Pre-law Symposium for Pacific Islanders to demystify applying to law school

Chasid Sapolu

The first ever Pre-Law Symposium for Pacific Islanders will be held at the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa campus on Thursday, October 11. The public is invited to the symposium from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Classrooms 1 and 2, and the Moot Court Room.

The symposium is being sponsored by the newly formed Pacific Islander Legal Association headed by student Ian F. Tapu to demystify the application process for law school.

“The association hopes to inspire more Pacific Islanders to apply to law school,” said Tapu. “We hope to combat the alarming statistics that only approximately 5 percent of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders have attained a graduate degree, which is lower than almost every other ethic group in the U.S.”

The event will feature:

• Opening keynote address by Honolulu First Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Chasid Sapolu.
• Presentation by Julian Aguon, the attorney arguing a case before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on October 10 at the law school on behalf of self-determination for Chamorro people.
• Resume/personal statement workshop.
• LSAT presentation.
• The chance to attend a Civil Procedure class.
• Panel of Pacific Islander students at the William S. Richardson School of Law.
• Panel of current Pacific Islander legal professionals.
• Closing speech by Judge Bode Uale, the first state Family Court judge of Samoan descent who has served as a judge since 1991, and now the lead judge of the First Circuit Family Court’s Juvenile Division.  

“The law school has a history of supporting and uplifting vulnerable populations because it aligns with the very spirit of our namesake, Chief Justice William S. Richardson,” said Tapu. “This law school is committed to shaping the future leaders of the Pacific.” 

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