The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa William S. Richardson School of Law was ranked again 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 more than 15,000 students attending 168 law schools.
The UH law school ranked second for “Most Diverse Faculty” and third for “Most Chosen by Older Students.” It is also among 49% of the 168 schools profiled that appeared on one or more of the ranking lists.
If you want to make changes in the world, this is the law school to come to.
—Second year law student
“I am grateful that The Princeton Review has again recognized Richardson law as the exceptional school that it is,” said UH law school 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.”
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 UH law school 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 access to professionals in the field, such as judges, attorneys at big law firms and politicians.
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, Pacific-Asian law and a vibrant international law program which allows collaboration with law students internationally.
As one second year law student noted, “If you want to make changes in the world, this is the law school to come to.”
This ranking is an example of UH Mānoa’s goal of Enhancing Student Success (PDF), one of four goals identified in the 2015–25 Strategic Plan (PDF), updated in December 2020.