Roger Williams University
"At RWU Law, we mentor and train the lawyers and leaders of tomorrow. Our students and graduates work to make the world a better place — one client and one project at a time. They harness the law’s transformative power to pursue and achieve justice. Read on to learn about the many ways you can change your world."
— Dean Gregory W. Bowman
HOW WILL YOU
CH
HANGE YOUR WORLD?
RWU LAW IS ONE OF ONLY A HANDFUL OF LAW SCHOOLS THAT GUARANTEES EVERY STUDENT AT LEAST ONE SUBSTANTIAL CLINICAL EXPERIENCE. 85% TAKE ADVANTAGE; 65% COMPLETE TWO OR MORE. law.rwu.edu/go/guarantees
I want to...
CHANGE
MY WORLD ARE YOU READY TO CHANGE YOUR WORLD? When Weayonnoh Nelson-Davies ’07 – who came to the U.S. as a teenage refugee from the Liberian Civil War – decided to pursue a legal education, she knew RWU Law was the right choice for her. “I immediately felt that Roger Williams saw and heard my passion, my desire to change my world – and then they made it possible.” As Rhode Island’s only law school, RWU Law is uniquely positioned to offer students broad educational options, deep experiential opportunities, and unparalleled access to the region’s legal, business, nonprofit and government communities – all at one of the most affordable tuitions around.
“I choose not to be complacent. Because one client at a time, you truly can change people’s lives for the better.”
- Weayonnoh Nelson-Davies ’07 Managing Attorney, Community Legal Aid, Worcester, Mass.
“Even as a child in wartime, I knew that if I survived I needed to live a purposeful life,” Weayonnoh says. “I still have that conviction. And I have RWU Law to thank for helping my dream come true.” Come join us – and let us give you the tools to change your world, too.
Weayonnoh leads a team of 35 in-house lawyers and many more pro bono volunteers to ensure that Worcester's at-risk populations get the help they need to thrive. While still a student at RWU Law, Weayonnoh built a strong foundation by working through the school’s clinical programs, and placements with organizations from Rhode Island Legal Services in Providence to the U.S. Human Rights Network in Atlanta.
“For due process to have any teeth, you need lawyers who are willing to stand up and represent the accused – no matter what.”
- Thomas Mello ‘o4 Attorney in Charge, Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS), New Bedford, Mass.
At RWU Law, Tom worked in the Criminal Defense Clinic, participated in Trial Team, and fulfilled his pro bono requirement with the Rhode Island Public Defender. “Whether I’m cross-examining a witness or trying to persuade a judge or jury, there are lessons I learned at RWU Law that I still incorporate,” he says.
I want to...
SAFEGUARD
THE ACCUSED Due process is a cornerstone of our criminal justice system. The idea that every criminal defendant should be treated the same, regardless of means, is one that Americans take pride in. Tom Mello ’04 was proud too – but he didn’t realize just how strongly he felt about due process until his second year at RWU Law. “The turning point for me was Professor Andy Horwitz and the Criminal Defense Clinic. They planted the seed of, ‘This is what I want to do.’ After that, I didn’t look back.” A decade and a half later, as a working public defender in New Bedford, Mass., Mello says he still employs the lessons he learned at Roger Williams every day. “You can go to any law school and get the black-letter law you need to pass a bar exam,” Mello says. “What makes RWU Law unique is the depth and quality of the clinical experiences and training you receive in addition to those academic elements. That’s your real-world preview; that’s what gets you ready to do the work. Because you can believe in the ideals all you like – but unless you have the practical chops to get the job done, you’re not going to be of much help to your client.”
law.rwu.edu/go/criminal-defense-clinic
RWU LAW OFFERS ONE OF THE NATION’S MOST INNOVATIVE AND WELL-REGARDED PUBLIC INTEREST LAW PROGRAMS.
I want to...
LAUNCH
START-UP COMPANIES Just 50 miles down the road from Boston, and a few hours’ drive from New York City, Providence – the legal, business, governmental and cultural capital of Rhode Island – is a small, dynamic city in the heart of the U.S.’s busy Northeast Corridor. Home to RWU Law’s experiential campus and clinical programs, Providence is also a hub for many promising businesses in need of legal advice and know-how. “Unfortunately there are very few places for small-business owners to turn if they need legal help and can’t afford it – which is typically the case when you’re starting out,” says Professor Katie Ahern ’07, who directs the law school’s Business Start-up Clinic. “So we provide a resource that’s otherwise missing in the community.”
Students, of course, benefit as well. “The goal of this clinic is to give students who are interested in transactional law a chance to build their skills while helping small businesses,” Katie explains. “Once you’ve had a real client with real goals, facing real business and industry considerations, you’re at an advantage in the classroom – and you become much more valuable as a counselor.” At RWU Law, you can craft your own, personalized legal education from a vast array of experiential options. Our in-house clinics – focusing on criminal defense, immigration, business start-ups and veterans disability appeals – offer deep, long-term immersion with actual clients and cases under the careful supervision of a law professor or practicing attorney.
