Law Review Symposium
Trauma-Informed Lawyering: Approaches to Advocating for Diverse Populations
RWU Law Symposium - November 15 - Register Here
The Roger Williams University Law Review will present their annual symposium on Friday, November 15, 2024.
The Roger William University Law Review’s newest journal, Justice for All, proudly presents a symposium focusing on the importance of practicing trauma-informed lawyering to build effective attorney-client relationships and provide holistic representation that accounts for the realities of traumatic experiences. Speakers will discuss trauma-informed practice, what is meant by the terms "trauma" and "vicarious trauma," representing clients who have survived domestic violence, sexual assault, and significant mental and physical harm, adapting litigation strategy to account for trauma, and preventing vicarious trauma.
The phrase “justice for all” is supposed to be a foundational principle of American law. Yet, for those among the lower rungs of society, justice remains elusive. The legal system routinely disenfranchises people based on race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and other immutable characteristics, and legal actors who are supposed to ensure access for all instead uphold these exclusions by denying people equal treatment under the law. All people, regardless of their position in society, deserve access to legal representation and education.
Meet the Keynote Speaker
Jamie Beck, Esq., is the owner of J.D. Beck Consulting, which supports attorneys, law firms, and organizations working with survivors of human trafficking, domestic and sexual violence, and child abuse. Ms. Beck previously served as the president & managing attorney of Free to Thrive, a Southern California-based nonprofit organization that aims to advance justice and transform the legal system for human trafficking survivors. Ms. Beck also serves as an adjunct lecturer in law at USC Gould School of Law and Pepperdine Caruso School of Law, teaching the Trauma-Informed Legal Skills course.
Ms. Beck previously served as the President & Managing Attorney of Free to Thrive, a Southern California-based nonprofit organization with the mission of advancing justice and transforming the legal system for human trafficking survivors through legal services, education, and policy advocacy. She has over a decade of experience representing human trafficking survivors in a variety of legal matters including domestic violence restraining orders, child custody, divorce, name and gender changes and victim’s rights representation.
Ms. Beck also serves as an Adjunct Lecturer in Law at USC Gould School of Law and Pepperdine Caruso School of Law teaching the course Trauma-Informed Legal Skills. She serves on the Dean’s Board of Advisors for the University of San Diego Kroc School of Peace Studies. Ms. Beck has trained thousands of attorneys, students, stakeholders and community members on human trafficking and trauma-informed practices. Ms. Beck graduated from the University of San Diego School of Law where she was a member of the San Diego Law Review. Ms. Beck attended law school because she wanted to help others and she knew that the legal system is a powerful tool to do so.
Agenda
8:30 AM - 9:00 AM Registration & Breakfast
9:00 AM - 9:30 AM Welcome
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Panel 1: What is Trauma? The Importance of Trauma-Informed Lawyering
Attorneys owe all clients a duty of “competent representation” under the Model Rules of Professional Conduct §1.1, but representing clients who have experienced trauma requires more than legal knowledge and preparation. Lawyers need to understand the neurobiological impact of trauma and how it can affect a person’s ability to access memories, make decisions, and communicate. This panel will explore how to provide “competent representation” of clients who have experienced trauma and the skills that every attorney needs, regardless of practice area, to communicate with and respond to these clients.
Chelsea M. Donaldson, Esq., LMSW, Supervising Attorney, Veterans Benefits and Military Unit, Connecticut Veterans Legal Center
Passionate about access to justice and trauma-informed practice, Chelsea has chosen to dedicate her life to serving the community that requires legal aid the most: low-income individuals struggling with mental illness and trauma. Her primary practice at the Connecticut Veterans Legal Center is heavily focused on Veterans struggling from severe mental health diagnoses accessing the healthcare and services that they need to heal. Her recent access to justice advocacy includes authoring testimony in support of the rights of incarcerated people and working to expand access to healthcare for Veterans wrongfully discharged with “bad paper.”
