Law Library Facts

Facility

  • Square feet:   29,473
  • Seating:  412
  • Shelving:  26,494 linear feet
  • Hours open each week when classes are in session:  100 hours
  • Group study rooms: 10 rooms, 2 with A/V playback.  

Technology

  • Student computing:  25 classroom computers (2 computer classrooms), 6 open computers  
  • Wireless network:  802.11n, including Guest access
  • Printing/Scanning: 2 print stations, 1 book scanner with sheet feeder, and 1 microform reader/scanner. Lexis printing for current law affiliates only. Wireless printing available for law students.

Collection 

  • Volumes and volume equivalents: over 290,000   
  • Licensed databases and owned electronic titles: over 279,000

The library collection focuses on Rhode Island and Maritime Law and the library serves as a State Justice Institute depository.  By arrangement with the University Library (a Selective Depository Library), the Law Library also maintains a number of federal government documents titles.   The library collection is comprehensive for current and historical federal law materials:  legislative, judicial, and administrative.  The library also collects current and historical state law materials for the New England states and selected major states: legislative and judicial materials, secondary source materials, and treatises.  The library also maintains a core international law collection.

Library Staff

  • Full-time library employees: 8 (includes director)
  • Librarians: 5, 4 hold a law degree.
  • Paraprofessionals: 3 library paraprofessional staff
Close Course Type Descriptions

Course Types

We have classified RWU Law classes under the following headers. One of the following course types will be attached to each course which will allow students to narrow down their search while looking for classes.

Core Course

Students in the first and second year are required to take classes covering the following aspects of the law—contracts, torts, property, criminal law, civil procedure, and constitutional law, evidence, and professional responsibility.  Along with these aspects, the core curriculum will develop legal reasoning skills.

Elective

After finishing the core curriculum the remaining coursework toward the degree is completed through upper level elective courses.  Students can choose courses that peak their interests or courses that go along with the track they are following.

Seminar

Seminars are classes where teachers and small groups of students focus on a specific topic and the students complete a substantial research paper.

Clinics/Externships

Inhouse Clinics and Clinical Externships legal education is law school training in which students participate in client representation under the supervision of a practicing attorney or law professor.  RWU Law's Clinical Programs offer unique and effective learning opportunities and the opportunity for practical experience while still in law school.