RWU LAW’S BUSINESS LAW PROGRAM OFFERS A GROUNDBREAKING CORPORATE COUNSEL CLINICAL EXTERNSHIP PROGRAM, ALONG WITH OUR BUSINESS START-UP CLINIC AND A RANGE OF COURSES TO HELP PREPARE STUDENTS FOR THRIVING LEGAL CAREERS IN THE BUSINESS WORLD. law.rwu.edu/go/clinical-externships
“Our students learn more than just lawyering skills; they’re learning to interact with clients, network in the business community, and engage in business as lawyers.”
- Katie Ahern ’07 Director of the Business Start-up Clinic, Assistant Professor of Law, RWU Law, Providence, R.I.
Professor Ahern pictured at a Providence-based kitchen incubator for food businesses and home to some of RWU Law’s Business Start-up Clinic clients. Highly trained in taxation law, Professor Ahern was previously an associate at Hinckley, Allen & Snyder in Boston. While at RWU Law, she served as a legal intern at PriceWaterhouseCoopers LLP, and in the legal department at Hasbro, Inc. She has also served on the board and as president of the Rhode Island Women’s Bar Association.
law.rwu.edu/go/business-start-up
“We always keep in mind that there are real people behind the cases and that the decisions will fundamentally affect their lives."
- Chantal Bromage ’13 Law Clerk, First Circuit Court of Appeals, Boston, Mass.
Chantal has channeled her passion for law into a fulfilling career as a judicial clerk. In 2020, she was appointed as a full-time law clerk with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Boston, working under Judge O. Rogeriee Thompson (for whom she’d also served as an intern during her 2L summer, and for a one-year posting in 2017-18). Prior to that she clerked for both Chief Justice Paul A. Suttell of the Rhode Island Supreme Court and Judge William E. Smith of the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island. Her first judicial gig? The summer after her 1L year, Chantal interned with Associate justice Laureen D’Ambra of the Rhode Island Family Court.
IN 2020, U.S. NEWS RANKED ROGER WILLIAMS AMONG THE NATION'S TOP 10 LAW SCHOOLS FOR PERCENTAGE OF GRADUATES WHO BECOME JUDICIAL CLERKS.
I want to...
DEFEND
THE CONSTITUTION Walking the halls of Rhode Island's only law school, you are in many ways at the epicenter of state and regional legal culture. Here you’ll regularly encounter top state and federal judges (as well as partners from major law firms) teaching classes as adjuncts. Local, state and national politicians have taught here too – from U.S. Senators and Representatives to Rhode Island legislators. Many other state and national legal leaders attend major conferences and events at the law school. They’re part of your world here – and you’re part of theirs. “Rhode Island is a small state – there’s no such thing as six degrees of separation in the legal community; usually it’s no more than a two-step process to connect people,” notes Chantal Bromage ’13. Whether on the bench or at the bar, “RWU Law is everywhere you turn – from the interns I supervise as a law clerk, to the judges and lawyers who teach at or graduated from the law school. At alumni events you often run into judges and lawyers who didn’t even attend the school.”
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END MASS
INCARCERATION The Pro Bono Collaborative (PBC) is an award-winning, nationally recognized program unique to RWU Law. It mobilizes Rhode Island law firms, law students and community organizations in a three-way partnership that provides desperately needed legal assistance to at-risk communities. One such project is the Civil Legal Clinic, serving inmates in Rhode Island’s Adult Correctional Institution (ACI) Medium Security Facility and Women’s Facility. Attorneys such as Brett Beaubien ’16 help law students provide advice and counsel on civil legal issues. “A lot of inmates suffer collateral consequences of their incarceration, including obstacles to employment, business and financial problems, and family law issues such as custody, visitation and divorce. They need somebody to talk to, assistance with filling out forms or preparing motions, and sometimes advice on whether they have a claim or defense.”
100% OF RWU LAW STUDENTS PERFORM 50 OR MORE HOURS OF PRO BONO LEGAL SERVICE, INCREASING ACCESS TO JUSTICE WHILE GAINING VALUABLE EXPERIENCE. law.rwu.edu/go/pro-bono-collaborative
Brett's passion for criminal defense was sparked during his RWU Law Alternative Spring Break with the Pittsburgh Federal Defender’s office. “I had no interest in criminal defense work prior to that program; yet, when I went and did it, I ‘saw the light’ and immediately knew that it was going to become a part of my life."
“We expose students to the criminal justice system by showing them how people’s personal and financial lives are adversely affected when they’re incarcerated."
- Brett Beaubien ’16 Defense Attorney, Providence, R.I. Supervising Attorney, the PBC Adult Correctional Institution Medium Security Facility Civil Legal Clinic Project, Cranston, R.I.