Chelsea began her career at CVLC as a Connecticut Bar Foundation Singer Fellow representing survivors of military sexual trauma in VA Benefits cases. Prior to her Singer Fellowship, Chelsea worked as clerk for the Connecticut Judicial Branch. Her graduate career includes clinical experience as a social worker for incarcerated people reintegrating into society. She earned her J.D., cum laude, from Western New England University School of Law and her M.S.W. from Springfield College. She is admitted to the Connecticut State Bar and Court of Appeals for Veterans’ Claims (CAVC). She is also a licensed Master Social Worker through the State of Connecticut.
Deeya Haldar, Associate Professor of Law, Director of the Civil Justice Clinic, Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law
Professor Haldar is a Professor and the Director of the Civil Justice Clinic at the Charles Widger School of Law at Villanova University. Professor Haldar also serves as the Director of the Clinical Program at Villanova. Prior to Villanova, she was the Supervising Attorney for the Drexel Civil Litigation Field Clinic at Philadelphia Legal Assistance (“PLA”) and a Co-Supervising Attorney of the Family Law Unit at PLA, as well as an Adjunct Professor at Drexel University’s Thomas R. Kline School of Law. Professor Haldar graduated from Cornell University and received her J.D from the New York University School of Law. After law school, Professor Haldar clerked for the Honorable Carolyn Berger of the Delaware Supreme Court. Prior to her time at PLA, Professor Haldar served as a law guardian at the Legal Aid Society in Brooklyn, New York, and represented children in all stages of their child welfare proceedings. She is the co-author of an article about teaching trauma-informed lawyering to law students and has also presented extensively on the topic of trauma-informed representation.
Sarah Katz, Clinical Professor of Law, Temple University Beasley School of Law
Professor Katz is Clinical Professor of Law at Temple University Beasley School of Law, and a current Senior Fellow with the Stoneleigh Foundation. She directs and teaches the Family Law Clinic at Temple Law. Professor Katz researches and writes about trauma-aware lawyering, the child welfare system and other family law issues, and frequently speaks on these topics at scholarly conferences and attorney trainings.
Will Sheehan, M.Ed., Esq., Staff Attorney, Safe Passage Project
Will Sheehan joined Safe Passage Project as an Immigrant Justice Corps Fellow and is now a Staff Attorney. Will works with immigrant youth to provide them quality legal representation. Will believes that every child deserves the opportunity to craft a beautiful and fulfilling life for themselves. Free, trauma-informed, and client-centered immigration counsel can help ensure that opportunity. In addition to his work at Safe Passage Project, Will is an adjunct professor at New York Law School where he teaches the Immigration Law and Litigation Clinic. Will holds a J.D. from Roger Williams University School of Law, a M.Ed. in Trauma-Informed Education from Columbia College, and a B.A. in Philosophy and Spanish from Kalamazoo College. Outside of work, Will enjoys long distance running, playing cello, and enjoying art museums.
Moderator: Nicole P. Dyszlewski, Professor and Assistant Dean for Curricular Innovation, Roger Williams University School of Law
Nicole P. Dyszlewski currently serves as Assistant Dean of Academic Innovation, for the Law School. She originally joined the staff of the law school as the Research/Access Services Librarian in 2015 having come from a public legislative library before becoming the Head of Reference, Instruction, and Engagement in the law library prior to accepting her current position. She received a B.A. from Hofstra University, a J.D. from Boston University School of Law, and an M.L.I.S. from the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Library and Information Studies. She is a member of the Massachusetts State Bar and the Rhode Island State Bar. Prior to becoming a law librarian, Nicole practiced real estate law. Her areas of interest are DEIB pedagogy in law school, mass incarceration, and access to justice.
Student Moderator: Samuel Filiaggi, JD Candidate, Roger Williams University School of Law
Samuel Filiaggi is a 3L student at Roger Williams University School of Law enrolled in the joint-Master of Marine Affairs Program at the University of Rhode Island. Samuel is engaged in many aspects of the RWU Law community. He serves as the Honor Board Chair, on the Diversity and Inclusion Steering Committee, and on the Student Title IX Task Force. He also works as a teaching assistant for Constitutional Law, in the Writing Center, and previously assisted Professor Monica Teixeira de Sousa with research regarding racial desegregation in Rhode Island schools. As a law student, Samuel has interned for the Rhode Island Center for Justice on their housing team, the Alaska Section of the NOAA Office of General Counsel, externed with The Nature Conservancy’s offshore wind team, and is currently a Rhode Island Sea Grant Law Fellow. After graduating from RWU Law this spring, Samuel is looking forward to finishing his MMA and hopes to advance social justice by practicing marine environmental law.
