William S. Richardson School of Law again ranks among nation's outstanding law schools

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Contact:
Beverly Creamer, (808) 389-5736
Media Consultant, William S. Richardson School of Law
Posted: Oct 16, 2015

Incoming Law School class at the Supreme Court during orientation.
Incoming Law School class at the Supreme Court during orientation.
Law students gather in the welcoming central courtyard.
Law students gather in the welcoming central courtyard.

The William S. Richardson School of Law on the UH Mānoa campus has again been ranked as one of the nation's most outstanding law schools by the 2016 edition of The Princeton Review, with top rankings in several key categories.

Included among the nation’s 173 best schools, the Richardson Law School ranked first for the "Best Environment for Minority Students," third as the school with the "Most Diverse Faculty" and fourth as the law school that was "Most Chosen by Older Students."

The Richardson Law School consistently ranks among the best in the country and among the top 10 schools in each of the above categories. This year it ranked even higher than a year ago in terms of its diverse faculty and the choice of older students.

Rankings were based on surveys of more than 19,000 law students plus school administrators about academics, student body characteristics and campus life, as well as about themselves and their career plans. The student surveys used for this edition were all completed online at http://survey.review.com and conducted during the 2014-15, 2013-14, and 2012-13 academic years.

Richardson Law Dean Avi Soifer said he continues to be gratified at the school's high ranking in this important national survey, but especially about remarks made by students, such as having “access to some of the best faculty in the field.” He reiterates what students emphasized: Richardson is known for its supportive student body “and very accessible faculty.”

“We pride ourselves on being a close-knit community that works together so that everyone succeeds in our rigorous educational program.  We also have fun together,” said Soifer. “The Richardson community really does support one another during law school and long afterward in many ways, such as assisting one another with varied employment and leadership opportunities.”

Princeton Review does not rank the law schools within the top 173 nor does it name one law school as best overall. Instead, the book has 11 ranking lists of the top 10 law schools in a range of categories.

According to Robert Franek, Princeton Review Senior VP-Publisher, "We recommend Richardson Law School as one of the best institutions to earn a law school degree. We chose the 173 schools in this book based on our high regard for their academics and our assessment of institutional data we collect from the schools. We also solicited and greatly respect the opinions of 19,700 students attending these schools who reported on their experiences at their schools on our 80-question student survey for the book."

Richardson Law School is one of those featured in the new 2016 edition of the educational services company’s annual book, "The Best 173 Law Schools” (Penguin Random House / Princeton Review Books, October 6, 2015, $24.99) and on its site at http://www.princetonreview.com/law-school-rankings/best-law-schools. The book's two-page school profiles have sections reporting on academics, student life, admissions information and graduates' employment data.

Of the 11 lists of ranking categories, 10 are based entirely or partly on Princeton Review's surveys of students attending the schools. A few lists, such as "Best Career Prospects," use both student survey and institutional data. The list, “Toughest to Get Into,” is based solely on institutional data. Princeton Review explains its methodology for its ranking lists in the book at http://www.princetonreview.com/law-school-rankings/ranking-methodology

Princeton Review (www.PrincetonReview.com) headquartered in Natick, MA, is an education services company known for its tutoring, admission and test-prep services, books, and other student resources. It is not affiliated with Princeton University.

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