The Office of Diversity & Outreach
provides direct service to diverse
students in their academic, social and
professional development while at Roger
Williams Law School. This support is
provided through workshops, one-on-one
student counseling and support of
student organizations. The Director of
Diversity Programs
coordinates the law school diversity
initiatives and programs.
Contact: Lydia Hanhardt
Director of Diversity Programs
(401) 254-4522
lhanhardt@rwu.edu
Student Groups
Black Law Students Association (BLSA)
Latino Law Students Association (LLSA)
Asian Pacific American Law Students
Association (APALSA)
The Racial Justice Task Force was
developed to address issues of access to
justice, particularly for communities of
color. Members include law students,
faculty, judges, practicing lawyers, and
community organizations.
The mission of the Thurgood Marshall
Law Society (TMLS) is to advance the
distinguished legacy of Thurgood
Marshall through the active
participation and fellowship among
lawyers, law professors, judges and law
students of color to promote the science
of jurisprudence, to uphold the honor of
the legal profession, to promote social
intercourse among Rhode Island
attorneys, and to protect the civil and
political rights of all citizens of the
State of Rhode Island. TMLS provides
on-going support to students of the law
school through joint sponsorship of
events and a mentorship program with the
Multi-cultural Law Students Association.
Roger Williams Law students may join
this committee of the Rhode Island Bar
Association as student members.
Annual Programs & Initiatives
Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration
The School of Law celebrates the life
of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a
series of activities to highlight his
contributions to the Civil Rights
Movement.
Diversity Symposium Dinner
This annual event brings together
Rhode Island attorney and judges with
high school, college, and law students
to discuss issues of interest to members
of populations traditionally
underrepresented in the legal profession
and the justice system.
Street Law Program
Street Law is practical,
participatory education about law,
democracy, and human rights where Roger
Williams Law students teach in local
inner-city high schools.
Thurgood Marshall Lecture Series
The Thurgood Marshall Lecture Series
is held biennially and is sponsored by
the School of Law, a local law firm and
the Marshall family.
Bridge to Success Law Day
Each year the School of Law invites
local high school students to campus to
hear more about pursuing a legal career.
These campus visits provide an
opportunity for current law students to
advise and guide students from nearby
high schools as they consider becoming
lawyers. One group of students who
visits annually is from the Bridge to
Success Program, a college readiness
program facilitated by Roger Williams
University. It serves inner-city high
school students from Providence and
Newport, RI.
