Law Summit - Artificial Intelligence: Legal and Policy Implications for Business

RWU Law Summit - Artificial Intelligence: Legal and Policy Implications for Business

At a moment when the pace and power of artificial intelligence are raising urgent questions about risk, oversight, and control, the Summit will bring together legal, policy, and business leaders to examine what responsible AI governance looks like in practice. The conversation will explore how businesses and policymakers can build guardrails that address real risks without closing off the innovation and opportunity AI can create.

3:00 PM |Registration - 2nd Floor Balcony

3:15 PM | Welcome & Opening Remarks - Capital Ballroom

3:30 PM | Panel - Capital Ballroom

5:00 PM | Keynote Address - Capital Ballroom

6:15 PM | Cocktail Reception & Networking Mix - 2nd Floor Balcony

Register - October 5 - Law Summit
Keynote Address
Rhode Island’s AI Future: Opportunity, Risk, and the Way Forward

Keynote Speaker
Former Representative James R. Langevin, Rhode Island

Jim Langevin has spent much of his career confronting the policy challenges created by emerging technologies, first in Congress and now as chair of Rhode Island’s AI Task Force. He will examine one of the defining questions facing policymakers today: how do we manage the very real risks of artificial intelligence without regulating away the opportunities it can create for Rhode Island and the nation?

Jim Langevin has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to Public Service. He was first elected to public office in 1985 as a Delegate to Rhode Island’s Constitutional Convention where he served as Secretary. 

In 1988 he was elected to the Rhode Island General Assembly where he served for 6 years.

In 1994 he was elected Rhode Island Secretary of State.

In 2001 he was elected to the US House of Representatives where he served for 11 terms.

Jim Langevin was the first quadriplegic to serve in the United States House of Representatives. Jim became paralyzed at the age of 16 after an accidental shooting incident at the Warwick Police Department, where Jim was serving as a Police Explorer/Cadet.

In Congress Jim served as a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, where he was the Chairman of the Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee, and served as Senior Member on the House Committee on Homeland Security.

A national leader on cybersecurity, Langevin served on the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, co-founded and co-chaired the Congressional Cybersecurity Caucus to increase awareness around the issue, and co chaired the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Commission on Cyber Security for the 44th Presidency. 

He currently serves as The Distinguished Chair for the Institute for Cybersecurity and Emerging Technologies at Rhode Island College. The Institute is focused on helping to educate and up-skill students and the workforce in the areas of Cyber and Artificial Intelligence He is also a Strategic Advisor for Paladin Capital Group in Washington, DC, and as Chairman of the Center for Cyber and Technology Innovation (CCTI) Board at For Defense of Democracies (FDD). Langevin also serves on a number of Advisory Boards. 

Jim is a Graduate of Rhode Island College class of 1990 and holds a Masters of Public Administration from the John F Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Panel Discussion
Governing AI Before It Governs You: Leadership, Oversight, and Organizational Control

As AI tools become embedded in daily operations, organizations are moving from informal experimentation to decisions that require structure, accountability, and oversight. This panel will examine how leaders can build practical governance systems before AI use becomes fragmented, risky, or invisible inside the organization.

The discussion will focus on leadership responsibility, internal controls, policy design, cross-functional decision-making, vendor management, data use, compliance, and the role of legal counsel in helping organizations adopt AI without losing sight of accountability, transparency, and institutional judgment.

MEET THE PANELISTS
Natalia N. Friedlander
Roger Williams University School of Law, Associate Professor of Law

Natalia N. Friedlander joined the Roger Williams University School of Law Faculty in July 2025. She is currently co-chair of the RWU Law AI Task Force. Prior to joining RWU Law, Friedlander was a Visiting Clinical Lecturer in Law, Associate Research Scholar in Law, and Robert M. Cover Clinical Teaching Fellow at Yale Law School. She was previously a Staff Attorney at the Rhode Island Center for Justice, where she challenged unjust conditions of confinement, denial of healthcare, and other abuses in the criminal justice system. Prior to law school, Friedlander worked in public health, including USAID-funded HIV/AIDS projects in Tanzania and Zambia and at a healthcare nonprofit in Washington, D.C. She received a J.D. from Yale Law School, which recognized her with the Stephen J. Massey Prize for client advocacy and community service. She grew up in East Tennessee and is a graduate of Brown University.

