and a notification letter will be sent. Because of the importance of these notifications, applicants should advise the School of Law immediately of any changes of address. The School of Law assumes no responsibility for missed deadlines resulting from failure to inform us of a change of address.

The Admissions Committee begins reviewing completed applications in the order in which they are received. Early application is therefore advisable. The Committee generally begins meeting in January and continues to meet until all applications completed by the deadline are reviewed-usually by late March. Most applicants will receive final notification by mid-April.

DEFERRED ADMISSION

Applicants are encouraged to apply in the year in which they wish to enroll. However, deferment requests may be granted at the discretion of the Admissions Committee. Examples of reasons a deferment might be granted include admission to a concurrent or combined degree program, serious illness in the family, award of a fellowship, or some other extraordinary opportunity. An admitted applicant considering a deferment request should contact the Admissions Office for specific information at lawadm@hawaii.edu

REACTIVATION OF APPLICATION AND STATUS OF APPLICANT FILES

All application materials become the property of the School of Law. Applicants are advised to make personal copies of their applications. The School of Law retains applicant files for two years. An individual who has applied within the past two years and who wishes to reactivate his or her file should submit a new application and fee as well as a letter to the committee asking to reactivate her or his letters of recommendation and/or personal statement.

DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS

Because lawyers and law students are held to high ethical standards, applicants are cautioned to be truthful and candid during the entire admissions process. The School of Law expects that all applicants will furnish all requested information in a complete and accurate manner. Failure to disclose an act or event may be more significant, and lead to more serious consequences, than the act or event itself. Failure to provide complete and truthful information, or failure to inform the Admissions Office of any changes to your answers, may result in dismissal from or disciplinary action by the Law School, revocation of degree, or denial of permission to practice law by the state in which you seek bar admission. This obligation to disclose is an obligation that does not end upon admission and continues throughout Law School.

Mail the completed application and required materials to:

William S. Richardson School of Law

Admissions Office

2515 Dole Street

Honolulu, HI 96822