10:30 AM - 10:45 AM Break
10:45 AM - 12:00 PM
Panel 2: Understanding the Effect of Trauma on Juvenile Clients: Advocating for Children in the Courtroom and Beyond
Research shows that trauma disproportionately affects juveniles involved in the justice system and involvement itself can place them at risk of experiencing trauma. Furthermore, youth who have experienced trauma may cope in ways that increase their risk of arrest. Providing competent representation to these clients requires holistic trauma-informed care, including the ability to build trusting relationships, an understanding of the school-to-prison pipeline, and awareness of the challenges they may face at home or in school.
Meagan Fitzgerald, MS, CCLS, Manager of Advocacy & Prevention, The Lawrence A. Aubin, Sr. Child Protection Center at Hasbro Children’s Hospital
Meg Fitzgerald, MS, CCLS, is the manager of advocacy and prevention and a child life specialist at the Lawrence A. Aubin, Sr. Child Protection Center. She received her master’s degree in child life and family-centered care from Wheelock College. Meg has specialized training in psychosocial development and effective coping strategies for hospitalized children, and victims of child maltreatment. She engages patients in procedural support and preparation, therapeutic play, and provides emotional support throughout the Aubin Center evaluation. Meg serves as the program’s liaison between providers and law enforcement, ensuring seamless transitions of care while maintaining a trauma-informed approach throughout the medical process and subsequent investigation of child abuse.
Miyah Grant, Psy.D., Psychologist, RI Family Court Mental Health Clinic
Dr. Miyah Grant is a clinical forensic psychologist dedicated to promoting behavioral health, justice, and equitable outcomes within the juvenile legal system. She is a licensed staff psychologist at the RI Family Court Mental Health Clinic. Dr. Grant’s work centers on exploring, understanding, and addressing the unique challenges faced by system-involved youth and families. Dr. Grant integrates systems thinking into her approach, recognizing the interconnectedness of social issues and striving to create sustainable and lasting change. Dr. Grant has particular experience in conducting forensic evaluations with juvenile-legal involved youth and treating adolescents with complex clinical concerns. Her clinical research interests include 1) exploring the mental health consequences of intersecting inequalities and disadvantages marginalized youth face within the juvenile legal system and 2) addressing ethnoracial disparities in youth diversion and minority contact.
Dr. Grant earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Ohio University and her PsyD in clinical psychology (Child and Adolescent Concentration) from the University of Indianapolis. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University with a specialty focus on Adolescent Forensic and Addiction Psychology. Currently, Dr. Grant serves as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Brown University. She actively contributes to the Child Track social justice subcommittee and the DEIB Diversity Mentoring Program. She is committed to fostering the growth and development of future psychologists and emphasizes the importance of cultural competence, empathy, and advocacy in her mentorship.
Michael Gregory, Esq., Clinical Professor of Law, Harvard Law School; Faculty Director, Youth Advocacy & Policy Lab
Michael Gregory is Clinical Professor of Law at Harvard Law School (HLS) and Member of the Faculty at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He is Faculty Director of the Youth Advocacy & Policy Lab (Y-Lab), whose mission is to advocate for youth-facing systems that are antiracist, healing-centered, and trauma-sensitive. Y-Lab prioritizes elevating the voices of young people as it uses legal and policy tools to transform public systems, including schools, that impact them and their families. Through the YLab’s Trauma and Learning Policy Initiative (TLPI), Gregory supervises law students to represent families of traumatized students in the special education system and to learn and practice the skills of legislative lawyering to advance a public policy agenda for trauma-sensitive schools. As a result of TLPI’s advocacy, Massachusetts enacted the Safe and Supportive Schools Framework statute in 2014, a first-of-its-kind law that creates a statewide community of practice to support schools and districts to create safe and supportive whole-school learning environments that serve as a foundation for all students to succeed. In 2020, TLPI launched the Students Speak initiative to ensure that policymakers in Massachusetts hear directly from secondary school students about what they need in order to do well in school. Gregory is co-author of TLPI’s two landmark publications Helping Traumatized Children Learn, Volumes 1 and 2 and has also published in the area of special education law. He holds a JD from Harvard Law School and a Master of Arts in Teaching from Brown University.