OUR BEAUTIFUL WATERFRONT CAMPUS FOSTERS A PEACEFUL ENVIRONMENT CONDUCIVE TO STUDY AND REFLECTION. OUR FACULTY’S STUDENTCENTERED, OPEN-DOOR CULTURE HELPS CREATE AN INTERACTIVE AND COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENT.
In January 2017, Luis and a team of attorneys brought the case of Darweesh v Trump Order – less than 24 hours after President Trump signed his “Muslim ban” – on behalf of people being held at JFK Airport. That same night, a federal judge blocked part of the executive order, ordering that refugees trapped at airports across the U.S. should not be sent back to their home countries.
BESIDES THE EXPERIENTIAL DEPTH OF OUR IMMIGRATION LAW CLINIC, RWU LAW HAS OFFERED INTERNSHIPS AND EXTERNSHIPS AT IMMIGRATION LAW CENTERS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, INCLUDING: • FLORENCE IMMIGRANT & REFUGEE RIGHTS PROJECT, ARIZONA • THE BRONX DEFENDERS, IMMIGRATION UNIT, NEW YORK CITY • DORCAS INTERNATIONAL, PROVIDENCE • REFUGEE AND IMMIGRANT CENTER FOR EDUCATION AND LEGAL SERVICES (RAICES), NEW YORK CITY • IMMIGRATION LAW EDUCATION & ADVOCACY PROJECT (ILEAP), FALL RIVER, MASS. • SOUTH TEXAS PRO BONO ASYLUM REPRESENTATION PROJECT (PROBAR) • AND MANY OTHERS
Photo Credit Yana Paskova, The New York Times
I want to...
STAND UP
FOR IMMIGRANTS More than ever before, immigrants and immigrant communities in the United States need legal assistance. As policies grow more restrictive, there is an alarming shortage of lawyers available to represent the growing backlog of refugees, asylum seekers and others arriving at America’s borders. Luis Mancheno is determined to help all he can. “In deportation proceedings, there’s no right to a lawyer. Yet studies show only three percent of people not aided by a lawyer prevail in their immigration case versus 74 percent who are represented by a lawyer. Lawyers make a huge difference.”
“To be there for immigrants who have been disenfranchised and forgotten; to tell them, ‘I see you, and I’ll do everything I can to protect your legal rights.’ It’s transformative.”
- Luis Mancheno ’13 Supervising Attorney, New York Immigrant Family Unity Project, The Legal Aid Society, New York,N.Y.
As a gay man granted asylum in the United States after escaping persecution in his native Ecuador, Luis' fight is personal. “I knew what I wanted to do,” he says, “and it all began at RWU Law’s Immigration Clinic.” During his time at RWU Law, Luis also secured a prestigious placement as a Refugee Status Determination Expert for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. After graduation, he was a Clinical Teaching Fellow in the Immigration Justice Clinic at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. RWU Law's Immigration Law Clinic offers in-depth immersion, representing indigent immigrants seeking lawful permanent residence, or defending against removal proceedings under the supervision of a full-time faculty member – both before the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Service (CIS) in Rhode Island and at the Immigration Court in Boston. Students also perform immigration law work through Pro Bono Collaborative and Alternative Spring Break projects.
law.rwu.edu/go/immigration-clinic
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FIGHT
FOR EQUALITY Social justice has been a central part of RWU Law's mission from its inception. The Feinstein Center for Pro Bono and Experiential Education is the guiding vehicle for this mission, cultivating graduates who will give back and help those most in need. Dawn Euer '10 was a prominent activist in the law school's LGBT Alliance, and went on to become a leader in the fight for marriage equality in Rhode Island. “As a woman, it’s hard not to be aware of the sacrifices and groundwork that others have laid for me,” she says. “So it was a pretty short leap for me to want to do the same for others.” RWU Law’s culture of service, access to justice and experiential learning was a perfect fit for Dawn. “My professors and the folks at the Feinstein Center understood the importance of both academics and real-life experiences. It’s really about the networking and experiences afforded by the faculty and staff, which are helpful not only to your learning experience but to your future career path.” Dawn also played an important role in building RWU Law’s Alternative Spring Break (ASB) program– founded in 2005 to assist residents recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina – into the powerhouse program it is today.
law.rwu.edu/go/pro-bono-experiential-education
FOR THE PAST 16 YEARS, RWU LAW STUDENTS HAVE SPENT THEIR SPRING BREAKS WORKING AROUND THE COUNTRY WITH CLIENTS WHO LACK ADEQUATE REPRESENTATION. IN 2021, 110 STUDENTS WORKED VIRTUALLY ON 28 PROJECTS IN 12 DIFFERENT STATES. FOR MANY, THE EXPERIENCE IS LIFE-CHANGING. law.rwu.edu/go/alternative-spring-break
“I’ve always had a social justice leaning; that was my whole reason for going to law school. RWU Law supported those interests and gave me a chance to explore what they really meant as a practicing lawyer.”
