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There’s a cliché that some people are drawn to law school because they like to argue. For Sara Jane Pruell, it was because she enjoyed reading contracts. As a marketing executive for a decade for brands like Brooks Brothers and Tarte Cosmetics, she recalls, “I really started to find that I liked reading the contracts and implementing a lot of the negotiations from those marketing contracts, more…, Helping small businesses, Pruell also had a more typical reason to pursue a legal career: she wanted to help people. She nearly joined the Peace Corps after graduating from Salve Regina University in 2010 and has long thought about how she could make a difference. Law, she says, “seemed like a really great way to help people, and to advocate for those that don’t always have a voice.” As she was considering law schools,…, Negotiating the future, With the stereotypical image of law school as hyper-competitive, Pruell was pleasantly surprised by the camaraderie she found at RWU Law, including on Law Review, where she serves on the editorial board. Older than many of her Law Review colleagues and a mother of two, she says they have been supportive and appreciate her life experience. “You might have different life experiences than some of…
Type: Article
Type: Home
Integrating Doctrine & Diversity Speaker Series -, Race and the Foundations of American Law, : A Virtual Coursebook Release Celebration, Join the book authors and contributors (and editor) as we unveil , Race and the Foundations of American Law, —a powerful new book tracing how race has been woven into the legal fabric of the United States, what that means for justice systems today, and the ways in which impactful action and change for the better may be possible. Hear from the authors about the book’s perspective, scope, and its modularity for reuse in existing doctrinal classes. Come ask questions, raise a virtual glass, and be part of…, MEET THE SPEAKERS, Elizabeth B. Dobkowski, Elizabeth B. Dobkowski, Managing Editor, Aspen Publishing Elizabeth is a managing editor with Aspen Publishing and works with authors to develop innovative casebooks that meet the teaching and learning needs of today’s professors and students. She has made a career at the intersection of law, education, and publishing and holds a JD from New England Law | Boston (New England School of Law), a BA from Boston University,…, Diana Hassel, Professor of Law, Roger Williams University School of Law Diana Hassel is a Professor and former Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at Roger Williams University School of Law in Bristol, Rhode Island. Professor Hassel teaches Constitutional Law, Civil Rights, and Critical Race Theory and has published in the areas of individual rights and civil rights litigation. Professor Hassel is a recipient…, Dr. Taino J. Palermo, Co-Founder, The Center for Indigenous Peoples Rights and Adjunct Professor of Law, Roger Williams University School of Law For over 20 years, Dr. Taino J. Palermo has worked to affect change in policy and practice in the areas of nonprofit management, community and economic development, and education reform. Dr. Palermo is a founding faculty member of College Unbound and served as the Director…, Jason C. Preciphs, Shareholder, Roberts, Carroll, Feldstein & Peirce Jason C. Preciphs is an adjunct professor at Roger Williams University School of Law and an instructor in the Race and the Foundations of American Law course. He practices law as a Shareholder of the firm Roberts, Carroll, Feldstein & Peirce. Professor Preciphs is a graduate of Brown University (A.B. 1998) and University of Michigan…, Monica Teixeira de Sousa , Distinguished Research Professor of Law, Roger Williams University School of Law Monica Teixeira de Sousa is a Distinguished Research Professor of Law and Director of the Housing Policy Clinic at Roger Williams University School of Law in Bristol, Rhode Island. At RWU Law, she teaches Property, Housing Law and Policy, Education Law, Family Law, and Race & the Foundations of American Law. …, Natasha Varyani, Professor of Law, Roger Williams University School of Law Professor Natasha Varyani, a dynamic legal scholar, has joined the faculty at Roger Williams University School of Law. From 2020 to 2023 she served as an associate professor of law at New England Law | Boston where she led their First-Generation Student Program and co-chaired their Charles Hamilton Houston Enrichment Program. Previously…, MEET THE MODERATOR, Nicole P. Dyszlewski, Nicole P. Dyszlewski, is one of the editors of, Integrating Doctrine and Diversity: Inclusion and Equity in the Law School Classroom, . She currently serves as Assistant Dean of Academic Innovation at Roger Williams University School of Law. 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. Her areas of…
Type: Event
