RWU Law Viewbook 2023

At Roger Williams University, we prepare lawyers to CHANGE

“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.

– Dean Gregory W. Bowman

THE WORLD

Social Justice is embedded in RWU Law’s DNA

Social Justice has been a central part of our school’s mission from its inception. It is embedded into our curriculum and core programming. Whether you plan to be a corporate attorney or a public defender, you will learn the value of pro bono service through our experiential learning requirement.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

At RWU Law, we work hard to live our mission. We are far from perfect, but we continuously strive to build a community where students feel valued. Should you choose to join our community, you will be given an opportunity to contribute to our trajectory and become an agent of positive change. Your voice will matter here.

Race and the Law

RWU Law is one of only a few law schools in the United States that has reformed its core legal curriculum, requiring all students to complete a course that examines race and the foundations of American law. Here you will engage deeply on these topics and build a shared understanding of how our legal system was created, how it has been applied differently and unequally across socioeconomic and racial lines, and how it can be changed. Roger Williams University upholds social and environmental justice as a core value. We acknowledge our location on land sacred to the indigenous Naragansett and Pokanoket tribes and in a town that played a leading role in the historic transatlantic slave trade. We consider it integral to our mission to build a more socially just world.

RWU Law 2022 Entering Class Profile

CREDENTIALS

Bloomberg Law recognized our “Race and the Foundations of American Law” course as a top-scoring program in Innovation + Justice

Our Alumni SOAR HIGHER

Thomas Mello L’04 Committee for Public Counsel Services, New Bedford, MA Attorney in Charge

“What makes RWU Law unique is the depth and quality of the clinical experiences and training you receive in addition to those academic elements. 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.”

Economic Progress Institute Executive Director

“I chose not to be complacent. Because one client at a time, you truly can change people’s lives for the better.”

Weayonnoh

Nelson-Davies L’07

MARINE AFFAIRS COURSES AT RWU LAW INCLUDE ADMIRALTY LAW, ENVIRONMENTAL LAW, LAW OF THE SEA, MARINE SALVAGE LAW, OCEAN AND COASTAL LAW, AND LAW OF PIRACY.

Colin Bailey L’08 Hudson’s Bay Company Chief Transformation Officer

“As a Black corporate leader, I now have a seat at the table and I am pushing for other disenfranchised groups to get a seat, too. There is no reason why we can’t cast a more diverse net for our leaders. Every company can do better.”

Jackie Rolleri L’11 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Organization (NOAA) Oceans and Coasts Section Deputy Chief, Office of the General Counsel

“One of the great things about working with NOAA is the diversity of the issues we handle. It pairs my love of the ocean with my background in science and law. There are lots of big issues out there; we are not going to solve all of them today but we are having a significant impact and it’s work that I can feel proud of.”

100% OF RWU LAW STUDENTS ARE GUARANTEED AT LEAST ONE SUBSTANTIAL CLINICAL EXPERIENCE

POWERFUL

At RWU Law, you will dive deeper and create powerful combinations for your legal education through our extensive list of joint degree programs, clinics, and experiential opportunities. Our students gain in-depth exploration across a variety of subjects and broaden their exposure to multiple areas of practice through clinical practice, internships, and externships. We empower our students to soar higher, find their passion, and rise into fulfilling careers.

» Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration

» Juris Doctor/Master of Science in Criminal Justice

» Juris Doctor/Master of Arts in Cybersecurity

65% COMPLETE TWO OR MORE

» Juris Doctor/Master of Science in Historic Preservation

Joint Degrees in Partnership with the University of Rhode Island

» Juris Doctor/Master of Marine Affairs

» Juris Doctor/Master of Science in Labor Relations and Human Resources

COMBINATIONS

In-House Clinics

» Business Start-up Clinic

» Criminal Defense Clinic

» Immigration Clinic

» Prisoner’s Rights Clinic

Field Clinics

» Veterans Disability Appeals Field Clinic

Clinical Externships

» Corporate Counsel & Government Clinical Externship Program

» Environmental and Land Use Clinical Externship Program

» Judicial Clinical Externship Program

» New York Pro Bono Scholars Program

» Prosecution Clinical Externship Program

» Public Interest Clinical Externship Program

» Washington, DC (Semester-in-Practice Program)

Semester-in-Practice

Our innovative Semester-in-Practice Program enables you to train full-time either in one of our pre-established local placements or in a new remote placement of your choosing.

» Pro Bono Clinics and Projects

» ACI Civil Legal Assistance

» Expungement Project

» Eviction Help Desk

» Street Law

» Volunteer Income Tax Assistance

100% OF RWU LAW STUDENTS PERFORM 50 OR MORE HOURS OF PRO BONO LEGAL SERVICE, INCREASING ACCESS TO JUSTICE WHILE GAINING VALUABLE EXPERIENCE.

Explore BRISTOL

RWU Law’s main campus is located on the coast of the beautiful Mount Hope Bay in Bristol. In 2022, Bristol was ranked the #1 safest college town in America by Safewise.com. Bristol provides a small-town feel that boasts all the amenities of a coastal community: waterfront dining, quaint shops, bike paths, and access to nature and nearby beaches.

Experience PROVIDENCE

Our 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. A dynamic yet compact city, Providence is home to state and federal courthouses, government offices, private law firms, public interest organizations, and more all within easy walking distance.

Respected Scholars, Student-focused.

Roger Williams University attracts respected scholars who have real-world experience and value mentoring our students. According to data from Princeton Review, our students rank our faculty as one of the nation’s most accessible and interesting. Our faculty will challenge you, but they will also support you.

Making Legal Education Financially Accessible

Building on our 30-year legacy as Rhode Island’s only law school as well as our mission to advance social justice and the rule of law, RWU Law is committed to making law school accessible to more people. We are the bestpriced, ABA-accredited, private law school in the Northeast. In addition, RWU Law offers qualified students scholarships up to and including full tuition to qualified applicants.

*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.

Students at RWU Law choose from a comprehensive array of elective course offerings. This is a sampling 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.

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 Of fice of Civil Rights, Boston Of fice, U.S. Department of Education, 8th Floor, 5 Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02109-3921, Telephone: (617) 289-0111.

COURSE OFFERINGS

COMMERCIAL, CORPORATE & LABOR LAW

Bankruptcy

Business Organizations

Employment Discrimination

Employment Law

Federal Income Tax

Labor Law

Mergers & Acquisitions

Privacy Law

Regulatory Compliance

Sales

Secured Transactions

Securities Regulation

Technology & the Law

Transactional Lawyering & Contract Drafting

Workers Compensation Law

CRIMINAL LAW

Death Penalty

Genocide & Atrocity Crimes

Criminal Litigation: Drafting & Advocacy

Trial Advocacy

ENVIRONMENTAL LAW

Administrative Law

Environmental Justice

Environmental Law

Land Use Planning

Negotiating Environmental Settlements

Ocean & Coastal Law

INTERNATIONAL LAW

Conflict of Laws

Immigration Law

International Business Transactions

International Law

National Security Law

PUBLIC INTEREST LAW

Civil Rights

Domestic Violence Law

Employment Discrimination

Immigration Law

Legislative Drafting & Advocacy

A full listing and complete description of courses can be found at law.rwu.edu/go/courses