- Dawn Euer ’10 Rhode Island State Senator for District 13, Jamestown-Newport. Attorney, Providence, R.I.
In 2017, Dawn ran for and won a state senate seat. Today she’s making a bigger impact than ever, and developing a taste for working across the aisles. “Many of the strategies and tactics I’ve used over the years in social justice fights – grassroots organizing, public education, persuasive conversation – can also be effective in getting past political gridlock. It’s incumbent upon our leaders to figure out ways for us to work together and heal our divisions.”
In one career highlight, Adi was one of only 15 Marine lawyers handpicked to join the newly formed Marine Corps Victims’ Legal Counsel Organization, advising and representing victims in sexual assault cases. “We were essentially pioneers of something that had never been done in the military before,” Adi says.
“My role was to legally advise commanders in real time about our fight to eradicate ISIS. It required me to understand both the reality of the battlefield and the Law of Armed Conflict. It was one of the best experiences of my military career.”
- Adrienne "Adi" Serbaroli ’07 Major, U.S. Marine Corps, Senior Legal Assistance Attorney, Washington, D.C. (referencing her tour of duty in Iraq.)
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ADVOCATE
FOR VETERANS At RWU Law, we aim to serve society even as we educate future lawyers – and there are few Americans more deserving of assistance than those who were disabled as a result of their military service. Students in the Veterans Disability Appeals Field Clinic perform their work in the offices of Chisholm, Chisholm & Kilpatrick (CCK), one of the nation’s leading veterans disability law firms, in downtown Providence. According to Professor Andrew Horwitz, who is also RWU Law’s Dean of Experiential Learning and Director of Clinical Programs, the clinic “allows us to draw upon the expertise of seasoned attorneys in the field while at the same time incorporating the teacher/mentor relationship that is the key to clinical education.” The fact that several CCK attorneys are also RWU Law alumni further deepens and intensifies this essential dynamic. U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) praised the clinic for helping “Roger Williams students hone their skills advocating for our disabled veterans, who have served their country faithfully and should be able to make the best possible case during their VA appeal.”
RWU LAW’S CLASS OF 2021 LOGGED A TOTAL OF 14,781 HOURS ENGAGED IN PRO BONO LEGAL WORK – AN AVERAGE OF 97 HOURS PER STUDENT. law.rwu.edu/go/veterans-disability-appeals-field-clinic
“As a Black corporate leader, I now have a seat at the table – and I’m pushing for other disenfranchised groups to get a seat, too: Black men and women, and those of other ethnicities, cultures, religions, and sexual orientations. There’s no reason why we can’t cast a more diverse net for our leaders. Every company can do better.”
- Collin Bailey ‘08 Vice President, Technology Business Office Hudson’s Bay Company, New York, N.Y.
I want to...
ADVANCE
Born the son of a police officer in Rockport, Kingston, Jamaica, and raised in New Jersey, Collin is one of the first in his family to graduate from college and the only one so far to have earned a law degree. At Roger Williams, he was “drawn to more business-oriented classes” and spent lots of time chatting with his professors, “whether about the course subject, or just about life and career direction.” In the process, he discovered, “Business suits me. It was a natural competence that I didn’t know I had.”
CORPORATE ETHICS The Business Law Program at RWU Law provides a natural home for students interested in corporate law, commercial law, intellectual property law and labor law. Whether you’re helping entrepreneurs in our Business Start-up Clinic or learning from seasoned pros in our Corporate Counsel Clinical Externship Program, you’re sure to get plenty of practice. Student externs earn academic credit while training several days a week for a full semester in the corporate legal offices of companies in Rhode Island and beyond. Since the program’s inception, RWU Law externs have worked for an impressive roster of world-class companies including Alex and Ani, Care New England, CVS Health, Fenway Sports Group (owner of the Boston Red Sox), GTECH, the Kraft Group (owner of the New England Patriots), Moran Shipping Agencies, Textron and Schneider Electric. Collin Bailey ’08 – a supervising attorney with the program when he was Senior Director of Strategic Procurement at CVS Health in Woonsocket, R.I. – now heads the Technology Business Office for the Sak’s Fifth Avenue and Hudson’s Bay family of retailers in Manhattan (and sits on the RWU Law Board of Directors). But he still considers mentoring an essential part of the job. “I have become a person whom other minority leaders aspiring to my level can come to and say, ‘What did you do? How did you get there?’ I try to be real and objective and realize that everyone has different strengths – but my overall message is: ‘You can get there as well.’”
law.rwu.edu/go/business-law
THE SEMESTER-IN-PRACTICE PROGRAM IS AN IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE, ENABLING STUDENTS TO TRAIN FULL-TIME FOR AN ENTIRE SEMESTER UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF A PRACTICING ATTORNEY. RWU LAW STUDENTS HAVE TRAINED FROM MAINE TO FLORIDA, NEW YORK TO CALIFORNIA – AND AS FAR AWAY AS SOUTH KOREA. law.rwu.edu/go/semester-in-practice
law.rwu.edu/go/urban-experiential-campus
OUR URBAN EXPERIENTIAL CAMPUS OFFERS DIRECT ACCESS TO THE EXCITEMENT AND OPPORTUNITY OF PROVIDENCE – RHODE ISLAND’S CAPITAL AND THE HUB OF ITS LEGAL, BUSINESS AND CULTURAL COMMUNITIES.
