U of H Law School (Honolulu: lawyers, university, professionals)

[master of the night man]

Anyone go there/graduate and have some words to share? It looks affordable but the graduation rate is low and job prospects poor for a lot of folks. Not sure why this is. Maybe taking too serious a degree program in a place that is so lax?

[mdand3boys]

My guess is that mainland employers would simply think that you went there to have fun and not be serious about the degree, no matter how good the school may actually be.

[cynmkolohe]

Originally Posted by master of the night man

Maybe taking too serious a degree program in a place that is so lax?

Hawaii can be laid-back in a lot of ways, but that's a pretty big stereotype! There are a lot of very hardworking professionals in the legal field and at UH law school. I've met a few students at the law school lately...I don't think that too many students leave the program once they are in because they are lax!

[mdand3boys]

Originally Posted by cynmkolohe

Hawaii can be laid-back in a lot of ways, but that's a pretty big stereotype! There are a lot of very hardworking professionals in the legal field and at UH law school. I've met a few students at the law school lately...I don't think that too many students leave the program once they are in because they are lax!

I understand your comment fully.

However, think of the mainland perspective on this. My brother-in-law went to Tulane and was inundated with job offers when he graduated. I ran this by him earlier and he seemed to scoff. Again, mainland perspective. Kinda like graduating from Pepperdine University in Malibu. No matter how good the program really is, some will have negative connotations.

[Sweetbeet]

Richardson seems to be pretty well-respected around here (and many, if not most, of the attorneys in Honolulu went there), so if you plan on staying in Hawaii after graduation, it might not be a detriment. Now, it's true that my 'ivy-league' law degree turns some heads here, but maybe that would be true most places? It was no big deal in Ithaca, but that's because 80% of the lawyers in Ithaca had also gone to Cornell.

I don't think a degree from Richardson would be any less respected than one from any other second- or third-tier school. A lot depends on what you want to do with it - are you heading for BigLaw? A smaller firm? Hanging out your own shingle? In a big city? A small town? East coast? West? Hawaii?