Before the University of Â鶹´«Ã½ at ²Ñā²Ô´Ç²¹¡¯²õ 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 UH community is looking back at the trailblazing students who built the foundation of legal education in the islands.
Founded in 1973, the law school¡¯s first class of 53 students famously attended lessons in old wooden buildings in the Quarry at UH Mānoa. Prior to the school¡¯s opening, Â鶹´«Ã½ residents seeking a law degree were forced to travel to the continental U.S., a barrier that often made legal training inaccessible for many.
Chief Justice William S. Richardson, the school¡¯s 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 ±á²¹·É²¹¾±ʻ¾±¡¯²õ communities and to serve as a source of independent leadership within the state government.
Innovation through necessity
The inaugural class, which included future leaders such as former Â鶹´«Ã½ Gov. John D. Waiheʻe, navigated their education with resourcefulness. Alumni recall learning from “photocopied tomes” and using card catalogs for research in an era long before digital databases.
“We started with nothing,” said UH alumnus Allen Hoe. “We had no textbooks and everything we did or had was provided via Xerox.”
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.
A lasting legacy
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.
As the school celebrates its 50th graduating class, the legacy of that first group remains the heartbeat of the institution.
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