NOW ON THE HOT SEAT: AVI SOIFER, DEAN OF UH-MANOA’S SCHOOL OF LAW
August 19th, 2008 by Jeanne Mariani-BeldingWelcome to the Hot Seat. Joining us live for the next hour, from noon to 1 p.m. today is Avi Soifer, dean of the University of Hawaii-Manoa’s William S. Richardson School of Law. He’ll answer your questions live during the hour.
There’s quite a bit going on at the law school theses days. Today the law school kicks off its new part-time, evening program with the orientation of its inaugural class. Add to that the school’s Lehua Program, which focuses on students who have leadership promise who have overcome adversity; the school’ s Native Hawaiian Law Center, with its community outreach; the Pacific and Asian Law program; and its award-winning Environmental Law Program. Clearly, there’s much to talk about.
Just a reminder of our Hot Seat ground rules: Please keep your questions concise and on point so that we can get to as many questions as possible; and keep it civil, no personal attacks please.
So get those questions ready — let’s chat…
August 19th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Welcome to the Hot Seat. To get us started, here’s one from Rich Smylie:
The community appreciates the elder clinic support here in Hawaii. Given its success, what is the long-term plan for this program? Any similar programs in the works?
August 19th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Aloha--it is great to be here. In answer to the first question from Rich, I am grateful for your mention of our Elder Law Clinic. This hands-on program does amazing work for our elders, work that no one else is doing and that is crucial to their lives and ability to thrive.
Jim Pietsch runs this clinic and our students learn invaluable lessons as they serve others.
We do have many other clinics and engage in a great deal of practical public interest work.
August 19th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
This one comes from Andy in Kailua: What is the role/responsibility of the law school in our community?
August 19th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
What do you think can be done to promote better voter turnout and more civic engagement? Does the law school have any type of community outreach plan or program?
August 19th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
This one comes from Andy in Kailua: What is the role/responsibility of the law school in our community?
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Andy, thanks for your question. We have many different roles, ranging from extensive public interest work through outreach programs that involve other disciplines as well as law on to training the leaders of the near future both in the craft of lawyering and in the concern for others that is central to our mission.
The scholarship and teaching of our first-rate faculty truly serves Hawai'i in multiple ways, and effectively brings Hawai'i to the world.
August 19th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Aloha Dean Soifer, do you think we need more emphasis in schools (particularly high school) to teach our students about voting and the democratic process? It seems that our youth is a little uninterested or maybe uninformed.
August 19th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Ladyluck asks:
What do you think can be done to promote better voter turnout and more civic engagement? Does the law school have any type of community outreach plan or program?
===
ladyluck:
We do not leave such vital matters entirely to luck. We have symposia ourselves or co-sponsored on important matters for the voters all the time. For example,
we are co-sponsoring a program on ConCon with the League of Women Voters and the Hawai'i Institute for Public Affairs on the morning of September 6th at the Capitol.
August 19th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
And here’s one sent via e-mail from Kekoa:
So, please ask the dean what the most difficult part of his job is and why? Where was he prior to UH, and how long has he been there? Thoughts on UH, honestly, and how it compares with other law programs?
August 19th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Lisa:
Aloha Dean Soifer, do you think we need more emphasis in schools (particularly high school) to teach our students about voting and the democratic process? It seems that our youth is a little uninterested or maybe uninformed.
++++
Lisa, that is a terrific question.
We are very much involved in pipeline work with various public schools.
For example, we have partnered closely with Farrington High School and
Anuenue in teaching street law and helping to develop citizenship and understanding of legal matters in a practical way. We also help judge mock trials and We the People. Recently, in fact, a few of our students and a faculty member helped create a curriculum for teaching free speech issues that won a national award.
Our students did a Street Law program at Olomana Youth Correctional Facility, along with Judge James Burns, who is helping out at the Law School now that he has aged out of the judiciary.
Our students really do function as role models for the next generation through these and other programs.
August 19th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
From a legal standpoint, I'm just wondering if the teacher's union has a valid point in not complying with the contract (drug testing) that they signed with the state?
August 19th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
I underestand you've just kicked off a new program where students can take night courses to get their law degree. What are you doing to attract high profile mid-career people to this program? Also, what are the requirements to get into the program?
August 19th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
And here’s one sent via e-mail from Kekoa:
So, please ask the dean what the most difficult part of his job is and why? Where was he prior to UH, and how long has he been there? Thoughts on UH, honestly, and how it compares with other law programs?
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Dear Kekoa Questionner:
This is a terrific job, and I am thrilled and blessed to have it!
