Roger Williams Law Campus, situated directly on the waterfront

RWU Law

#Changemakers Welcome

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Juris Doctor (JD)

Few degrees are more versatile than the Juris Doctor, whatever your professional interest: private practice, public interest, government, litigation, corporate, marine, educational or elsewhere.

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Master of Studies in Law (MSL)

Designed especially for students who want to bring deep legal skill and know-how to their existing career focus, but not actually practice law.

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Why RWU Law?

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Social Justice

At RWU Law, we believe that lawyers should use their legal skills to serve their communities – and that pro bono service in law school can set the stage for a lifetime of invaluable social contributions.

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The Only Law School In RI

As the state's one and only law school, RWU Law is able to offer you a level of access, connection and experience that few institutions can rival – helping you have an impact today, and make a difference now ...

Why that matters
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Facts at a Glance

  • Innovation Leader

    RWU Law is one of just a handful of law schools to add a 3-credit required course on race in its curriculum, and is leading other schools in integrating diversity into classroom teaching with co-authorship of a book on the subject with a webinar series

    Race and The Foundations of American Law
  • 2
    Campuses

    Our Bristol seaside campus provides the backdrop for your legal education. Our Providence experiential campus gives you the experience you seek in your third year.

    Discover Our Campuses
  • #Changemaker Stories

    With extensive pro bono clinic experiences, RWU Law students start being changemakers in school. Our alumni go out into the world armed with the education and experience to contribute meaningful changes within their spheres of influence.

    Read Our Stories
Maureen Wagner Vinson L'10

Bringing Election Law to Students

Maureen Wagner Vinson, RWU Law Class of 2010 Juris Doctor

Awareness of voting and election laws has increased with the rise of election-related litigation over the last few years, but RWU Law alum Maureen Wagner Vinson L'10, has been directly involved with these issues since much earlier in her career. She credits the school with upholding its commitment to diversity of opinion and civil discourse, stating that many faculty members “were always happy to debate or serve on a panel with Federalist Society speakers.”

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Featured News

  • Dillon Donaldson L'26

    Exploring Law from Classroom to Courtroom

    Having the opportunity to learn about the legal system from the ground up was Dillon Donaldson’s main goal in law school. As a recent intern at the United States District Court, District of Rhode Island for Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., Donaldson had the unique opportunity to look behind the curtain and get a close look at the inner workings of the justice system.

  • Sam Filiaggi L25

    The Powerful Combination of Representation and Advocacy

    Filiaggi didn't have any clue that a legal career was in his future while he was studying Marine Affairs as an undergraduate at the University of Rhode Island. His experience included an impactful semester away with the Williams-Mystic Coastal and Ocean Studies Program. Weighing his future options during the pandemic, Filiaggi realized he could still dedicate his career to protecting the natural environment by pivoting to become a lawyer.

  • Research Attorney Ryan McCrorey

    Supporting Rhode Island's Aquaculture

    Aquaculture is crucial for the state, but when it comes to navigating legal matters, many in the sector are left without help. At RWU Law, the Marine Affairs Institute has made it part of its mission to change this.

  • Samantha Lobato L'25

    Transforming Adversity into Advocacy

    Growing up in a neighborhood in Denver marked by socioeconomic disparities and systemic injustices, 3L Samantha Lobato witnessed the legal system's profound power on the country’s most vulnerable communities. It was this experience that drove Lobato to pursue a legal career, one that she plans on dedicating to serving low-income and marginalized communities.

  • Professor Natasha Varyani

    No Outsiders in RWU Law Professor’s Classroom

    As a law professor, Varyani realized that a lack of representation in legal textbooks reflects disparities in who has access to the courts, particularly the appellate courts that make the written decisions that appear in law books. With a new book on systemic racism in property law, Varyani tackles the problem and helps other professors do the same.

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Institutes and Programs

Marine Affairs Institute

Marine Affairs Institute

The Marine Affairs Institute prepares law students to enter the exciting field of ocean and coastal law and policy by providing them with strong academic credentials and practical experiences that help them be practice-ready upon graduation.

Bernard Freamon, Institute Leader

Institute for Race and the Law

The innovative Institute for Race and the Law aims to transform the landscape of legal education, drive justice reform through legal scholarship, and address root causes of systemic inequality.