Admitted Students Day at UH law school welcomes those admitted via GRE test scores

Newly admitted law students touring the law school and library.

The incoming 2018 fall class at the William S. Richardson School of Law will be the first to use a brand-new $7.2 million Clinical Building, as well as the first to include students admitted, based in part, on their GRE® general test scores.

During a full day of events on March 19, newly admitted students were introduced to some of the classes they will take, met Richardson faculty and staff, learned the intricacies of financial aid, and saw the new building that will house clinical courses as well as trial practice and advocacy training. The students also broke into groups to tour the law school and its library.

Last year, faculty voted to admit students based on GRE® test scores for a one-year trial period, after the law school participated in a study that showed the efficacy of the GRE® for law school admissions. About 7 percent of admitted students took the GRE instead of the traditional Law School Admissions Test or LSAT.

A small number of other law schools, including Harvard and Northwestern law schools, also are now accepting GRE® scores.

For Jonathan Fisk, 24, who is planning to pursue a JD concurrently with a PhD in natural resources and environmental management, it was the GRE® admission option that brought him to the law school.

“I saw that you can do law and still work in the community,” said Fisk, originally from Long Beach, California. He explained that he decided to apply after talking to friends in Hawai‘i and at other law schools. He said he was also inspired to apply to Richardson after taking an environmental law course with Assistant Professor Malia Akutagawa.

The law school is accepting applications for admission to both its day and evening programs on a rolling basis until July 1.

For more information, visit: https://www.law.hawaii.edu/