Dean’s Blog

05/20/2013
Many RWU Law grads take the Connecticut bar exam and the state bar provides much helpful data that facilitates comparisons between and among regional law schools. The results for the February exam...

Fast Facts

RWU Law is the only Sea Grant Legal Program north of the Mason-Dixon Line and only one of 4 in the country.



Clinical Programs

Course Numbersort icon Description Credits
LAW.860

Criminal Defense Clinic

The Criminal Defense Clinic is a one semester program in which students represent indigent criminal defendants in the District Court and Traffic Tribunal of the State of Rhode Island. The caseload consists largely of misdemeanor and traffic offenses, including allegations of assault, domestic violence, disorderly conduct, drug possession, petty theft, drunk driving and breathalyser refusal. Students will handle every stage of representation in each of their cases, including motion practice, discovery and investigation, negotiation, pre-trial litigation and, when the case demands it, trial and appellate work.  Trial Advocacy is a prerequisite.

8 Credit(s)
LAW.862

Mediation Clinic

The Mediation Clinic is a one semester program in which law students earn 8 hours of academic credit mediating disputes under the supervision of a faculty clinic director.  The law students will be trained in advanced mediation and other practical conflict resolution skills, and then will (1) assist disputing parties to achieve mutually agreeable settlements by serving as mediators, and (2) provide conflict resolution educational workshops in the community.

Prerequisites: Students wishing to enroll in the Mediation Clinic must meet the requirements of R.I.G.L. § 9-19-44, which mandates that mediators have received a minimum of 30 classroom hours of training in mediation.  Law 733: Mediation meets this requirement, but other training courses might also be acceptable in the discretion of the clinic director.

8 Credit(s)
LAW.870

Immigration Clinic

The Immigration Clinic is a one semester program in which students represent noncitizens in removal proceedings in immigration court and applications for immigration benefits. Students represent clients in their applications for asylum, visas for victims of violent crime, benefits for noncitizen victims of domestic violence, waivers for long-term permanent residents and visas for juvenile victims of abuse, abandonment or neglect. Students also conduct “Know Your Rights” presentations for immigration detainees and similar presentations for immigrant communities in Rhode Island.

8 Credit(s)