David Logan has served as Dean at Roger Williams University School of Law in Bristol, RI since 2003. A graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, Dean Logan clerked for a federal judge and practiced with a major Washington, D.C. law firm, where he represented Native American tribes....
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| RWU Law Congratulates AG-Elect Peter Kilmartin in the Providence Sunday Journal of Nov. 7, 2010 |
As RWU Law begins wrapping up its second decade, we’re seeing more and more indicators of our institution’s profound impact on the legal culture and social fabric of Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts.
But the School of Law arrived at a truly significant landmark last Tuesday when alum Peter F. Kilmartin ’98 – the Democrat in the field – won a five-way race to become the next Attorney General of the State of Rhode Island. RWU Law can boast alums serving as judges, as mayors of major cities, as clerks at the First Circuit and state Supreme Court, as partners and associates at top law firms, and much more – but Kilmartin’s achievement marks the first time one of our graduates has occupied a statewide elective office.
Peter, it should be noted, exemplifies precisely the sort of “nontraditional” law student who has for so long thrived in the academically demanding, yet warmly supportive environment of RWU Law. A longtime Democratic state representative, Peter spent 24 years as a Pawtucket police officer before embarking on his law career. His campaign reports “that to the best of our knowledge, Peter will be the first former police officer to become attorney general for Rhode Island.”
I would be remiss if I did not add that Kilmartin’s sharpest competition came from another RWU Law grad – Republican Erik B. Wallin ’97, a former state and military prosecutor. Kilmartin won 43.2 percent of the vote, followed by Wallin with 28.9 percent; the remainder was divided among the other three candidates.
As I wrote in another recent blog, RWU Law also played a pivotal role in the AG campaign when we hosted a lively and incisive debate in our main Appellate Courtroom.
Eric Wallin ’97 and Peter Kilmartin ’98 at the Attorney General Candidate’s Debate, held in October at RWU Law.