LLM Admissions

The Law School is exceptional both for its location and its commitment to pluralism and diversity within the law, society, and academia. As the only ABA-accredited law school in the Pacific-Asia region, the school offers outstanding teaching and first-rate professional training by a talented and very accessible faculty.

We welcome you to consider a legal education in what may well be the most exceptional and collegial Law School in the country.

Deadline

Complete applications must be postmarked by April 1 of the year of enrollment. However, if places are still available, later applications will be considered, with the approval of the LLM Director.

LLM Application Instructions

A complete application includes the following:

• Signed Application Form:  Word Doc | PDF
  
• Personal Statement: Write about your experience and qualifications, your reasons for seeking an LLM degree and the course of study you wish to pursue. The Statement that you submit must be written by you alone and should not exceed 500 words (about two typed pages). If you wish, you may also include a curriculum vitae or a résumé on a separate sheet.
• Letters of Recommendation: You must provide two letters of recommendation. At least one of the letters should be from your former or current law professor. If a recommendation letter is not written in English, then an English translation must accompany the original recommendation letter. (See Letters of Recommendation instructions on the Application Form.)
• Transcripts: Request official transcripts from all institutions (graduate and undergraduate) where you have studied, to be sent directly to the LLM Program, William S. Richardson School of Law. If the transcripts are not in English, a certified English translation must be submitted with each transcript.
  • *LSAC Credential Assembly Service for TOEFL and Transcripts: You may choose to use the Law School Admission Council's (LSAC) Credential Assembly Service (website: www.LSAC.org), which is a convenient way to send your TOEFL scores and Transcripts to multiple law schools electronically. You must first register at www.llm.lsac.org and pay a registration fee of $185 and submit your transcripts and TOEFL scores one time. LSAC will distribute your information to the law schools that you choose, if they are part of the network. This service is not required, however, if you choose to use this service, please write your LSAC account number at the top of your LL.M. Program Application form.
• TOEFL Examination: Your application must include a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) examination score report UNLESS you have U.S. citizenship or permanent resident status OR
  • You earned a bachelor's or graduate degree from an institution in the U.S., Canada (excluding Quebec), the United Kingdom, Australia, or New Zealand
  • Ordinarily, the minimum TOEFL scores for admission to the School of Law are 580 on the paper-based exam and 237 on the computer-based exam. TOEFL scores more than two years old at the time of application cannot be considered; applicants must retake the test to present a more recent score. TOEFL scores must be sent from ETS directly to the School of Law. The School of Law's institution code is 4867. You may also send us your score reports using the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (See #4 above.)
  • *Applicants who have completed one-year as full-time students in an English-speaking university at the time of their application may be eligible for a TOEFL exemption. Exemption is not automatic and will be granted at the discretion of the LLM Committee.
• Application Fee: A $60 application fee, made payable to the "University of Hawai‘i" is required. Payment must be issued by a U.S. bank or an international money order. Your name should be written on the check so it can be properly credited to your application. We are not able to waive or refund this fee.
• Writing Sample (Not Required): If you have written a document at work or school in English on any topic, you may submit up to two pages of it as a sample of your English writing ability to supplement your application. The writing sample does not need to be a complete document. You may black out any confidential information.

You may send the completed application as an email attachment, by fax, or by mail.

Please note that all application materials become the property of the William S. Richardson School of Law and the University of Hawai‘i and cannot be returned or forwarded elsewhere. Applicants are advised to make personal copies of their materials, as the Law School will not reproduce any materials submitted.

 

Brochure .pdf