Dr. Larome Myrick, Executive Director, Rhode Island Training School
Dr. Larome Myrick is a transformational leader with over 20 years of experience in criminal justice, public health, and human services. As the Executive Director of Juvenile Justice for Rhode Island, he oversees the Rhode Island Training School and Juvenile Probation Division, where his leadership has driven a 60% reduction in admissions and expanded community-based alternatives. Dr. Myrick has worked closely with local school boards to address the school-to-prison pipeline, implementing restorative practices and educational support programs for at-risk youth. His commitment to equitable service delivery is further reflected in the race equity plans he’s spearheaded across the department. Nationally, Dr. Myrick is a fellow of the prestigious Cambiar Education Fellowship, where he collaborates with other leaders to address systemic issues in education and juvenile justice. He also serves as the Northeast Regional Director and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Chair for the Council of Juvenile Justice Administrators. In addition to reform efforts with the Governor's Criminal Justice Work Group and US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, he frequently engages with school systems and policymakers to advocate for inclusive, justice-centered educational reforms. Dr. Myrick holds a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice and is a sought-after speaker, sharing his expertise on juvenile justice and equity in education.
Moderator: Martsyl Joseph, Professor of Legal Practice, Roger Williams University School of Law
Professor Martsyl Joseph joined the Rogers Williams University School of Law faculty in 2022, after working as a criminal defense lawyer for 11 years.
Professor Joseph started her career with the Committee for Public Counsel Services, which is the public defender agency in Massachusetts. She then went into private practice, where she continued to do criminal defense work, but also practiced in the areas of juvenile justice, landlord-tenant law, and real estate law. Professor Joseph graduated from Boston College with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Black Studies. She then attended Indiana University - Indianapolis, where she earned her Master’s in Public Affairs from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs; and the Robert H. McKinney School of Law, where she earned her Juris Doctor.
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM Lunch
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM Keynote Speaker
Jamie Beck, Esq., Founder, President & Managing Attorney, Free to Thrive; Adjunct Lecturer in Law, USC Gould School of Law
Moderator: Laurie Barron, Director, Feinstein Center for Pro Bono & Experiential Education, Roger Williams University School of Law
Laurie Barron is the Director of Feinstein Center for Pro Bono & Experiential Education. She received a B.A. from Yale University, a J.D. from New York University School of Law, and an M.S.W. from New York University School of Social Work.
Her previous work includes representing children at the Juvenile Rights Division of the Legal Aid Society in New York City; working as a public defender and team leader at the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem; and clinical teaching in an interdisciplinary Prisoners and Families Clinic at Columbia Law School, in a School-Based Legal Services Clinic at Rutgers-Camden School of Law, and in a Juvenile Rights Advocacy Project at Boston College Law School.
Laurie is also the Director of Clinical Externships, and teaches the Public Interest Clinical Externship and the co-requisite Social Justice Lawyering seminar. Laurie also co-teaches mandatory 2L class Race and the Foundations of American Law.
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Panel 3: Trauma-Informed Advocacy for Survivors of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Trafficking
Survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and trafficking often need more than competent legal representation to move forward and heal from the trauma they have experienced. Attorneys working with these clients should ensure these clients’ basic needs are met and provide them with autonomy to make decisions about the future. Panelists will discuss the coping mechanisms that survivors often develop in response to trauma, how to mitigate retraumatizing these clients, and how attorneys can work with medical experts to provide trauma-informed care.