“I’ve always wanted to be a prosecutor, to fight and be a voice for the people. The work is demanding and not for everyone – but for me it’s not a job at all, it’s my passion.”
- Malena Lopez Mora ‘10 Special Assistant Attorney General, Rhode Island Office of the Attorney General, Providence, R.I.
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PROTECT
For Malena, RWU Law’s Criminal Defense Clinic was a key experience that made her a better prosecutor. “It broadened my perspective,” she says. “A big misconception is that prosecutors just want to lock people up, but that’s not true. We take an oath to be fair and pursue justice, whether that means trying to get a conviction or making sure that innocent people aren't placed in jail for crimes they didn’t commit.”
law.rwu.edu/go/criminal-defense-clinic
VICTIMS' RIGHTS It's vitally important to protect victims of felony crime and their families throughout the criminal justice process. The Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office, for example, assists often highly traumatized victims with financial, legal, medical and emotional problems resulting from crime. “For victims, reshaping the future means confronting many challenges,” explains Peter Kilmartin ’98, who served as Rhode Island’s Attorney General from 2011 to 2018. “They deserve information on the criminal justice process, their rights to be present or heard in court, and to be notified about court proceedings and offenders.” The sentiment resonates with Malena Lopez Mora ’10, who as a child watched her uncle physically and verbally abuse her aunt “until she became a shell of a person,” she says. "That’s when I knew I wanted to grow up and protect people who had been victimized like my aunt." Today, as a Special Assistant Attorney General, Malena fulfills her ambition in a position where she’s almost always on call. “On paper it’s an 8:30 am to 4:30 pm workday, but in no way, shape or form are those your hours,” she says. “You’re in court by 9 am, and sometimes you don’t get to sit at your desk until 4 pm. You work early mornings and late nights. But the experience you get with the AG’s office is unlike anything else in the law. You’re not going to find a more rewarding place to practice, or one where you get more courtroom experience.”
RWU LAW’S PROSECUTION & GOVERNMENT CLINICAL EXTERNSHIP PROGRAM ALLOWS STUDENTS TO ACTUALLY PREPARE AND ARGUE CASES UNDER THE STUDENT PRACTICE RULE – AND MANY FORMER INTERNS HAVE BEEN HIRED BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE AFTER GRADUATION. law.rwu.edu/go/clinical-externships
“There are so many marine and environmental law opportunities available in Rhode Island – it is the Ocean State, after all! – and my professors at Roger Williams have been consistent champions for me and my career. It's something you’re not going to find at every law school.”
- Jackie Rolleri ’11 Deputy Chief, Office of the General Counsel, Oceans and Coasts Section, National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Washington, D.C.
From an early age, Jackie has loved being around the ocean – her summer jobs in high school and college always seemed to involve boats and the marine environment. Having studied biology and environmental science as an undergraduate, she decided that RWU Law was the next logical step. Among many other projects, Jackie helped prepare for the school’s biennial Marine Law Symposium, which draws marine and admiralty experts from around the world. A professional networking extravaganza for marine law students, the symposium led directly to Jackie’s internship with a U.S. Senator.
I want to...
SAVE
OUR OCEANS AND COASTS As one of only five law schools in the country specializing in marine affairs, RWU Law is a national leader in the field of marine law. The school’s Marine Affairs Institute (MAI) is home to some of North America’s top experts on the subject and dedicated to educating a new generation of marine and admiralty law practitioners. Law students are hired as Sea Grant Law Fellows – we're home to one of the only state Sea Grant Legal Programs in the nation – to conduct legal research and analysis for government agencies, private industry and nonprofits, all under the guidance and supervision of MAI staff. Jackie Rolleri ’11 chose to pursue a joint degree, earning her Juris Doctor from RWU Law and a Master of Marine Affairs from the University of Rhode Island. Along the way, she interned with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), one of Congress’ most active advocates for addressing climate change; earned a Sea Grant Law Fellowship; then accepted a legal internship with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Washington, D.C. – which led to a job offer there as a Presidential Management Fellow. “One great thing about working with NOAA is the diversity of the issues we handle,” Jackie says. “It pairs my love of the ocean with my background in science and law. And my colleagues are just as passionate about protecting our oceans and coasts as I am. There are lots of big issues out there, no doubt; we’re not going to solve all of them today – but we’re having a significant impact and it’s work that I can feel proud of.”
law.rwu.edu/go/sea-grant-fellows
MARINE AFFAIRS COURSES AT RWU LAW INCLUDE ADMIRALTY LAW, CLIMATE CHANGE LAW AND POLICY, ENVIRONMENTAL LAW, LAW OF THE SEA, MARINE SALVAGE LAW, OCEAN AND COASTAL LAW, LAW OF PIRACY, AND MUCH MORE. law.rwu.edu/go/marine-affairs-institute
“No day at the office is typical. I get both variety and depth. That’s what drew me to this kind of work.”
