John Robert Egan

John Robert Egan is an accomplished immigration attorney and the current director of the Refugee & Immigration Law Clinic at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s William S. Richardson School of Law. He previously served as Chairperson of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, Hawai‘i Chapter (2008–2009) and has decades of experience in immigration law, humanitarian assistance, and legal education.

John earned his Juris Doctor from the William S. Richardson School of Law in 2000, along with a Master’s degree from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. He holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of California, Davis. His academic and professional background is strengthened by years of teaching, including five years developing and instructing courses on Humanitarian Law and Assistance in the University of Hawai‘i’s Program on Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance, and serving as an adjunct professor at Hawai‘i Pacific University.

John’s career has been shaped by extensive international humanitarian work. In the early 1990s, he served as a Field Officer with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Malawi and Mozambique, working directly on the challenges of large-scale forced migration. This experience inspired his deep commitment to refugee protection and understanding of international migration law.

Before leading the law clinic full-time, John Robert Egan spent over two years as supervising attorney for the Refugee and Immigration Law Clinic, guiding law students and representing clients in complex immigration matters. His private practice career also included representing individuals and families in asylum claims, humanitarian relief, and other immigration proceedings.

John combines his roles as educator and advocate, providing law students with hands-on training while ensuring Hawai‘i’s immigrant communities have access to high-quality legal representation. His work continues to bridge academic excellence, practical legal service, and a lifelong dedication to humanitarian principles.

Law Office Affiliations

• Attorney, Migration Counsel, LLLC
  
• Director, Refugee & Immigration Law Clinic
• Member, Hawaii State Bar Association
• Member & Former Chairperson, AILA Hawaii Chapter

Licensed State

• Hawaii

Education

• University of Hawaii at Manoa – William S. Richardson School of Law
  Juris Doctor (J.D.)
• University of Hawaii at Manoa
  Master of Arts (M.A.)

Awards & Badges