Amy Goldberg, MD, FAAP, Attending Physician, The Lawrence A. Aubin, Sr. Child Protection Center at Hasbro Children’s Hospital; Professor of Pediatrics, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Amy Goldberg, MD, FAAP, is a Professor of Pediatrics at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and an attending physician at The Lawrence A. Aubin Sr. Child Protection Center at Hasbro Children’s Hospital. She received her medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine and completed pediatric residency training at UMass Memorial Children's Medical Center and Child Abuse Pediatrics Fellowship training at Hasbro Children’s Hospital. Doctor Goldberg is board certified in both General Pediatrics and Child Abuse Pediatrics. She provides direct patient care and completes medical evaluations for all forms of child maltreatment. Doctor Goldberg is actively engaged in providing education related to child maltreatment within medical and nonmed, to both medical and nonmedical audiences. Her clinical and research interests include Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking, Injury patterns in children with developmental delays and differences and establishing normative data for patterns of physical injury. She considers advocacy, patient care and medical education her highest professional priorities.
Erica Hardy, MD, MA, MMSc, Director, Women’s Infectious Disease Consult Service, Women & Infants Hospital
Dr. Hardy is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Obstetrics & Gynecology, in the Division of Obstetric Medicine and Infectious Disease at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Her clinical and research interests include infectious disease, especially the peripartum period, sexually transmitted infections, and trauma-informed acute medical care and follow up of the sexual assault survivor. She has ongoing research examining syphilis trends in pregnant people, education of providers in the care of survivors of sexual violence, and HIV and STI prevention in the obstetrics and gynecology setting.
Taylor Matook, Esq., Special Assistant Attorney General, Rhode Island Office of the Attorney General
Taylor Matook joined the Rhode Island Office of the Attorney General in 2020 as a Special Assistant Attorney General (SAAG). She specializes in the Special Victim Unit and oversees an independent caseload of over 250 criminal cases, primarily composed of domestic violence, sexual assault, child molestation and abuse, and human trafficking offenses. In her capacity as SAAG, Taylor also serves as a member of the Rhode Island Human Trafficking Task Force. While a law student at Quinnipiac University School of Law, Taylor served as Co-Founder and Executive Chairwoman to the Human Trafficking Prevention Project (HTPP)—an endeavor that originated out of Connecticut’s first-of-its-kind legislation requiring all hospitality industry workers to receive training on how to recognize and report signs of human trafficking. As Executive Chairwoman, she spearheaded the expansion of HTPP into the arena of training healthcare providers and was also published on the topic of proposed legislative reform on the state level (Escaping the Commercial Binds of Sex Trafficking Law: The Necessary Elimination of the "Commercial Vice" Requirement, Quinnipiac Law Review 2019).
Vanessa Volz, Esq., President & CEO, Sojourner House
Vanessa Volz, Esq. has been the President and CEO (formerly the Executive Director) of Sojourner House since 2011. During her tenure, the agency has updated its mission statement, more than quadrupled its operating budget, and developed new community-based initiatives and housing programs. A licensed attorney, she previously practiced disability rights law, and she has published articles in the UC Berkeley Reproductive Rights Casebook and the Rutgers University Women’s Rights Law Reporter. She teaches at Rhode Island College in their Gender and Women Studies Program, and she also periodically serves as a visiting professor at Wheaton College. She is a graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law, Bard College, Leadership Rhode Island, and the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program, as well as a 200-hour yoga teacher training. Originally from the Midwest, she made stops in New York, the west coast, and the southeast before establishing Rhode Island as her adopted home.
Moderator: Emily J. Sack, Esq., Professor of Law, Roger Williams University School of Law
Joining the RWU Law faculty in 2001, Professor Emily Sack has become a nationally recognized expert on domestic violence and reform of the court system. As the Deputy Director for the Center for Court Innovation, Professor Sack helped develop and implement the first domestic violence courts in New York, as well as the first felony domestic violence court in the United States. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stevens cited Professor Sack’s article The Struggle for the Future of Domestic Violence Policy in his opinion in the domestic violence case Castle Rock v. Gonzales.