- Chris Fragomeni ‘15 Associate Attorney, Shechtman Halperin Savage, LLP, Pawtucket, R.I.
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EXCEED
MY CLIENTS' EXPECTATIONS
RWU LAW CURRENTLY HAS MORE THAN MORE THAN 3,700 ALUMS PRACTICING IN ALL 50 STATES AND AROUND THE WORLD
The practice of law has changed dramatically in recent years. As the demographics of the bench and bar shift, and the needs of new client bases come into focus, the dynamics of a law career are changing as well. Law graduates are taking their education and experience in a breathtaking range of directions – including public interest, government, corporate, educational and, increasingly, non-legal sectors. But there are still many RWU Law graduates who choose to pursue the “traditional” road to a legal career, through private legal practice, whether in a solo or small-firm local practice, a mid-sized regional firm or a major international law firm with offices around the country and the globe. For example, Christopher Fragomeni '15 is a business law litigator with Shechtman Halperin Savage, LLP, a New England regional law firm based in Rhode Island. “You need to go with the flow,” he says. “You need to be able to think and work efficiently and well, whether you’re on your feet in a courtroom or behind your desk at the computer.” What practice direction are you likely to be drawn in? Much will ultimately depend on your particular skill set, personality and professional interest. "Getting pulled in 90 different directions at once – bouncing back and forth from the court to the office – is more or less right in my comfort zone," Chris notes. "I enjoy the fast pace. It’s the work I want to do.”
Chris took advantage of RWU Law’s extensive bench and bar connections to build a sturdy path to his preferred career destination. While still a student, he participated in Law Review and on the Moot Court Board, and used RWU Law's judicial and public interest externship programs to secure externships with Judge John J. “Jack” McConnell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island, and in the Office of Executive Counsel to Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo.
law.rwu.edu/go/moot-court law.rwu.edu/go/law-review
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DEEPEN AND BROADEN MY LEGAL EDUCATION A joint law degree enhances your professional skill set, boosts your earning power and saves you time and money. Plus you gain an interdisciplinary education that both diversifies and specializes your training and knowledge in a way that few professionals can match.
With Roger Williams University: Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration.
Gain a strong grasp of law, business operations and finance, and be
ready to serve in key advisory and leadership roles in an increasingly intricate legal and commercial environment. law.rwu.edu/go/jd-mba
Juris Doctor / Master of Science in Criminal Justice.
Explore the law’s practical interactions with justice systems, and
build professional bridges connecting law enforcement, juvenile justice, public administration, corrections, rehabilitation and more. law.rwu.edu/go/jd-ms-criminal-justice
Juris Doctor / Master of Science in Cybersecurity.
In a world where cyberspace and its underlying infrastructure are vulnerable to ever-increasing threats, you’ll gain professional training in both the technology and the law of information security. law.rwu.edu/go/jd-ms-cybersecurity
Juris Doctor / Master of Science in Historic Preservation.
You’ll receive a rare and marketable combination of
academics, community-based work and field experience in historic preservation, together with deep legal training in protecting historic resources. law.rwu.edu/go/jd-ms-historic-preservation
With University of Rhode Island: Juris Doctor / Master of Marine Affairs.
As society’s reliance on limited ocean resources grows, you’ll be prepared to
analyze complex marine and environmental issues within essential legal contexts. law.rwu.edu/go/jd-ms-marine-affairs
Juris Doctor / Master of Science in Labor Relations & Human Resources.
Immerse yourself in a broad cross-
disciplinary understanding of today’s complex workplaces, while gaining a deep facility in the law of employment and labor relations. law.rwu.edu/go/jd-ms-labor-relations-hr
AS RHODE ISLAND'S ONLY LAW SCHOOL, RWU LAW OFFERS YOU A LEVEL OF ACCESS, CONNECTION, AND EXPERIENCE THAT FEW INSTITUTIONS CAN RIVAL.
A waterfront stroll in Independence Park, at the end of the 14.5-mile East Bay Bike Path.
law.rwu.edu/go/campuses
A stroll through Bristol’s charming historic shopping district.
