15 Native Hawaiian Law Certificates Awarded

The William S. Richardson School of Law graduated 15 law students with the Native Hawaiian Law Certificate. Last year 7 law students graduated with this distinction.

The 15 awardees are diverse and composed of both Native Hawaiian and non-Native Hawaiian students: Natasha Baldauf, Amy Brinker, Elena Bryant, Maria Carmichael, Amanda Donlin, Mark Jensen, Ha‘aheo Kaho‘ohalahala, Ryan Kanaka‘ole, Sarah Kaopuiki, Kekoa Keiley, Christopher Leong, Ann Otteman, Jeannin-Melissa Russo, Sherilyn Tavares, and Alexa Zen.

Students contributed to both the community and the law school in several ways:
Baldauf and Kaho'ohalahala conducted community presentations for Hawai'i's rural and farming communities regarding water law with law professor Kapua Sproat. During these presentations, Ka Huli Ao's water primer was also distributed to attendees.

Brinker has been recognized as spear-heading the legislative effort to "legalize pa'i'ai" and for founding indigenizethelaw.com by successfully advocating for passage of Senate Bill 101. SB 101 now waits for Governor Abercrombie's approval. Click here to read a Civil Beat article on the topic.

Donlin interned at Kahea: the Hawaiian-Environmental Alliance and the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation. These two organizations are public-interest law firms in Hawai'i.

Zen volunteered on the Leona Kalima case against the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. You can read a 2009 Honolulu Advertiser article on this case by CLICKING HERE.

Law students pursuing the Native Hawaiian Law Certificate enroll in a variety of classes. To see a list of courses, CLICK HERE. Course descriptions can be read by CLICKING HERE.

The new graduates' employment plans include: working for the Hawai'i judiciary, private firms, the military (Judge Advocate General), the federal government, and non-profits.

The annual spring commencement of the William S. Richardson School of Law awarded 15 students with Native Hawaiian Law Certificates on Sunday, May 15, 2011.

Established with federal funding in 2005 at the William S. Richardson School of Law, Ka Huli Ao Center for Excellence in Native Hawaiian is an academic center that promotes education, scholarship, community outreach and collaboration on issues of law, culture and justice for Native Hawaiians and other Pacific and Indigenous peoples. Law Professor Melody Kapilialoha MacKenzie serves as the Director of Ka Huli Ao, and is also among the Law School’s first graduates.

Law Students Featured in Ka Wai Ola

Third year law students at the William S. Richardson school of Law, Keani Alapa and Maxwell Kaanohi Kopper were the focus of an article in the April 2011 edition of Ka Wai Ola, the monthly newsletter of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. CLICK HERE to download the newsletter. The article is on Page 11.

Moot Court Team covered in local media

The William S. Richardson School of Law's Native American Moot Court Team is being reported on by various Hawaii media outlets.


Hawai'i Public Radio interviewed Jeannin Russo and the audio file of that radio show is available by CLICKING HERE or going to http://hawaiiconversation.org/audio/TC_030311.mp3.

KHON2 News also reported on the team. CLICK HERE to read news story.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser also has brief write-up. CLICK HERE for Star-Advertiser piece.

The Star-Advertiser's Dave Reardon wrote, "Alapa lays down the law." CLICK HERE to read.

UH Law Students Win Top Awards at Columbia University Moot Court Competition

University of Hawai‘i law students will bring home coveted awards from a national competition held at Columbia University Law School on February 25 and 26.

• Second year law student Elika Stimpson won 3rd Place in the Best Oralist category.


• Third year Law students Keani Alapa and Maxwell Kopper won 1st Place in the Best Advocate (formerly Best Overall) category.

Another third year law student duo composed of Jeannin Russo and Mark Jensen argued in the semi-final (“final four”) round; the UH law school represented one-half of the top four teams at the competition.

The competitionʻs elimination rounds began at 9am on February 26 with the top 16 teams. The William S. Richardson School of Law had four teams participating representing one-quarter of the top 16 teams.

Bill Meheula, a Honolulu attorney who accompanied the team said, “All our students were awesome, everyone did very well.” The University of Hawaiʻi team is composed of 11 students: Keani Alapa, Maria Carmichael, Tyler Gomes, Mark Jensen, Sarah Kaopuiki, Maxwell Kopper, Ana Won Pat-Borja, Adam Roversi, Jeannin Russo, Elika Stimpson, and Sherilyn Tavares.

The National Native American Law Students Association has sponsored this competition since 1993. The William S. Richardson School of Law first participated in the competition in 1994. Between 1997 and 2011, the law school has earned a total of 23 awards in this competition.

National Native American Law Students Association Moot Court Competition

Every year, the William S. Richardson School of Law participates in the annual moot court competition sponsored by the National Native American Law Students Association (National NALSA).

This year the competition will be hosted in New York by the Columbia Law School National NALSA chapter. You can CLICK HERE to read the competition problem written by Indian law scholar Matthew Fletcher.

After two long days of tryouts in September 2010, the 2010-11 team was chosen.

In the photo above back row left to right: Sarah Kaopuiki, Sherilyn Tavares, Jeannin-Melissa Russo, Maria Carmichael, Elika Stimpson, Ana Won Pat-Borja. Front Row, left to right: Adam Roversi, Keani Alapa, Max Kaanohi Kopper, Tyler Gomes and Mark Jensen.