LLM Program

The Master of Laws (LLM) Program of the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa provides students with a broader understanding of U.S. and international legal issues—something that is increasingly necessary in today’s globalized law practice. The LLM Program is open to foreign legal professionals and law graduates who have earned a law degree (or its equivalent) outside of the United States. The Program is one year in length, during which students must take the 3-credit, "Introduction to American Law" course. Students are free to choose what other courses they wish to take, as long as they earn at least 24 total credits over two semesters in residence. During the Program, LLM students improve their legal English skills as well as their understanding of American legal culture, while receiving excellent training in the U.S. legal system.

The Law School makes every effort to ensure that the LLM students have a successful experience both in and out of the classroom. The LLM Program offers a series of special events to expose students to the culture of our legal community and integrate them with the other law students. These events include: a tour of the courts, dinners with faculty, a law firm tour, a hike with Dean Soifer, sporting events, and meetings with guest speakers. There are also many Law School events, both academic and social, in which the LLM students are free to participate. LLM students elect a representative to the Student Bar Association, and may join any of the various law student group activities.

One of the strengths of the Law School is its focus on Pacific-Asian Legal Studies. For students interested in this region, we offer considerable resources among our faculty, course offerings, and research materials. In addition, students may take advantage of other departments of the University including:

• School of Pacific and Asian Studies: The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s School of Pacific and Asian Studies (SPAS) supports excellent area centers for Chinese, Japanese Korean, Pacific Islands and Southeast Asian studies. SPAS oversees teaching and research efforts of some 300 faculty specialists who offer more than 600 courses in those areas. SPAS has become the largest research faculty for Asian and Pacific Studies in the world, and the University is the world leader in publications on the Pacific.
• Center for Hawaiian Studies: The Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa offers a graduate program leading to the MA in Hawaiian studies. The program features an interdisciplinary approach to the study of the Hawaiian islands, as well as the aboriginal population of the islands and their lineal descendants, who carry on the traditions of Hawai‘i in the face of relentless contemporary change.
• The East-West Center: The East-West Center is an internationally recognized education and research institution founded by the U.S. Congress in 1960 to strengthen relations and understanding among the countries of Asia, the Pacific and the U.S. The Center sponsors international exchanges, conferences and research programs, and it is located very close to the School of Law on the Mānoa campus.

Brochure .pdf