Explorebristol Overlooking beautiful Mount Hope Bay, RWU Law’s main campus is located in the classic New England village of Bristol, replete with quiet tree-lined streets, colonial mansions, engaging shops and popular watering holes. Ideally suited for concentrated study and reflection, it’s also a hub of "insider access" where you’ll meet top lawyers, academics, judges, politicians and more – and begin forging your own deep connections with the legal culture.
Students enjoy one of the waterfront overlooks around campus.
Work out between classes at RWU’s state-of-the-art Fitness Center.
The law school is full of comfortable spaces for study or socializing.
STUDENT GROUPS
Relax with friends at the School of Law Bistro.
American Civil Liberties Union
LGBT Alliance
Association for Public Interest Law
Maritime Law Society
Black Law Student Association
Military and Veterans Law Association
Cybersecurity Law Association
OWLS (Older Wiser Law Students)
Environmental Law Society
Sports & Entertainment Law Society
The Federalist Society
Tax and Business Law Society
Latino Law Student Association
Women’s Law Society
For a complete listing of current student groups, please visit law.rwu.edu/go/student-life
Experience PROVIDENCE Whether you’re taking a class, studying with friends, meeting a client at one of our in-house clinics or relaxing after an externship at a downtown firm, corporation or government office, Roger Williams’ dynamic, centrally located urban campus is a home away from home for second-and third-year law students.
law.rwu.edu/go/dynamic-urban-campus Crowds gather for a lighting of the award-winning WaterFire installation on the Providence River.
One Empire Plaza, home to RWU Law’s clinics and experiential programs.
Students before class at the law school’s Providence campus.
At the nearby Bolt Coffee shop, enjoy a latte and a law book.
The Black Sheep pub across the street is a popular spot for unwinding with friends and classmates.
Many students complete externships in downtown Providence.
I Want…
A STUDENTCENTERED FACULTY At RWU Law, you’ll benefit from tenured professors with national reputations for excellent scholarship, as well as adjuncts at the top of their fields. What do they all have in common? Students come first. Meet a few of our full-time faculty members…
law.rwu.edu/go/faculty
Tara Allen
David Logan
Emily Sack
"I try to use my experience as a trial lawyer to create in-class simulations that help students understand how what they're learning will make a difference in a courtroom. I encourage students to find their own voices and become effective lawyers while remaining true to themselves."
“Students aren’t anonymous at RWU Law. Within their first month, they have multiple points of contact with educators who are not just interested in, but committed to their success. And that faculty connection has not only a learning component, but also provides a pool of folks willing to go to bat for students when they start moving into the outside world.”
"At Roger Williams, the professors are much more engaged and hands on with their students than at a typical law school. I feel that one of my core responsibilities here is to proactively work one-on-one with my students, helping them apply the skills we’re learning to new sets of problems.”
Professor Allen was an Assistant Federal Defender for the District of Rhode Island, where she concentrated in criminal defense. She previously served as a trial attorney for federal defenders’ offices in Pennsylvania and California and has served as staff counsel for two federal appeals courts.
Professor Logan was Dean of RWU Law from 2003 to 2014. His academic work on tort law and the First Amendment has appeared in major law journals. The NAACP has honored his efforts toward achieving diversity and inclusiveness in legal education. He is a frequent media commentator on legal issues.
Professor Sack is a nationally recognized expert on domestic violence and reform of the court system. She helped develop and implement the first domestic violence courts in New York, as well as the first felony domestic violence court in the United States. Her scholarship is widely published.
Louise Ellen Teitz
Jared Goldstein
“When a neurosurgeon is in the operating room, every other highly trained, skilled professional in the room is there to help the surgeon succeed. When you're a lawyer, the other highly trained, diligent, capable professional in the room is there to make you fail. My job is to prepare students for that line of work.”
“My goal is to become superfluous by the end of the year; to have my students know what questions to ask themselves to get to the answers on their own. I do them no favor by simply giving them an answer – because I’m not going to ask the same question again.”
“There’s no ‘right’ answer in most cases. What lawyers do is take doctrines and use them as tools – so I try to get students comfortable applying different doctrines in different situations, in the same way that a carpenter is comfortable using a saw or a screwdriver.”
Professor Bogus has written extensively about political ideology, torts and products liability, as well as gun control and the Second Amendment. In addition to professional journals, his writings have appeared in many major national newspapers and magazines.
A member of RWU Law’s founding faculty, Professor Teitz is a renowned scholar of international law. From 2011 to 2014, she served as First Secretary at the Hague Conference on Private International Law, and she was a member of the U.S. Delegation to the Hague for several international law conventions.
Currently serving as RWU Law’s Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Professor Goldstein was one of the first civilian lawyers allowed into the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, while representing the families of several Kuwaiti detainees. He has also worked in the Office of the Solicitor General and served as an attorney for the Department of Justice.
