Roger Williams University School of Law Receives Historic $4 Million Gift from Mark Mandell to Establish Premier Trial Advocacy Center
A historic gift to the law school is slated to launch a permanent program to train the next generation of elite trial advocates.
BRISTOL, R.I. – Roger Williams University School of Law (RWU Law) is proud to announce the creation of the Mandell Trial Advocacy Center. The Center will be a permanent and sustained educational pathway whose purpose will be to train trial advocates.
The Center will integrate coursework, controlled simulations, selective competition participation, and practitioner engagement. The Center will train law school students and also practicing attorneys who seek to hone and refine their trial advocacy skills on behalf of their clients.
The Center is being endowed through a transformational $4 million gift from renowned trial attorney and longtime law school supporter, Mark Mandell.
“The Mandell Trial Advocacy Center positions RWU Law at the forefront of legal education by offering a methodology-driven, values-centered program that is unique in the United States. Mark’s renowned ‘Case Framing’ model will serve as the basis for the Center’s programming and ensure that our graduates possess the strategic clarity and ethical judgment required to excel as changemakers in a rapidly evolving legal landscape,” said Gregory Bowman, Dean, RWU Law.
The investment for this Center is fitting for Mandell, given his years of service to RWU Law. He has served as a member and chair of the law school’s Board of Directors; a member of Roger Williams University’s Board of Trustees; an adjunct faculty member; a donor; a founder, leader, and participant in social justice and pro bono programming at the law school; and as an advisor to many RWU Law deans and faculty, robustly demonstrating the impact he has had in shaping the Law School.
Together with his wife Yvette Boisclair and son Zack Mandell—both of whom are his law partners at Mandell, Boisclair, and Mandell, Ltd.—Mark will serve as a founding advisor of the Center. He will also chair an Oversight Board composed of respected members of the bench and bar selected by existing members of the Oversight Board and the Dean of RWU Law. This board will advise and guide on quality, professional relevance, and strategic direction for the Center, ensuring both continuity of vision and adaptability as the profession evolves.
“RWU Law has been an important part of my professional life for years. I have seen firsthand the incredible potential of its students. This gift is meant to be an investment in them. Through the Mandell Trial Advocacy Center, we are hopefully creating a permanent platform of excellence that will strengthen the civil justice system in Rhode Island and beyond for generations to come,” said Mark Mandell.
To establish and launch the Center, RWU Law will appoint a new Director of Trial Advocacy Programs, establish essential administrative and program infrastructure, build a curriculum and instructional materials, support trial advocacy teams and competitions, support visiting practitioners and national programming engagement, and provide scholarships and other funding to reduce financial barriers and increase student access. Beyond law students, the Center will also offer education for active practitioners and CLE programming aligned with the Mandell Case Framing methodology.