In the 2021-22 school year, RWU Law co-sponsored, along with the, City University of New York School of Law, and , Jurist, , an ongoing Integrating Doctrine & Diversity Speaker Series. Each of the five installments to date have drawn hundreds of legal education professionals from across the country. In the 2024-25 school year we are back again, along with additional co-sponsors the, University of California - Berkeley School of Law, and, Antiracist Development Institute, . Join us throughout the school year to learn more practical strategies for integrating DEIB skills and concepts throughout the law school curriculum. Based on a 2021 book –, Integrating Doctrine and Diversity: Inclusion and Equity in the Law School Classroom, , whose co-editors include two RWU Law instructors – the series focuses on practical strategies for putting DEIB goals into action. Buy the Book - Integrating Doctrine and Diversity: Inclusion and Equity in the Law Classroom Buy the Book - Integrating Doctrine and Diversity: Beyond the First Year “I’ve received so much positive feedback from students, alumni, librarians across the country, and…, Integrating Doctrine and Diversity: Inclusion and Equity in the Law School Classroom, featuring new essays, case studies, and bibliographies for law faculty seeking to bring critical perspectives on equity, inclusion, and social justice into their teaching in upper-level courses. This book,, Integrating Doctrine and Diversity: Beyond the First Year, , may be purchased here . Did You Know? Since its launch in 2021, representatives from over 97% of ABA law schools have participated in RWU Law’s monthly webinars on incorporating diversity issues into their curriculum.
Type: Basic Page
Type: Faculty & Staff Profile
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Join us for the Providence Law School Fair. Explore the idea of attending law school and meet with over 40 different ABA-approved law schools from all around the United States. Come to our Law School Admissions 101 Panel to hear from law schools and ask your general questions about the admissions process. Then join us for the fair to meet with representatives from dozens of law schools. , Admissions 101 Panel, , 12 p.m. - 1 p.m., Law School Fair, , 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. The event is free., Register Here, , ABA Law Schools Attending, Albany Law School American University Washington College of Law Ave Maria School of Law Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law Boston College Law School Boston University Law School Brooklyn Law School BYU Law Case School of Law Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law Charleston School of Law Creighton University School of Law CUNY School…
Type: Event
The first edition of “Race and the Foundations of American Law,” a new casebook by a group of Roger Williams School of Law professors, makes the resources from RWU Law’s first-of-its-kind course on the same subject available to schools and students around the U.S. and sheds light on the role of race and racism in everything from property ownership to the child welfare system. The new book, by…, Beyond the books, “Law isn’t just in a book,” says Dyszlewski, RWU Law’s assistant dean for curricular innovation. When she was in law school, no one taught her about topics like law and prison abolition, and she hopes that the book will provide students today with foundations she did not have in order to make them well-rounded attorneys. Mid shot of Professor Dyszlewski wearing a red dress with hands clasped in…, Kelo v. City of New London, . The court’s ruling against Susette Kelo, who is white, in her case against the city government over the fate of her home prompted public backlash and new laws in many jurisdictions. But Teixeira de Sousa remarks on how often this type of taking happens in communities of color, without public outcry. “You can’t understand the material without the historical context,” says Teixeira de Sousa. “…, A team effort, Each of the co-authors approached the research and writing process from a different scholarly and professional context. “We come to it from different angles,” says constitutional scholar Hassel. “It’s important that we did it together.” mid shot of Professor Teixeira de Sosa with crossed arms wearing an off white pin striped jacket In addition to their legal backgrounds, “We had generational…, Race and Foundations of American Law: First Edition, is being planned as part of the law school’s signature program,, Integrating Doctrine and Diversity, . More information here .
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Kate Vieira is the Assistant Dean of Admissions. Kate joined the Admissions team at the law school in 2019, and was promoted to Assistant Dean of Admissions in 2025. She has coordinated panels and spoken at numerous conferences on issues impacting prospective law students for organizations including the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC), Midwest Association of Pre-Law Advisors, Northeast…
Type: Faculty & Staff Profile
