The William S. Richardson School of Law said it has been named the No. 1 Asian law school in the nation by the latest issue of preLaw magazine, based on the demographics of both students and faculty.

The law school at the University of Hawaii at Manoa also ranked No. 4 for its overall diversity.

PreLaw said the school “embraces the state’s diversity and values,” and noted that Richardson School of Law leads the country for Pacific Asian legal studies and in Native Hawaiian law.

Additionally, the national legal publication gave the UH law school high grades in the following categories:

>> A- for Trial Advocacy

>> A- for Alternative Dispute Resolution, and

>> B+ for Practical Training.

The law school also has been highly ranked by preLaw for its Environmental and International law programs.

Dean Avi Soifer said the law school welcomes students into a uniquely supportive and personalized atmosphere in which students care about one another, and form strong and lasting networks.

In looking at law schools in the western U.S., excluding California, which is its own region, preLaw editor Jack Crittenden called Hawaii’s law school one of the “most interesting and dynamic” in the nation.