At RWU Law, we believe that experiential education opportunities are invaluable, intertwined, and should build upon each other. In the Feinstein Center, we will help you to plan your curriculum to take maximum advantage of the rich array of experiential curriculum throughout law school.
RWU Law’s 50-Hour Pro Bono Experiential Learning Requirement (Pro Bono ELR) provides legal service to low-income communities and an opportunity for students to gain valuable practical legal experience. To meet the graduation requirement, students must complete all required forms and submit them to the Feinstein Center by the required deadlines.
The Pro Bono Collaborative connects law firms, attorneys, and law students to community organizations that need pro bono legal services for their organization and/or their clients.
The Feinstein Center is the law school’s public interest home base. The Center provides a public interest community for law students who may be interested in pursuing full-time public interest careers or incorporating pro bono and social justice into their professional identities.
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.
Every year, the School of Law and the Rhode Island legal community gather together to celebrate the public interest and pro bono work of students, faculty, and community members to advance justice for all.
Advocating for the rights of underserved and historically excluded communities has been the driving force in Harper’s law career—indeed, it’s what led her to Roger Williams University School of Law in the first place.
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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.
Cole Brauer, the first American woman to sail solo nonstop around the world, inspires resilience in Commencement address to RWU’s 1,279 graduates.
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.
Each year, RWU Law honors graduating students for their achievements and important contributions to both the law school and the wider community. Among this year’s honorees are Public Interest Award winner Kaiya Letherer, Pro Bono Collaborative Award winner Sydney Barletta, Clinical Legal Education Association Outstanding Clinic Student Andrew Dunphy, and Clinical Legal Education Association Outstanding Externship Student Samantha Lobato. These four members of the Class of 2025 share a steadfast dedication to justice and public service – a commitment that has shaped their journeys and inspired their legal paths.
When Ben Peters L'25 first arrived at RWU Law, he didn't know a single person. And that was the point. Having spent his entire life in West Virginia, Peters came to Rhode Island to expand his horizons in a different region and was also drawn to the joint degree program which offered a Masters in Marine Affairs at the University of Rhode Island.
Clinical Professor of LawDirector of Clinical ExternshipsDirector, Feinstein Center for Pro Bono & Experiential Education
Clinical Professor of LawDirector of Pro Bono & Community PartnershipsBruce I. Kogan Distinguished Service Professor of Law
Clinical Professor of LawAssociate Director of Pro Bono Programs
