Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 28, Number 5, 1 May 2011 — Gaining an edge on the LSAT [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Gaining an edge on the LSAT

By Cheryl Corbiell Making the grade on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is ehallenging, but a new test preparation course tailored for Native Hawaiian law school applicants on Hawai'i Island offers help. The inaugural course at the Lfniversity of Hawai'i-Hilo began in March with seven students, in advance of the next LSAT exam in lune. The course is sponsored by Ka Huli Ao Center for Excellence in Native Hawaiian Law at the Lfniversity of Hawai'i William S. Richardson School of Law in cooperation with Klpuka, the Native Hawaiian Student Center at LfH-Hilo. The program's goal is to increase access to a legal education for students from Neighbor Islands. The LfH-Hilo course was modeled after a successful LSAT preparation program operating since 2006 at LfH-Mānoa. As a first-year law student in 2004, Derek Kauanoe saw a need for an LSAT preparation course specialized for Native Hawaiians. Kauanoe and classmate Liam Skilling approached the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to provide the iniīial program funding from 2006 to 2008 under the umbrella of the Native Hawaiian law student organization at LfH-Mānoa, 'Ahahui O Hawai'i. Eventually, the program was adopted by Ka Huli Ao. Today, Kauanoe is the center's Student and Coimnunity Outreach Coordinator and involved with the LSAT courses and Skilling is an Instructor in the LSAT course. The LfH-Hilo campus is the first Neighbor Island program for two reasons. Accredited law schools require bachelor's degrees and the Hilo campus

is granting four-year degrees. More importantly, Kauanoe was impressed with the number of Native Hawaiian students speaking 'ōlelo Hawai'i. "Students spoke Hawaiian fluently and naturally. We need legal scholars with Hawaiian language backgrounds because of archival legal and govermnent documents written in the Hawaiian language," said Kauanoe. The center's LSAT course is demanding. UHHilo students attend weekly three-hour classes using high-definition teleconferencing for two months, have student/instructor meetings via online video, and take practice tests on four Saturdays with a live instructor. Ikaika Rawlins finished last sununer's LSAT course after being away from school for almost a decade, and he was admitted to the UH-Mānoa law school this year. "I am in law school because of the center's course. They taught me strategies and self-discipline, whieh was reflected in my LSAT score," said Rawlins. In addition to classes and tests, students study up to 100 hours on their own time. "Law school is rigorous and we strive to have a rigorous program," said Kauanoe. Hilo participant Heipua Ah Loy said she saw immediate results. "I improved my testing scores the first week, and I had more confidence as I approached the test," she said. "In a few short weeks, I am succeeding at seeing how to better approach the test. This course is tedious and time consuming but well worth it." Student support continues after individuals are admitted to law school. "The center's LSAT course helped me and it still helps by providing a network of law students for support, study groups

NATIVE HAWAIIAN » NEWS | FEATURES | EVENTS and ongoing coaching by the course's dedicated instructors," said leannin Russo, a student at the UH law school and LSAT prep graduate who is currently doing policy work at OHA. More Native Hawaiians are successfully applying to law schools. In 2005, Derek Kauanoe saw 13 to 14 Native Hawaiians in eaeh entering law school class. Since 2008, more than 20 Native Hawaiian students have enrolled yearly. Among the Native Hawaiians in the graduating class of 2010 were the center's first five LSAT program participants. This year, 10 former center students will graduate from law schools. Getting a good score on the LSAT ean be a hurdle for aspiring law students. "Our program simply focuses on helping people who have an interest in Native Hawaiian issues and who want to go to law school," said Kauanoe. "We help those people heeome competitive applicants to law school and give them skills and knowledge to be successful law students." Kauanoe said the Native Hawaiian conununity is under-represented and underserved in the legal profession, but the UH-Hilo and UH-Mānoa LSAT preparation courses specialized for Native Hawaiians are helping to increase the number of Native Hawaiian law graduates. ■ Cheryl Corbiell is an Instructor at the University of Hawai'i Maui College-Molokai and a reading tutor at Kaunakakai Elementary School.

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EŪUOAHON

Applying for the LSAT course The next preparation course will take plaee this summer in Honolulu. Here's how to apply: • Download LSAT preparation course applieation form at http://bit.ly/KHAapp • Complete application form and postmark by May 19 • Take mandatory diagnostic test on Saturday, May 21 at 9 a.m., UH-Mānoa law school • Acceptance notifications will be sent out confirming course participation KEY DATES The summer class will start the last week in July and run until Sept. 28. Dates will be eonfirmed byearlyJune. Classes are held weekly either on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, 6 to 9 p.m., with several Saturday classes from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for practice tests and panel discussions. The LSAT test is Oct. 1. For information, eall (808) 956-8411 or email nhlawctr@hawaii.edu.

Program founder Derek Kauanoe, right, at the University of Hawai'i law school with a few of the current law students who were admitted to the school after taking the LSAT prep course: Jason Onishi, leannin Russo, Kaiwi Ching, Ha'aheo Kaho'ohalahala and Ryan Kainoa Caday. - Photo: Courtesy ofDerek Kauanoe