I previously have been in law teaching for decades, and I was the dean at Boston College Law School, but I have never seen as cohesive a community as what we have here.
There really are not very tough parts of the job, particularly because of all the help I get from a marvelous staff. The students and faculty are easy to work with and we treasure and build upon our unique face to face culture within the most diverse law school in the nation, and probably the world.,
I guess the toughest part is letting the world know about the great things going on here--and I am really grateful for this chance and your question.
August 19th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
My daughter is going to start college in a year. If she were to pick a law career, what could she expect from applying at Hawaii's law school? Do Hawaii students have a boost in admissions? What kind of law students are you looking for?
August 19th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
Jo:
From a legal standpoint, I’m just wondering if the teacher’s union has a valid point in not complying with the contract (drug testing) that they signed with the state?
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To answer Jo's question: Privacy is important and specifically protected in Hawai'i's Constitution, but this is a knotty issue that several members of the faculty and student body have been writing about with more care than I could possibly supply here.
As someone who still teaches and writes about constitutional law, I find this an intriguing issue involving group versus individual rights as well as other important matters.
August 19th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
What is the current make-up of the law school? Are there more students enrolled from the mainland or more local students? What criteria does the UH use to enroll law students? Is it competitive?
August 19th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
I understand you’ve just kicked off a new program where students can take night courses to get their law degree. What are you doing to attract high profile mid-career people to this program? Also, what are the requirements to get into the program?
===
John, excellent question.
We have discovered very quickly that there is tremendous pent up demand for this program, which is in keeping with our original and ongoing commitment to provide opportunity and excellent training to as broad a representation of the population as possible.
The first class, whose orientation starts tonight, is remarkably talented and diverse.
We have journalists and military people, those caring for family members and paralegals, professors and business leaders.
Associate Deans Hazel Beh and Laurie Tochiki have done an extraordinary job in organizing this program quickly and in handling the very competitive admissions process, with the help of many faculty members and students.
August 19th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
What curriculum and programs do you have that would attract law school candidates to the William S. Richardson School of Law as opposed to other law schools? How does the Richardson School of Law stand in respect to other law schools nationally?
August 19th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
Thanks for sort of answering my question, I realize it is a touch subject. Would it be safe to say that the contract is legally binding?
August 19th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
Legal Eagle:
My daughter is going to start college in a year. If she were to pick a law career, what could she expect from applying at Hawaii’s law school? Do Hawaii students have a boost in admissions? What kind of law students are you looking for?
===
Dear Legal Eagle:
We are actually among the hardest law schools in the country to get into in terms of the ration of applicants to slots, but we put a significant thumb on the scale for people with significant Hawai'i ties.
Your daughter would have more fun at our law school than at others and would find a very supportive atmosphere in which people really do get to know one another across the podium in the classroom and in many other activities.
At the same time, we offer a rigorous curriculum, a multitude of small classes and many seminars and other opportunities to work on writing and practical lawyering skills.
It is striking that we also are comparatively a real bargain within legal education.
She should come around to see for herself.
August 19th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Sorry folks! We had a server problem that locked up the site for a large portion of the Hot Seat session. Dean Soifer has graciously agreed to check the site later this afternoon and answer questions from those of you who were unable to post while our server was down. So please post your questions...
August 19th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Here’s one sent via e-mail from Karen:
What’s the focus of your Native Hawaiian program, does it differ from a standard curriculum? How are applicants chosen and how many Native Hawaiians are selected each year? Also, does the recent Kamehameha ruling impact your program from a legal standpoint?
August 19th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
I'm considering going to law school, can you tell me what would be the "value" of a UH law degree and what sort of salries can grads expect? Also, what is the most popular area of law that students are interested in?
August 19th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
Tina:
What is the current make-up of the law school? Are there more students enrolled from the mainland or more local students? What criteria does the UH use to enroll law students? Is it competitive?
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Dear Tina, a good and important question:
We get approximately 75 percent of our applications from out of state, but we enroll about that number from Hawai’i because we proudly are Hawai’i’s Law School.. Our admissions process involves reading the files much more than at most law schools, and it is a student and faculty committee that does all that hard work under the skilled and sensitive direction of Dean Tochiki.
They really figure out somehow who the right people are for our community, and for the future, and they do not go as heavily by the numbers as do most schools. Because of our small size, however, we are still among the most selective in the nation.
Students have to take the Law School Admissions Test, and we look at their academic achievements, but we also consider leadership ability, motivation, integrity, diversity, and promise.
We manage year after year to enroll an exceptional group of students who look out for each other and come up with innovative ways to serve the public and to improve the Law School. I could say they we empower them, but they come with plenty of power and we encourage them to use it, as honed and focused by becoming skilled in law.
