RWU Law Launches “Law 401” Podcast with Timely Dive into Washington Bridge Debacle
Combining legal expertise with real talk, the pilot episode sheds light on the barriers to accessing public records, political fallout, and delayed construction following the bridge rebuild.
BRISTOL, R.I. — On the heels of news that the construction of the Washington Bridge will now be completed two years later than originally announced and potentially $150 million over the original budget, Roger Williams University School of Law debuts today its new podcast, Law 401, with a deep dive into the legal, political, and media challenges that have emerged since Governor Dan McKee closed the bridge in December 2023.
Law 401 is a podcast covering legal issues in Rhode Island for an audience of both lawyers and non-lawyers. The show breaks down legal jargon and pulls the curtain back on complex and timely public policy discussions, legal challenges, and lawsuits. The co-hosts combine legal expertise with real talk for a general audience – Nicole Dyzslewski, RWU Law Professor and Assistant Dean for Curricular Innovation, is a lawyer and librarian adept at researching and translating legal documents, while Michael Donnelly-Boylen, RWU Law Associate Dean for Enrollment & Strategic Initiatives, brings a non-lawyer perspective to the conversation.
“As the only law school in Rhode Island, we are using Law 401 as a platform to provide RWU Law’s expertise as a service to the community to tackle issues that are important to our communities. It makes the average listener and resident feel inclusive of the conversation,” Law 401 co-host Nicole Dyszlewski said. “We listen to crime, philosophy, science, and comedic podcasts in our daily rotation because we resonate with those topics, so it seemed like the perfect timing to have one solely dedicated to the daily issues impacting Rhode Island and surrounding communities.”
“From a non-lawyer perspective, we’re getting down to the nitty-gritty of the most talked about legal issues in Rhode Island at the same time as our listeners,” Law 401 co-host Michael Donnelly-Boylen said. “These conversations are necessary to see the reasoning behind the legislature and policies for residents to make informed decisions. At RWU Law, we’re creating changemakers in society, and that starts with establishing a clear understanding of what’s happening in our communities.”
Episode One –“Much Ado About the Bridge” – tackles the closure’s effect on Rhode Islanders from both legal and nonlegal perspectives and features a discussion with WPRI-12’s Ted Nesi weighing in on the obstacles media outlets faced while attempting to break the original story.
Future episodes will focus on other hot legal issues, including the Rhode Island legislature’s rulemaking around cannabis – with guests Kim Ahern and Michelle Reddish of the Rhode Island Cannabis Control Commission – and the current climate of the state’s housing crisis, with insights from RWU Law’s Suzanne Harrington-Steppen and HousingWorks RI Director Brenda Clement. Episodes will be posted on all major streaming platforms – including Apple Podcasts and Spotify – and at law.rwu.edu/law-401-podcast.