FACULTY
Carl Bogus
CLINICS AND CLINICAL EXTERNSHIP PROGRAMS IN-HOUSE CLINICS
Business Start-up Criminal Defense Immigration FIELD CLINIC
Veterans Disability Appeals CLINICAL EXTERNSHIP PROGRAMS
Corporate Counsel Environmental and Land Use Judicial Prosecution & Government Public Interest SEMESTER-IN-PRACTICE PROGRAMS (SIP)
Local and Remote SIP New York Pro Bono Scholars Washington DC SIP Semester-in-Practice students spend a semester in a full-time externship at one of our existing placements or can arrange a remote placement anywhere in the U.S. or the world.
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COURSE OFFERINGS
CONSTITUTIONAL LAW & CIVIL RIGHTS Civil Rights Critical Race Theory First Amendment Race & the Foundations of American Law Sexuality & the Law
PUBLIC INTEREST LAW
Civil Rights Domestic Violence Law Employment Discrimination Immigration Law Clinic Judicial Clinical Externship Program Legislative Drafting & Advocacy Public Interest Clinical Externship Program Veterans Disability Appeals Field Clinic
CRIMINAL LAW Students at RWU Law choose from a comprehensive array of elective course offerings. This is a partial list of our elective courses, grouped by subject area. Not all of these courses are offered every year. A full listing of courses and complete course descriptions can be found on our website.
Advanced Appellate Advocacy Criminal Defense Clinic Criminal Procedure: Adjudication Death Penalty Genocide & Atrocity Crimes Criminal Litigation: Drafting & Advocacy Prosecution & Government Clinical Externship Trial Advocacy
Employment Law Federal Income Tax International Business Transactions Labor Law Mergers & Acquisitions Privacy Law Regulatory Compliance Sales Secured Transactions Securities Regulation Technology & the Law Transactional Lawyering and Contract Drafting Workers Compensation Law
DISPUTE RESOLUTION Family & Divorce Mediation Interviewing & Counseling International Negotiations Family & Divorce Mediation Mediation Negotiating Environmental Settlements Negotiation Remedies
COMMERCIAL, CORPORATE & LABOR LAW Bankruptcy Business Organizations Business Start-up Clinic Business Tax Corporate Counsel Clinical Externship Employment Discrimination
A full listing and complete description of courses can be found at law.rwu.edu/go/courses
AFFORDABILITY ENVIRONMENTAL LAW Administrative Law Climate Change Environmental & Land Use Clinical Externship Environmental Justice Environmental Law Land Use Planning Negotiating Environmental Settlements Ocean & Coastal Law
FAMILY LAW Children & the Law Domestic Violence Family Law Mental Health Laws Wills & Trusts
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Copyright Law Intellectual Property Patent Law
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES LAW Federal Indian Law Tribal Courts, Law & Government
INTERNATIONAL LAW Conflict of Laws Genocide & Atrocity Crimes Immigration Law Immigration Law Clinic International Anti-Corruption Law International Business Transactions International Law National Security Law Refugee & Asylum Law
LAWYERING SKILLS
Advanced Appellate Advocacy Family & Divorce Mediation Interviewing & Counseling Legal Drafting Legislative Drafting & Advocacy Mediation Negotiation Transactional Lawyering and Contract Drafting Trial Advocacy
RWU Law is the best-priced ABA-accredited private law school in the Northeast. To help make law school even more affordable, we offer: SCHOLARSHIPS Further reducing the burden of tuition costs, RWU Law offers significant merit-based scholarship awards to 65% of our students.
MARINE AFFAIRS
Admiralty Climate Change Law of Piracy Law of the Sea Marine Insurance Marine Salvage Maritime Practice and Procedure Maritime Security Law Ocean and Coastal Law
TAXATION
Accounting for Lawyers Business & Partnership Tax Federal Income Tax
THE PUBLIC INTEREST LOAN REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (PILRAP) For the past decade, the law school has offered public interest alumni who represent low-income clients in eligible employment financial assistance to help pay back their loans.
RWU LAW OFFERS A FOUR-YEAR, PART-TIME OPTION AND AN ACCELERATED TWO-AND-A-HALF YEAR OPTION Roger Williams University School of Law is approved by the Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admission to the Bar, American Bar Association, 321 N. Clark Street, 19th Floor, Chicago, IL 60654, (312) 988-6738, legaled@ americanbar.org. RWU Law is a member of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS). Roger Williams University and Roger Williams University School of Law do not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected basis in admission to, access to, employment in, and treatment in its programs and activities. Any questions regarding this policy may be referred to the Coordinator of Title IX of the Education Amendment of 1972, Dr. Jen Stanley, Associate Dean, Telephone: (401) 254-3123 or the Office of Civil Rights, Boston Office, U.S. Department of Education, 8th Floor, 5 Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02109-3921, Telephone: (617) 289-0111.
Office of Admissions Ten Metacom Avenue Bristol, Rhode Island 02809 USA (401) 254-4555 admissions@law.rwu.edu law.rwu.edu
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