Active in the community, Professor Sack is a member of the Elder Abuse Working group, assists the National District Attorney’s Association with developing elder abuse training curriculum for prosecutors, and serves as Member of the Board and Chair of EMERGE, a batterers’ intervention and parenting skills programs for men who abuse intimate partners. Prior to joining RWU, Professor Sack worked in diverse offices such as the Senate Judiciary Committee Staff of the late Edward M. Kennedy, the ACLU, and the law firm of Stillman, Friedman, & Shaw.
A magna cum laude graduate of NYU School of Law, Professor Sack earned her B.A. from Swarthmore with high honors and her M. Phil. from Columbia University. She teaches Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Family Law, Children and the Law, Domestic Violence Law, and Death Penalty Law. She recently served as a Visiting Associate Professor of Law at Boston College. She has published in many top journals, including the Northwestern, Wisconsin, and Washington University law reviews.
2:30 PM - 2:45 PM Break
2:45 PM - 4:00 PM
Panel 4: Trauma & Civil Litigation: Best Practices for Advocacy and Mitigation of Vicarious Trauma
Many plaintiffs who seek counsel because they or a loved one has endured a tragedy experience trauma that can become overwhelming when faced with the prospect of litigation. Trauma-informed lawyering can decrease the risk of exacerbating trauma, strengthen the attorney-client relationship, and prepare a client for difficult conversations regarding potential outcomes of their case, compensation, and how to move forward. Panelists will also discuss strategies for mitigating vicarious trauma when working on challenging cases.
The Hon. Keith A. Cardoza, Jr., Associate Judge, Rhode Island Workers’ Compensation Court
Keith A. Cardoza Jr. graduated from Classical High School, the University of Rhode Island, and Roger Williams School of Law. He is licensed to practice law in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Before his appointment to the bench, Judge Cardoza was a founding partner at Izzo, Gardner & Cardoza LLP, where he focused on various aspects of civil litigation, including workers' compensation, general insurance defense law, and trials under the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act. Additionally, he has lectured for the National Business Institute, at the Rhode Island Bar Association's annual bar conference, and for several other organizations on Rhode Island Workers' Compensation Law and obtaining testimony from medical experts.
Judge Cardoza was appointed to the Workers' Compensation Court by Governor Gina Raimondo in 2019. He is a member of the Rhode Island Trial Judges Association and serves as a board member for the Rhode Island Legal Education Foundation, which organizes mock trials for schoolchildren. He also serves on the board of the Omni Development Corporation, a non-profit community development agency focused on revitalizing neighborhoods in Rhode Island and Connecticut. Furthermore, Judge Cardoza is on the advisory council for the RWU Paralegal Studies program and is an adjunct professor at RWU Law.
Austin L. Dana, Esq., Trial Attorney, Keches Law Group
Austin Dana Esq. is a trial attorney with Keches Law Group. Austin manages the Rhode Island office for the firm. He received his law degree from Northeastern Law School. Afterwards, he worked as a public defender in Springfield MA. Following his time at the public defender’s office, Austin founded the Law Office of Dana and Dana alongside his father where he worked for over a decade. During his career Austin has represented countless indigent defendants both through the public defender’s office and as serving on the court appointed panel in Rhode Island for Class 1 and 2 felonies. Currently Austin’s practice is focused on representing clients in wrongful death and catastrophic injury cases in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Attorney Dana’s clients are people who have suffered traumatic events in their lives due to the negligence of others.
Jonathan D. Orent, Esq., Attorney at Law, Motley Rice LLC; Adjunct Professor of Law, Roger Williams University School of Law
Jonathan Orent is a distinguished trial lawyer with extensive experience in mass tort litigation, focusing on cases involving defective medical devices, pharmaceutical drugs, and social media addiction. He has held pivotal roles as lead and co-lead counsel in major hernia mesh litigations, including In re Atrium Medical Corp. C-QUR Mesh Products Liability Litigation and In re Davol/C.R. Bard Hernia Mesh Multi-Case Management. Jonathan notably led the Motley Rice hernia mesh trial team in Trevino v. Davol, securing a $4.8 million verdict in Rhode Island Superior Court, and contributed to a $100 million verdict in Barba v. Boston Scientific, demonstrating his skill and commitment to obtaining justice for those harmed by corporate negligence.
