Sea Grant Law Fellows

The Rhode Island Sea Grant Program sponsors law students as Sea Grant Law Fellows to research and write on ocean and coastal law issues including the resolution of marine resource management and conservation issues.

• Student FAQs
• Sea Grant Law Fellow Project Guidelines
• Sea Grant Law Fellow Request Form 

VIDEO - RI Sea Grant Law Fellow Program
Published Jan 15, 2013
This video describes the Marine Affairs Institute and the programs the Institute offers, including the Rhode Island Sea Grant Law Fellows, where RWU Law students provide organizations, agencies, and businesses with low-cost legal research supervised the Institute's staff attorney.  (Note: This program does not offer legal advice.) 

Law Fellow Presents at TCS Conference
Kristen Bonjour '12 presented on her law fellow project Municipal Responses to a Changing Climate in the Coastal Zone of the Northeast and Bay of Fundy at The Coastal Society’s 23^rd biennial conference held in Miami, Florida from June 3-6, 2012. Kristen's project is one example of how the law fellow program provides students hands-on training, from researching and writing up a research memo to presenting the results in a professional setting.

Kristen Bonjour presenting her poster at
The Coastal Society Conference in Miami, FL

Rhode Island Sea Grant Legal Program
Law Fellow Colloquium
April 11, 2012                                                
The Rhode Island Sea Grant Law Fellows, along with sponsoring organizations, presented their work at an informal colloquium for those interested in seeking the research services of a Law Fellow.  Those attending were provided with information about the Rhode Island Sea Grant Law Fellow Program and how a Fellow may be able to assist with their research needs. A reception immediately followed the event.

Colloquium Program

Julia Wyman, Staff Attorney, Marine Affairs Institute &
RI Sea Grant Legal Program.

Sarah Parker '12 and 2012 M.M.A. candidate, University
of Rhode Island, discussed her Gulf of Maine and RI
Sea Grant/Coastal Resources Center-URI research projects.

Scott Gunst '12, discussed his research on the land-based
alternative energy research project and experience as a
law fellow.

Pictured from left to right:
Dennis Esposito, Adjunct Faculty, RWU School of Law; Barry Costa-Pierce,
Director, RI Sea Grant; Julia Wyman, Staff Attorney, Marine Affairs Institute
& RI Sea Grant Legal Program; Sarah Parker '12; Peter Tekippe, Esq. '04
J.D./M.M.A.,Warren Harbor Commission; Christopher McNally '13; Scott Gunst '12; 
David Logan, Dean, RWU School of Law; Kristen Bonjour '12; Jenna Algee '11;
Susan Farady, Director, Marine Affairs Institute & RI Sea Grant Legal Program.

Also see Dean Logan's blog on the colloquium:
Getting "Hands On" Experience in Marine Law: the RWU Sea Grant Law Fellows 

Rhode Island Sea Grant Legal Program
Established in October 2003, the Rhode Island Sea Grant Legal Program located at the Marine Affairs Institute at Roger Williams University School of Law is one of only four Sea Grant legal and policy efforts in the nation.  The Program assists Rhode Island Sea Grant in meeting its three core components of outreach services, education, and legal research by responding to research requests from state and regional agencies and other Sea Grant constituents on coastal zone management, fisheries, public access, aquaculture, ports and harbors and other areas of marine law.  The Program is prohibited from providing legal advice or becoming involved in litigation.

The information provided by the Program's students and attorneys is intended for informational purposes only. 

For more information or if you have any questions, please contact Julia Wyman, Staff Attorney, Marine Affairs Institute at jwyman@rwu.edu or by telephone at 401-254-5734.