Katie A. Ahern

Katie A. Ahern
Katie A. AhernDirector of the Business Start-up ClinicAssociate Clinical Professor of Law

Contact Information

401-276-4880kahern@rwu.edu

Education

LL.M., Boston University School of Law
J.D., Roger Williams University School of Law
B.S., University of Rhode Island

Katie Ahern leads the school's Business Start-up Clinic which serves nonprofit and small business clients. Students in the clinic learn substantive business lawyering skills, work directly with clients, and interact with the Rhode Island nonprofit and small business community.

Prof. Ahern was previously an associate at Hinckley, Allen & Snyder, where her legal practice focused in all areas of federal, state, and local tax matters affecting businesses, individuals, governmental entities, and tax-exempt organizations. Her research and analysis of client tax issues includes those surrounding formation, ongoing operations, and winding up of an organization, application for tax-exempt status of an organization, ongoing tax-exempt organization requirements, tax-exempt bond issuances, and state and local tax requirements. She has regularly published and presented on a variety of tax, business, and nonprofit law concepts.

Prof. Ahern previously served as a legal intern and later an associate in corporate and tax law at Tarlow, Breed, Hart & Rodgers, P.C. in Boston; as a legal intern at PriceWaterhouseCoopers LLP; and as a legal, investor relations and international tax intern at Hasbro, Inc.

Prof. Ahern also teaches business-law related classes at the University of Rhode Island and has served on the board and as President of the Rhode Island Women’s Bar Association. She is an active member of the Rhode Island bar and an inactive member of the Massachusetts bar. She is a 2011 recipient of the Providence Business News Forty Under 40 award and a 2015 Super Lawyers Rising Star.

Close Course Type Descriptions

Course Types

We have classified RWU Law classes under the following headers. One of the following course types will be attached to each course which will allow students to narrow down their search while looking for classes.

Core Course

Students in the first and second year are required to take classes covering the following aspects of the law—contracts, torts, property, criminal law, civil procedure, and constitutional law, evidence, and professional responsibility.  Along with these aspects, the core curriculum will develop legal reasoning skills.

Elective

After finishing the core curriculum the remaining coursework toward the degree is completed through upper level elective courses.  Students can choose courses that peak their interests or courses that go along with the track they are following.

Seminar

Seminars are classes where teachers and small groups of students focus on a specific topic and the students complete a substantial research paper.

Clinics/Externships

Inhouse Clinics and Clinical Externships legal education is law school training in which students participate in client representation under the supervision of a practicing attorney or law professor.  RWU Law's Clinical Programs offer unique and effective learning opportunities and the opportunity for practical experience while still in law school.