[6] The establishment of the Law School in 1973, was considered the achievement of former Hawaii State Supreme Court Chief Justice, William S.

Originating in a royal edict by King Kamehameha I in 1797, galvanizing the Kingdom of Hawai'i's legal system, Kānāwai Māmalahoe, or Law of the Splintered Paddle, was enshrined later in the Hawaii State Constitution, Article 9, Section 10.

[7] According to Hawaiian legend, Kānāwai Māmalahoe was declared by King Kamehameha after an incident where he chased two fishermen who were fishing illegally, when he caught his leg in the reef, and one of the fisherman, Kaleleiki, hit him mightily on the head with a paddle in defense, which broke into pieces.

Years later, when the same fisherman was brought before him to account for the incident, Kamehameha held that in the interest of justice he should be released, as he had only been searching for food for his family.

According to Richardson's official 2013 ABA-required disclosures, 50.9% of the Class of 2013 obtained full-time, long-term, JD-required employment nine months after graduation.

[17] Richardson's Law School Transparency under-employment score is 10.2%, indicating the percentage of the class of 2017 unemployed, pursuing an additional degree, or working in a short-term, part-time, or non-professional job nine months after graduation.

[21] In July 2016, Richardson was ranked #1 by U.S. News & World Report among American law schools whose alumni have the least debt, at an average of $54,988 for the Class of 2015.

The journal was established in 1999 and first published in February 2000, with Jim Hitchingham as editor-in-chief and with assistance and support from Lawrence Foster, Dean of the law school, and professors Ronald Brown and Mark Levin.

Biannually, a visiting U.S. Supreme Court Justice presents seminars on current judicial issues as well as teaches classes.

"[53] Adopted in 2002 as an aspirational reflection of Kānāwai Māmalahoe, all Richardson students recite the William S. Richardson School of Law Law Student Pledge, written by late Professor Chris Iijima, before a Hawaii Supreme Court Justice during a special ceremony before they begin their legal education.