About

Our Mission

Ka Huli Ao Center for Excellence in Native Hawaiian Law 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.

Who We Are

Established in 2005 at the William S. Richardson School of Law through a Native Hawaiian Education Act grant, Ka Huli Ao focuses on education, research, scholarship, community outreach, and the preservation of invaluable historical, legal, traditional, and customary materials. It also offers new courses and supports Native Hawaiian and other law students as they pursue legal careers and leadership roles.

What We Do

Education, Research, And Scholarship

Ka Huli Ao facilitates wide-ranging programs to promote education, research and scholarship on the unique aspects of Native Hawaiian law, and the intersection of local, federal and international laws affecting Native Hawaiians. Ka Huli Ao also offers new courses on Native Hawaiian and Indigenous law, as well as the first-ever Native Hawaiian Law Certificate.

As part of this effort, Ka Huli Ao’s Post-Juris Doctor Fellows advance cutting-edge research in Native Hawaiian law; foster understanding of Native Hawaiian history, culture, and social context; facilitate law teaching and learning; and support on-the-ground Native Hawaiian justice issues.

Community Outreach

Ka Huli Ao facilitates discourse between the legal community, the Native Hawaiian community, and the community at large. Law students and faculty—through workshops, symposia, and meetings—inform and educate, and are educated and informed by, the community about significant Native Hawaiian issues, history, and law.