UH law school distinguishes itself again

The University of Hawaii’s William S. Richardson School of Law is known as a hands-on environment, requiring students to do pro bono work that helps prepare them for the profession and extends a legal lifeline to some of our state’s neediest clients.

This laudable ethos is gaining national notice: the February issue of Prelaw magazine ranked UH’s law school sixth in the nation for offering clinics in which students assistreal clients.Now the National Jurist’s March issue includes Richardson on its Honor Roll of the Top 60 U.S. law schools delivering practical training. UH requires each law student to provide 60 hours of free legal help, real-world experience that adds up to thousands of hours of community service.

Reality check: Were you ready for the tsunami?

Hawaii dodged a bullet when a significant earthquake off the coast of Chile on Tuesday failed to generate a tsunami that might have devastated our coasts by early Wednesday.

Still, it was another wakeup call that it’s always good to be prepared.

Flashlights and batteries; dried and canned foods; containers of fresh water; full tanks of gas in your vehicles; first-aid supplies; tools; maybe a small generator to keep the refrigerator going for a few days … the list could go on. One typically can’t do everything to prepare for a natural disaster, but anything is better than nothing. Don’t get caught off guard.