William S. Richardson is the namesake of the law school. He is a former Chief Justice of the Hawai'i State Supreme Court, having served in that capacity from 1966 to 1982. He later served as a trustee of what is now Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate. Prior to his service as the top jurist in Hawai'i, Chief Justice Richardson was Lieutenant Governor under John A. Burns. Before that, he was in the private practice of law, was an advocate for statehood and served as chairman of the Hawai'i Democratic Party from 1956 to 1962.

Of native Hawaiian, Chinese and Caucasian ancestry, Chief Justice Richardson has termed himself as "just a local boy from Hawai'i." He graduated from Roosevelt High School and the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa . He earned his law degree from the University of Cincinnati. At the outset of World War II he volunteered to serve in the U.S. Army and saw combat as a platoon leader with the 1st Filipino Infantry Regiment. He was later inducted into the Infantry Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame.

The Richardson court helped expand native Hawaiian rights to use private property. It gave the public more access to private lands to beaches. It awarded new land created by lava flows to the state, instead of to nearby property owners. It broadened the rights of citizens to challenge land court decisions. In the court's own words, "The western concept of exclusivity is not universally applicable in Hawai'i." This new yet old way of thinking sometimes drew criticism from the government and legal profession but has become recognized as an enlightened approach for this unique place in the world.

Before his retirement from the bar, Chief Justice Richardson was memorialized with the naming of the law school in his honor. The William S. Richardson School of Law is the state's only law school and is considered by many to be his crowning achievement, having fought for its establishment for decades. Chief Justice Richardson is still involved with the continuing development of the law school and is frequently called upon by the faculty, student body and community for his knowledge, insight and inspiration. He is "in residence" at the school and may be found almost daily in his office which he graciously shares with the University of Hawai'i Elder Law Program.