Tomo Lazovich
Brown University, Assistant Professor of the Practice, AI Governance and Policy

Tomo Lazovich (they/them) is a technologist and legal scholar who studies new ways to measure and govern the societal impacts of algorithmic systems. They are currently an Assistant Professor of the Practice in AI Governance and Society at Brown University's Data Science Institute. They are also a core collaborator of Brown's Center for Technological Responsibility, Reimagination, and Redesign and a Faculty Fellow at the Brown Watson School for International and Public Affairs. Prior to joining Brown, Tomo served as an Emerging Technology Fellow at the U.S. Census Bureau and worked as a Senior Research Scientist on the Machine Learning Ethics, Transparency, and Accountability team at Twitter, among other machine learning industry research roles. Tomo holds an A.B. and Ph.D. in Physics from Harvard University and a J.D. from Northeastern University.

Mahnaz (Mila) Paydar
Roger Williams University, Assistant Professor of Finance

Mahnaz (Mila) Paydar is an Assistant Professor of Finance at the Gabelli School of Business at Roger Williams University. Her research examines artificial intelligence in finance, FinTech, social media analytics, and behavioral finance, applying machine learning and natural language processing to large-scale textual and behavioral data. Her recent work studies how financial markets respond when AI services fail, strategic bot activity in financial social media, and firm-level AI adoption measured from SEC 10-K filings. She earned her Ph.D. in Finance and Real Estate from the University of Texas at Arlington and also holds an M.S. in Mathematics from New Mexico State University, an M.S. in Industrial Engineering from Sharif University of Technology, and a B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Tehran.

Samantha Richard
Senior Director, Public Sector & Higher Education, Northeast U.S. | Microsoft

Samantha Richard is a technology and business leader with 20 years at Microsoft, where she leads the company’s work with state and local governments, higher education institutions, and academic medical centers across the Northeast United States. She helps public-sector and education leaders translate emerging technologies into practical strategies that improve services, strengthen institutional resilience, and advance outcomes for students, communities, patients, and government employees.

A recognized advocate for responsible, mission-driven artificial intelligence, Samantha works with executives to shape AI strategies, accelerate adoption, and build the organizational readiness needed to move from experimentation to measurable impact. Her experience spans enterprise AI strategy, AI-powered productivity and agents, cloud transformation, cybersecurity, data modernization, and enterprise productivity. She is particularly focused on creating trusted partnerships across technology companies, research institutions, public agencies, and solution providers—bringing together the capabilities, funding, and expertise required to scale innovation responsibly.

Throughout her career, Samantha has built and led high-performing teams and partner ecosystems across Microsoft’s education, enterprise, and consumer businesses. Earlier roles included leadership in U.S. Education, strategic enterprise sales, and consumer channel sales and marketing. Before joining Microsoft, she held positions with Logitech, Mobile Digital Media, and The Learning Company. Samantha earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Boston College and lives in Rhode Island with her husband and three children.

MEET THE MODERATOR
Kathryn M. Rattigan, Esq. L'12
Robinson + Cole, Partner

Kathryn M. Rattigan is a member of Robinson+Cole’s Business Litigation Group and Data Privacy + Cybersecurity Team and co-chairs the firm’s Artificial Intelligence Team. She advises clients across industries—including healthcare—on data privacy, cybersecurity, technology risks, software contracting, outsourcing, and vendor management. A nationally recognized speaker and prolific author, Kathryn will discuss the growing role of AI in healthcare and the legal, operational, and governance considerations associated with its use.

Register - October 5 - Law Summit

PARKING
Self-parking is available in the garage located directly behind the Graduate by Hilton Providence at 51 Washington Street.  

SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS
Persons who, because of a special need or condition, would like to request an accommodation for an event should contact Chelsie Horne, CMP, Director, Office of Programs & Initiatives, chorne@rwu.edu, as soon as possible, but no later than 72 hours before the event, so that appropriate arrangements can be made.