The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa William S. Richardson School of Law has again been recognized nationally—this time for its rigorous and generous pro bono requirements for graduation. The School of Law was named to the Top 10 List of Law Schools with pro bono requirements. It is in the same company as Columbia Law School and the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
The list was compiled by the Super Lawyers website, a rating service that, among other things, evaluates the nation’s top attorneys. Super Lawyers Magazine also lists top attorneys, as rated by their peers.
While many of the other top 10 law schools were recognized for their 40-hour pro bono requirement, the William S. Richardson School of Law requires 60 hours of free community legal service done by students in order to graduate.
Over the years Hawaiʻi law students have provided thousands of free hours to assist some of our community’s most vulnerable people as they deal with legal problems.
School of Law Dean Avi Soifer pointed out that, more than 20 years ago, it was the law students themselves who asked for the pro bono requirement as part of their requirements to graduate. &dquo;Our students are exceptional, and faculty and staff members often find them truly inspirational,” he said. “This is a prime example of their ongoing commitment to law as a helping profession.”
Read the School of Law news release for more.
—By Beverly Creamer
