Helga Melgar is a certified marketing strategist through the American Marketing Association (AMA), with additional training in digital, content, and social media marketing. She joined the School of Law in 2023, bringing more than twenty years of experience across multiple industries. In her role, Helga promotes programs and initiatives by sharing the achievements of students, the expertise of…
Type: Faculty & Staff Profile
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Type: L1 & Institute
The Financial Aid Office provides information about and access to a variety of funding sources to supplement each student’s available funds. Major sources of funds include the Federal Government, private loan providers, and private foundations. Financial aid is available for the full cost of attendance, including both direct costs (tuition, books, fees, and supplies) and indirect costs (…
Type: Basic Page
The library is pleased to offer graduates of the Roger Williams University School of Law a variety of resources and services. Alumni visitors may use the extensive law library collection of Rhode Island, federal, and New England state materials., Alumni Borrower Card, To request an Alumni Borrower Card, complete the web Alumni Borrower Application form. Applications are normally processed Monday-Friday, 8:30am-4:30pm by full-time library staff who will issue your borrower card. Materials may be borrowed immediately upon receipt of the borrower's card. The card must be presented to the Circulation staff at the time of borrowing., Borrowing & Renewing Library Materials, Most, single volume stack materials, may be borrowed as follows: The borrowing period is 14 days. Two renewals, subject to recall, are possible. The maximum number of items which may be borrowed is 3 per patron., Reserve materials, may be borrowed as follows: The borrowing period for all materials is 3 hours. Materials circulate for in-library use only., Audiovisual and Group Study Room Keys, may be borrowed as follows: The borrowing period is 3 hours and may be renewed subject to availability. Availability of room keys is subject to restrictions based on current student needs. For example, room keys may not be borrowed during exam periods. Due to limitations imposed by the authentication method used for the room reservation system, alumni need to contact full-time library staff for…, Renewals, Patrons may renew material via the telephone when full-time staff are available or renew material online anytime. To renew via the telephone, call the Circulation Desk at 401-254-4546 during the normal business day. To renew online, patrons may use the " My Library > My Account " option in the WebCatalog. They can review a list of the materials currently checked out, see the due dates and…, Overdue Materials, Overdue notices, are sent the first business day an item is overdue. Materials not returned after two notices are billed and a billing notice is sent. Bills are issued for the estimated replacement cost of the item plus a billing fee in the amount of $25.00., Borrowing privileges will be suspended, while a bill/billing fee is outstanding. Periodic reminder notices will be sent for unpaid bills/billing fees., Computing and Digital Resources, Most library research databases and the Internet may be accessed from the computer workstations on the hexagons in the central part of the library. Databases which are not available due to licensing restrictions include: Lexis and Westlaw. The hexagon computers also provide access to Microsoft Office applications in addition to the library’s digital resources., HeinOnline Law Journal Library, The HeinOnline, Law Journal Library, is available to RWU Law Alumni through the University Bridges site. To obtain access to the, Law Journal Library, on Bridges, complete the RWU Law Alumni HeinOnline Access Request form . Requests are normally processed Monday-Friday, 8:30am-4:30pm by full-time library staff. Please watch for an invitation to join the Bridges, Law Alumni Access to Digital Resources, site. HeinOnline’s, Law Journal Library, contains more than 2,000 law and law-related periodicals, consisting of more than 27 million pages of articles, comments, notes, and book reviews. Unlike other databases, the, Law Journal Library, is comprehensive, beginning with the first issue ever published, bridging the gap in legal history. The, Law Journal Library, also provides case law linking powered by Fastcase, giving the ability to link directly to the full text of case law from cited material or via citation lookup., Post-Graduation Access to Lexis Advance and Westlaw, Recent law alumni continue to have access to Lexis Advance and Westlaw. For more information on the terms of each provider’s program, please visit Lexis & Westlaw @ RWU Law: Post-Graduation Access ., Reference Assistance, The librarians are available to provide reference assistance to RWU Law Alumni in person, by phone at 401-254-4547, or via the Ask a Librarian service (chat or email)., Extended Borrowing Privileges, Upon a demonstration of need, arrangements may be made for extended borrowing of circulating materials. Requests for extended borrowing privileges should be directed to the Access Services Coordinator, Erin Orsini at 401-254-4548 or eorsini@rwu.edu .
Type: Basic Page
Laurie Barron is the Director 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…, Articles, " Learning How to Learn: Carnegie’s Third Apprenticeship ,", 18 Clinical Law Review 101 (2011)., " Don’t Do It Alone: A Community-Based, Collaborative Approach to Pro Bono ,", 23 Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics, 323 (2010), (co-authored with Suzanne Harrington-Steppen, Elizabeth Tobin Tyler, and Eliza Vorenberg).
