Expanding Access and Equity: RWU Law’s CLE Series Supports Rhode Island Attorneys
RWU Law has launched a new online Continuing Legal Education series designed not only to meet Rhode Island’s evolving CLE requirements for attorneys, but to serve as a resource for lawyers across the state. This mission-driven initiative reflects the law school’s broader commitment to public service and legal education, not only for students and alumni, but for the legal community.
In particular, the series offers accessible, affordable CLE programming intended to help attorneys fulfill the state’s newly added DEI credit requirement. The Rhode Island Supreme Court requires attorneys to complete 10 CLE hours each year, and starting this year, at least one credit must focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion, using a definition that emphasizes attorneys’ ability to effectively serve a diverse public and promote equal justice under the law.
The series runs monthly through June, with each one-hour Zoom session exploring a different topic tied to equity and justice, offering attorneys both legal context and practical takeaways that can translate directly into real-world client work. All programs in the series are moderated by Nicole Dyszlewski, RWU Law’s Assistant Dean for Academic Innovation, whose work focuses on building a more inclusive and equitable legal system. Dyszlewski is also one of the co-hosts of RWU Law’s Law 401 Podcast: Legal Issues Decoded.
Recent programs in the series have focused on social equity and cannabis policy in Rhode Island, tying current regulatory implementation to the history of the War on Drugs and its lasting impact. The program featured RWU Law Associate Professor Shannon Heery and Rhode Island Cannabis Control Commission leaders Carla Aveledo L'22 and Michelle Reddish, who discussed how the state’s current social equity program was designed and how it is functioning today.
The series also featured “Putting People at the Center of Representation,” a session that examined holistic legal representation, highlighting how clients often arrive in a law office with challenges that extend beyond the immediate legal issue, including housing instability, economic insecurity, immigration fears, family systems, and health concerns. The program featured speakers Hans J. Bremer L’08, whose work includes immigration law, criminal defense, and family law; Yulyana Torres L’23, Staff Attorney at Sojourner House in Providence; and RWU Law Professor of Legal Practice Sarah McConnell Dubois. They explored how lawyers can adopt a more client-centered approach through thoughtful communication, trauma-informed practices, and referrals to community-based services, without stepping outside the boundaries of the legal profession.
RWU Law and the Rhode Island Women’s Bar Association will co-sponsor March’s CLE program, “Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two Spirit People: A Primer for Attorneys.” The session will be led by Jennifer Rawlings, Co-Director of the Center for Indigenous Peoples Rights, and will provide an evidence-informed introduction to the MMIWG2S movement, its scope, and its legal implications.
Through this CLE series, RWU Law continues its public service mission beyond the classroom, offering timely, relevant programming that supports and strengthens the profession statewide. The online format of the series offers an efficient way for attorneys to complete required CLE credits, with added flexibility for lawyers licensed in Rhode Island but living beyond the Ocean State. Low registration fees, along with waived fees for RWU Law students and reduced rates for alumni and attorneys working in public interest, government, and nonprofit settings, further support accessibility and ensure that cost is not a barrier to participation. It is another way RWU Law is serving not only its students, but the entire Rhode Island bar.