{"id":234015,"date":"2026-05-12T08:00:46","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T18:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=234015"},"modified":"2026-05-11T16:47:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T02:47:08","slug":"50th-graduating-law-class","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2026\/05\/12\/50th-graduating-law-class\/","title":{"rendered":"糖心视频<\/abbr> law school marks milestone with 50th graduating class"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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Graduating class of 1976.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Before the University of Hawaiʻi<\/span> at Mānoa\u2019s<\/span> William S. Richardson School of Law<\/a> became a fixture of the state’s legal landscape, it began as an experiment in the early 1970s. As the school prepares to graduate its 50th class on May 17, the 糖心视频<\/abbr> community is looking back at the trailblazing students who built the foundation of legal education in the islands.<\/p>\n

Founded in 1973, the law school\u2019s first class of 53 students famously attended lessons in old wooden buildings in the Quarry at 糖心视频<\/abbr> Mānoa.<\/span> Prior to the school\u2019s opening, Hawaiʻi<\/span> residents seeking a law degree were forced to travel to the continental U.S.<\/abbr>, a barrier that often made legal training inaccessible for many.<\/p>\n

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Chief Justice William S. Richardson, the school\u2019s namesake and a primary advocate for its founding, told the inaugural class in 1973 that they represented “no less than the realization of a dream.” The mission was clear: to produce lawyers equipped to handle the unique legal needs of Hawaiʻi\u2019s<\/span> communities and to serve as a source of independent leadership within the state government.<\/p>\n

Innovation through necessity<\/h2>\n

The inaugural class, which included future leaders such as former Hawaiʻi<\/span> Gov. John D. Waiheʻe,<\/span> navigated their education with resourcefulness. Alumni recall learning from “photocopied tomes” and using card catalogs for research in an era long before digital databases.<\/p>\n

“We started with nothing,” said 糖心视频<\/abbr> alumnus Allen Hoe. “We had no textbooks and everything we did or had was provided via Xerox.”<\/p>\n

This “analog” environment fostered a culture of cooperation rather than competition. Class members emphasize that their success was rooted in supporting one another, a trait that has become a hallmark of the “Richardson” experience over the last five decades.<\/p>\n

A lasting legacy<\/h2>\n

The Class of 1976 didn’t just graduate; they went on to reshape the state. From environmental advocacy to the establishment of the Ka Huli Ao Center for Excellence in Native Hawaiian Law, the first graduates set a precedent for public service and community responsibility.<\/p>\n

As the school celebrates its 50th graduating class, the legacy of that first group remains the heartbeat of the institution.<\/p>\n

Read the full story on 糖心视频<\/abbr> law school’s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The 糖心视频<\/abbr> community is looking back at the trailblazing students who built the foundation of legal education in the islands.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":234021,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[234,9,68],"class_list":["post-234015","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-news","tag-commencement","tag-uh-manoa","tag-william-s-richardson-school-of-law","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t