Roger Williams University School of Law

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Roger Williams University School of Law
Established: 1993
Type: Private university
President: Roy Nirschel
Dean: David A. Logan
Faculty: 37
Students: 570 law students
Location: Bristol, Rhode Island, USA
Campus: Suburban, 236 acres
Website: http://law.rwu.edu/

Roger Williams University School of Law is the only law school in the state of Rhode Island. It is located approximately 18 miles south east of Providence, Rhode Island, in the town of Bristol. It was the first program established by Roger Williams University in 1993. The School of Law has been accredited by the American Bar Association since 1997 and has been a member of the Association of American Law Schools since 2006.

Contents

[edit] Introduction

Roger Williams University School of Law is located on a peninsula in the historic seacoast town of Bristol, Rhode Island. Providence, the state’s capital and legal center, is 20 minutes away and offers a range of employment and externship opportunities. The resort town of Newport is located close by and is a hub of significant cultural, sporting, and recreational events. Boston is one hour to the north. The School of Law is the only law school in the state of Rhode Island. The school enrolls approximately 575 students and has a low student-faculty ratio. In July 2007 the school made national headlines in the wake of a racist statement made by University trustee Ralph Papitto, for whom the law school has been named, at a Roger Williams board meeting. Outraged students reacted quickly garnering 170 student signatures on a petition asking that Papitto's name be removed from the law school.[1] On July 18, 2007, Papitto asked that his name be removed from the school.[2] Papitto resigned as Chairman from the board and he was then granted the title "Chairman Emeritus". He was succeeded as Chairman by Richard Bready, the CEO of Nortek Inc., the company Papitto founded. [3]

The School of Law no longer enrolls a part-time extended division class

[edit] Library and Physical Facilities

The School of Law is self-contained in a building designed specifically for the study of law. The four-level facility contains class and seminar rooms and is equipped with state-of-the-art audiovisual and computer technology. The law library contains more than 280,000 volumes and equivalents, including wireless Internet access. The WebCatalog is available through the Internet, as are many library publications and resources. Access to the LexisNexis and Westlaw/Dialog services, Internet, and CD-ROM publications is provided in three separate computer labs. Word processing and research-related and instructional programs are available to students in the labs.

[edit] Joint Degree Programs

Roger Williams University offers a JD/Master of Science in Criminal Justice. This program is designed to prepare graduates to formulate system policy and serve effectively as administrators to United States justice system agencies. The School of Law also offers two joint-degree programs in conjunction with the University of Rhode Island. The JD/Master of Marine Affairs program is geared toward students interested in maritime, admiralty, and environmental law. The JD/Master of Science in Labor Relations and Human Resources program is designed for students interested in issues relating to employment and labor relations.

[edit] Special programs

Marine Affairs Institute: The institute explores the legal, economic, and policy issues raised by the development of the oceans and coastal zone. Students take elective courses in traditional admiralty law and practice, pollution and environmental regulation, coastal zoning, fisheries, and the international law of the sea.

Feinstein Institute for Public Service: The school's philosophy is "lawyers should serve the communities that support them." Introducing students to volunteerism and public service as part of their legal education, they believe, sets the stage for a lifetime of commitment. Students are required to complete at least 20 hours of community service before graduation.

Honors Program: The Honors Program is a three-year program of seminars, clinics, and externships. Scholarships of half to full tuition are awarded to students selected for the Honors Program. The Admissions Committee selects students, evaluating them on their academic records, LSAT scores, and recommendations.

[edit] Clinics and Internships

The School of Law operates a Criminal Defense Clinic and a Community Justice and Legal Assistance Clinic in Providence. These clinics provide a service to the community by helping indigent clients and at the same time provide students the opportunity to represent clients before courts and agencies under the supervision of a faculty member. Students may also engage in a semester-long supervised clerkship in a judge’s chambers or in a public interest or governmental law office for academic credit.

[edit] Study Abroad

The London Program on Comparative Advocacy provides a unique opportunity to participate in a mini-pupilage with a British barrister or judge. The Lisbon Program is the only legal study-abroad program in Lisbon, Portugal. The classes are taught in English by professors from the Catholic University of Portugal and Roger Williams University School of Law.

[edit] Admission

The average LSAT score of students enrolled in the School of Law is 153; the GPA average is 3.2. Admission is competitive and is based on the undergraduate grade-point average (UGPA) and the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) score, as well as other indicators of probable success in the study of law, such as graduate degree, work experience, undergraduate extracurricular activities, and community service. Applicants must register with Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS). A personal statement and the $60 fee must accompany all applications. One letter of recommendation is required. [4]

[edit] Financial Aid

Merit-based scholarships of up to full tuition are available; no separate application is required. Students must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to be considered for federal loans.

[edit] Student activities

Law Review: The law review is staffed and primarily administered by students who are selected based upon superior academic achievement and writing ability.

Moot Court Board: The Moot Court Board is composed of students who show superior appellate advocacy and writing ability. This organization sponsors speakers and programs on appellate advocacy, organizes an intraschool competition, and sends moot court teams to interschool competitions.

Extracurricular Activities: The multicultural mentor program pairs students of color with members of the bench and bar. Other student organizations include The Docket (student newspaper), Maritime Law Society, Women’s Law Association, the Alliance (LGBT), the Association of Public Interest Law, and the American Trial Lawyers Association.

[edit] Career Services

The Office of Career Services is headed by the an experienced career services professional who has also helmed Law Career Services at the University of Colorado, Southern Methodist University, and the University of Washington. The on-campus interview program consists of employers mainly from the Boston and Providence markets. Each year the Career Services Office holds Legal Career Options today. This program allows students to network with over 50 employers throughout New England.

[edit] Reputation

As of 2007, Roger Williams is a fourth tier law school according to the U.S. News & World Report rankings.[1] Recently, according to Vault.com, a leading source of career information, legal employers in New England ranked it as one of the most underrated law schools in the Northeast along with Boston College, Northeastern University, and Suffolk University.[2] The Law School was recently invited to join the ranks of the American Association of Law Schools.[3]

[edit] Sources

  1. ^  Wall Street Journal article on effect of student protest
  2. ^  Article about Papitto's racial slur
  3. ^  Providence Journal article about RWU board controversy
  4. ^  Princeton Review's Admissions Statistics
  5. ^  Vault ranks as one of Northeast's most underrated law schools
  6. ^  Memo recommending RWU for AALS membership
  1. ^ "America's Best Graduate Schools 2008: Tier 4 Law Schools", U.S. News & World Report. Accessed 10 February 2008.
  2. ^ "Most Underrated Law Schools", Vault.com.
  3. ^ Carl C. Monk, "Memorandum 05-35: Schools Recommended for Admission to Membership in the Association", American Association of Law Schools, November 28, 2005.

[edit] External links