August 19th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
William:
What curriculum and programs do you have that would attract law school candidates to the William S. Richardson School of Law as opposed to other law schools? How does the Richardson School of Law stand in respect to other law schools nationally?
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William, thanks much for asking.
Our particular strengths in addition to the practical training I have mentioned already include our extensive program in Pacific and Asian Legal Studies. There is no ranking for such a program, but we clearly lead the way with our strength and expertise in the law of China, Japan, and much of the rest of Southeast Asia.
We feature unique mincourses taught by visiting faculty from across the Pacific, as well as wonderful January term bonus program that offers star teachers and unique course offerings. We are also able to attract United States Supreme Court justices and very distinguished judges from other countries who spend a week with us each year and get to teach and meet, and often paddle and otherwise engage with our students.
Our Environmental Law Program recently won the national award from the ABA, and it is very much involved in the struggle to preserve our beautiful, fragile surroundings. This program like the Pacific and Asia Program offers a special certificate, and approximately 10 percent of the graduating class earns one of those two certificates.
We also have a close working relationship with the Shidler College of Business including co-taught and cross-listed classes, and many of our graduates also earn an MBA. We have built up our business curriculum considerably and we also emphasize intellectual property.
We are particularly proud of our still relatively new Native Hawaiian Law Center, which is doing outreach to the community as well as teaching crucially important courses and hosting symposia and workshops open to the entire community, including addressing comparative indigenous issues across the globe.
August 19th, 2008 at 4:29 pm
Karen:
What’s the focus of your Native Hawaiian program, does it differ from a standard curriculum? How are applicants chosen and how many Native Hawaiians are selected each year? Also, does the recent Kamehameha ruling impact your program from a legal standpoint?
===
Karen, thank you, I love to brag about this program:
Director Melody MacKenzie, Kapua Sproat, and Susan Serrano, along with Lei Seeger, Carl Christensen, and all the Fellows and students involved with the Center enrich the entire Law School through this program.
All its offerings are open to all law students, and the Center has an illuminating website that is very much worth visiting in part because it deals succinctly and well with relevant recent decisions.
The Center affords a forum for a great variety of different views, and it offers common ground to explore differing opinions in the best tradition of academic freedom.
For several reasons, the Kamehameha decision does not directly affect the Law School's programs, but we have examined it in our classes and in a public forum that our Law Review is publishing.
August 19th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
# Stewart:
I’m considering going to law school, can you tell me what would be the “value” of a UH law degree and what sort of salries can grads expect? Also, what is the most popular area of law that students are interested in?
===
Stewart. I appreciate these important questions:
The main value of a legal education probably is that it prepares a graduate to do significant work within his or her community, in a vast array of different areas.
In fact, a number of oru graduates never practice law as such and yet they repeatedly tell us that this trianing proved invaluable in careers in such realms as the arts, business, military service, non-profits, and government service.
Those of our recent graduates who decide to stay in Hawai'i--though there is great demand for such well-trained and culturally fluent people around the world--do no make as much in salary as their beginning counterparts in the largest cities, but they do get to see the light of day, unlike many of those pressured law firm associates elsewhere. Even our biggest law firms are more civilized and more humane than in most places.
To be specific, depending on whether a graduate chooses to do public service or private practice work, the salary range right after law school runs from the low $40,000 range to twice that amount or more.
Of course, some of our graduates do choose to practice law in places such as New York City, Tokyo, or Los Angeles and they can make twice that amount even when they are only starting.
I am pleased to report that year after year, well over 90 percent of our graduates have found employment within 6 months of graduation, soon after they finish the bar examination.
There is no single area that seems to be most popular, but it is worth noting that we are among the nation's leaders in our students obtaining judicial clerkships, which are both prestigious and a wonderful way to continue one's legal education while working on real cases with a judge.
August 19th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
# Jo:
Thanks for sort of answering my question, I realize it is a touch subject. Would it be safe to say that the contract is legally binding?
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Dear Jo:
I appreciate your follow-up question and your admirable effort to get a specific answer.
I am afraid that as the proud dean of Hawai'i's public law school, however,I try hard not to use my bully pulpit to weigh in on current local controversies, no matter what my own views about them might be.
In addition, several of our faculty members and some of our students are far more expert than I am on these issues.
Sorry, but I really ought not to answer your well-posed inquiry. But it certainly is a challenging question that involves important constitutional issues as well as contract and labor law matters, and it probably will have to be resolved by our courts.
August 20th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
Who are those students and faculty writing about the HSTA contract? Are any of their works online?
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