Roger Williams Law Campus, situated directly on the waterfront

RWU Law

#Changemakers Welcome

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Juris Doctor (JD)

Few degrees are more versatile than the Juris Doctor, whatever your professional interest: private practice, public interest, government, litigation, corporate, marine, educational or elsewhere.

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Master of Studies in Law (MSL)

Designed especially for students who want to bring deep legal skill and know-how to their existing career focus, but not actually practice law.

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Why RWU Law?

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Social Justice

At RWU Law, we believe that lawyers should use their legal skills to serve their communities – and that pro bono service in law school can set the stage for a lifetime of invaluable social contributions.

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The Only Law School In RIClick to Open

The Only Law School In RI

As the state's one and only law school, RWU Law is able to offer you a level of access, connection and experience that few institutions can rival – helping you have an impact today, and make a difference now ...

Why that matters
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Facts at a Glance

  • Innovation Leader

    RWU Law is one of just a handful of law schools to add a 3-credit required course on race in its curriculum, and is leading other schools in integrating diversity into classroom teaching with co-authorship of a book on the subject with a webinar series

    Race and The Foundations of American Law
  • 2
    Campuses

    Our Bristol seaside campus provides the backdrop for your legal education. Our Providence experiential campus gives you the experience you seek in your third year.

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  • AFFORDABILITY

    We're the most affordable private, ABA law school in the entire Northeast region.

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  • #Changemaker Stories

    With extensive pro bono clinic experiences, RWU Law students start being changemakers in school. Our alumni go out into the world armed with the education and experience to contribute meaningful changes within their spheres of influence.

    Read Our Stories
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Defending Dreams in Challenging Times

Jeremy Love and Samantha Armstrong, RWU Law Class of 2006 and 2018 Juris Doctor

2012 was an important year in immigration law, as the Obama administration’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program opened a new category of legal status for undocumented immigrants who arrived in the U.S. under the age of 18, so-called “Dreamers.” It was also the year Jeremy Love L’06 founded the Love Law Firm, a full-service immigration firm in Alabama. In 2024, another RWU Law graduate, Samantha Armstrong L’18 joined the firm.

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Featured News

  • John A. Dorsey L'10

    John Dorsey L'10 Selected for U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Rhode Island

    Chief Judge David J. Barron of the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit announced on June 5 that John A. Dorsey L'10 has been selected to fill the upcoming vacancy in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Rhode Island that will result from Judge Diane Finkle's retirement on September 8, 2025.

  • Deborah Gonzales wearing judicial robe in court with US flags behind her

    Up for a Challenge

    Deborah Gonzales L'07 began her legal career on the cleaning staff. “I’ve had every position, from the cleaning person, to the receptionist, to the secretary, to the paralegal, to the lawyer, to the partner, to the law professor, and now the judge,” Gonzalez says.

  • Book cover of Integrating Doctrine and Diversity: Beyond the First Year

    RWU Law Faculty Honored with National Award for Advancing Diversity in Legal Education

    Nicole P. Dyszlewski, professor and assistant dean for curricular innovation, and Suzanne Harrington-Steppen, clinical professor and associate director of pro bono programs, were recently named recipients of the 2025 Joseph L. Andrews Legal Literature Award from the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL). The award honors their co-editorship of the groundbreaking book Integrating Doctrine & Diversity: Beyond the First Year.

  • Female law student smiling at the camera

    Destined for Law: From Legal Dream to Valedictorian

    For RWU Law Class of 2025 valedictorian Ashley Kaplan, attending law school always felt like destiny. “Becoming a lawyer was one of my childhood dreams, and as my grandfather always wanted a lawyer in the family – and I am a smidge argumentative – it felt kismet for me to go to law school,” she says.

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Institutes and Programs

Marine Affairs Institute

Marine Affairs Institute

The Marine Affairs Institute prepares law students to enter the exciting field of ocean and coastal law and policy by providing them with strong academic credentials and practical experiences that help them be practice-ready upon graduation.

Bernard Freamon, Institute Leader

Institute for Race and the Law

The innovative Institute for Race and the Law aims to transform the landscape of legal education, drive justice reform through legal scholarship, and address root causes of systemic inequality.