In addition to medical device litigation, Jonathan is at the forefront of emerging cases, including lawsuits against the makers of weight loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy and litigation against Instagram for allegedly designing its platform to be addictive to young users, impacting mental health. His environmental advocacy includes representing communities impacted by contamination, such as the successful resolution of litigation for the Tallevast, Florida, community against a major aerospace defense contractor over groundwater pollution. Jonathan has also represented individuals and government entities in cases related to lead paint exposure, further underscoring his dedication to public health and safety.
Beyond his litigation work, Jonathan is recognized for his contributions to e-discovery and is active in legal education as an adjunct professor at Roger Williams University School of Law. He serves on the Sedona Conference Working Group, influencing standards in e-discovery, and has been honored with awards, including Rhode Island Super Lawyers® and Best Lawyers® accolades for his achievements in mass tort and environmental litigation. Jonathan's work continues to impact individuals and communities nationwide, advocating for accountability and safety.
Moderator: Miriam Weizenbaum, Esq., Attorney at Law, DeLuca, Weizenbaum, Barry & Revens, Ltd.
Miriam Weizenbaum joined Amato DeLuca in 1995 to establish the Providence law firm of DeLuca & Weizenbaum, now Deluca, Weizenbaum, Barry & Revens. Ms. Weizenbaum is a trial lawyer whose practice in civil litigation includes representation of people injured by medical errors and negligence, defective products, government and police abuse and other civil rights violations.
Ms. Weizenbaum attended Simon's Rock of Bard College where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree. After working as a community and union organizer she earned a Juris Doctorate at Temple University in 1986. In her first job as a lawyer, Ms. Weizenbaum worked as a Public Defender in Bucks County, Pennsylvania representing people in misdemeanor, felony and death penalty cases.
In 2016, Ms. Weizenbaum and her law partner Amato DeLuca founded a non-profit public interest law center, the Rhode Island Center for Justice. Since its founding, the Center for Justice has been fulfilling its mission to protect legal rights and ensure justice for vulnerable individuals, families, and communities through partnership with community advocates, while training and mentoring future public interest lawyers through an innovative fellowship program.
In March of 2020 Ms. Weizenbaum left private practice to join the Rhode Island Department of Attorney General as Chief of the Civil Division, recruited to lead the Division and develop public protection work. After creating and staffing the Office’s Public Protection Bureau, composed of Health Care, Environmental, Consumer and Civil Rights units, Ms. Weizenbaum returned to private practice in March of 2024.
Ms. Weizenbaum is a mother of two and lives in Providence, Rhode Island. She is active with The Gamm Theatre, serving as its Board President.
Registration
General Admission $50 per person
Non-Profit/Government $25 per person
RWU Law New Alumni (Classes of 2019-2024) $25 per person
Student $15 per person
RWU Law Student Complimentary
All registrations include lunch and Rhode Island MCLE credits as applicable.
RWU Law Symposium - November 15 - Register Here
Rhode Island MCLE Credit
This program is approved for six Rhode Island MCLE Credits including 3.5 legal ethics and 2.5 general credits.
RWU Law Campus Parking
All attendees should enter the RWU Campus through the North Entrance entrance and park in Lot D. RWU Parking Map.
Special Accommodations
Persons who, because of a special need or condition, would like to request an accommodation for this event should contact the Office of Law Programs & Initiatives at lawevents@rwu.edu, as soon as possible, but no later than 72 business hours before the event, so that appropriate arrangements may be made.
Cancellation & Refund Policy
Symposium cancellations received by Thursday, November 7, 2024 are eligible to receive a full refund less a $10 administrative fee. Cancellations received after the stated deadline will not be eligible for a refund. Cancellations are accepted via email at lawevents@rwu.edu.
Questions | Justice for All Editor, Roger Williams University Law Review
Amy Anthony | aanthony335@g.rwu.edu