Women law students and graduates will battle in the annual Ete Bowl on Sunday

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Contact:
Beverly Creamer, (808) 389-5736
Media Consultant, William S. Richardson School of Law
Posted: Nov 17, 2016

A play during the 2015 Ete Bowl.
A play during the 2015 Ete Bowl.

A time-honored UH Law School tradition takes place this Sunday, November 20, 2016, when a team of current women law students faces off against women law graduates for a hard-fought flag football game at UH Mānoa.  The athletic showdown will take place at 1 p.m. on the football practice field/women's soccer field on Lower Campus near Murakami Stadium.

The Ete Bowl – launched 38 years ago to relieve the winter blues – has become a beloved athletic and networking tradition at the William S. Richardson School of Law.  It brings together law students and alumnae who are now working in the community as attorneys, judges and legislators. The graduate team is called the “Bruzers.”

Ete Co-Captain Diana Ohrt ’17 remembers reading about the Ete Bowl even before beginning law school. “I knew even before school began that I definitely wanted to be a part of this legacy,” she says. “I love the camaraderie and friendships that can be built, and I know after my three years on this team that I have made some friends for life.”

Ohrt also praised the support provided by teammates, and the sense of empowerment she has gained being part of the tradition. “For many of us, football is not something we are used to or comfortable with,” she said. But the experience, training and bonding with classmates “gives us a sense of pride and confidence that we can succeed at anything we try – no matter how foreign or intimidating.”

In 2013 Ete Bowl was honored with the prestigious President’s Award from Hawai‘i Women Lawyers, bestowed in recognition of its role in connecting law students with seasoned attorneys and community leaders who are graduates of the Law School.

Hawai‘i Supreme Court Associate Justice Sabrina McKenna ’82 has been a participant and a staunch supporter over the years, for example, as have been current faculty members, including Professor Mari Matsuda ’80. Male students and alumni help coach the two teams.

Law Dean Avi Soifer called the game an outstanding example of the way Hawai‘i law students and graduates support one another and provide a significant network for the future.

“The Ete Bowl underscores that sisterhood really is powerful,” said Soifer. “It also is so well played each year that it draws many spectators in addition to the students and graduates and families and friends who come out to support the players and to enjoy the game.”

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