Type: Faculty & Staff Profile
These different experiences enable students to customize their education to best meet their needs and career goals. The Marine Affairs Institute offers courses in admiralty/maritime law, as well as natural resources, allowing students to understand all aspects of marine law. Courses are taught by both tenured and adjunct faculty, giving students the opportunity to learn from experienced…
Type: Basic Page
ILR can be a daunting prospect for anyone but especially for those new to research in the area. Give these tried-and-true strategies a try when getting started., Find a Guide., As mentioned in the Legal Eagle Blog before, you’ll never go astray by starting your research with a guide. Legal Research or Law Guides are a handy reference to primary and secondary sources specific to an area of law. You should expect most ILR guides to focus on showing users how to find treaties and other international agreements, which are primary sources in international law. You may also…, Consult Secondary Sources., While it’s always good practice to consult secondary sources at the start of a research project, it could be critical in ILR as international law and organizations tend to use highly specialized terminology and acronyms. Locating and reviewing secondary sources on your topic can provide you with valuable context and the definition of key terms and acronyms. ILR will also require you to search for…, Locate Treaties., After you consult some good guides and secondary sources, your next task may likely include locating the treaties related to your research. The research guides you consulted may have pointed out many resources that you can reliably use to find treaties. However, for your purposes as an RWU Law student, the treaty sources you need should be available to you through RWU’s HeinOnline subscription.…, Apply the 10-minute Rule., If you get stuck on a research task for more than ten minutes, please reach out to your law librarians. We’re here to help you! Drop by or contact us for immediate reference assistance Monday through Friday 8am to 5pm. The library also provides individualized research consultations for students to help develop research strategies based on individual needs. To schedule a research consultation with…
Type: Article
Efficient, effective research is one of the most valuable skills you can develop for your professional career. Legal Practice courses introduce all law students to the leading legal research platforms, Lexis and Westlaw, but these are just two of many tools available. A professional selects the best tool to use for each project from the full assortment of tools available. ResearchFest provides…
Type: Article
To graduate from RWU Law, each student must complete the school’s writing requirement “under the direct supervision of a professor or director of an institute” during which the student “must write an individually authored paper that reflects substantial legal research; presents a legal argument that is well-developed, organized, and supported; is at least 5500 words long; and is of sufficient…, Tip 1. , Find a supervisor early. , This paper is an excellent opportunity to work closely with a faculty member or legal professional with expertise in an area of law that you find interesting. Reach out to potential supervisors early in the process with the subject of your paper and your timeline. Everyone appreciates it when someone is considerate of their time and obligations., Tip 2., , Select a topic that is interesting to you., A directed research paper will represent a large investment of your time. In your future job search, you may need to discuss it during interviews or use it as a writing sample. But just as important, your passion, as an author, is likely to shine through your writing and make your work more engaging to readers. , Tip 3., Your topic should represent a legally significant issue that is arguable—from multiple, defensible perspectives—and is demonstrably relevant or timely., There are various ways to go about finding a suitable topic. Your supervisor or other mentor, with subject matter expertise, can provide you with guidance. You can also search news sources for issues of legal controversy. Likewise, articles in law journals and bar publications can be excellent sources of information on the developments, issues, and trends in various areas of law. Things to…, For legal news, , try browsing the Lexis Legal News Hub , Westlaw Today , or Law.com for up-to-date legal news and the cutting-edge issues facing lawyers and legal scholars today. If you want something a bit more off the beaten path, you can peruse Thomson Reuters’s Legally Weird blog , a great source for legal questions presented in emerging and unique areas of the law. , Tips 4., , Check out the helpful guides that your super smart law librarians created for you., Selecting a topic and conducting your research is exciting and work intensive. These guides are intended to help you at all stages of the writing process. TimeSaver: Selecting a Topic (basic information on selecting a topic) TimeSaver: Legal Research & Writing (information on legal research & writing) LawGuide for Law Review (information on topic development and preemption), Tip 5. Know the Policy on Using Generative Artificial Intelligence. , It is prohibited (see the student handbook ) unless you are expressly granted permission by your instructor or supervisor in writing. The prohibited conduct includes “using generative artificial intelligence, text generated by research databases, large language model chatbots, or similar tools to produce, derive, or assist in creating any materials or content for any course or program, at or…, Tip 6. Ask for help when you need it., Regardless of where you are in your topic selection and research process, meeting with a research librarian is an invaluable step to help formalize your thesis and research trajectory. The library provides individualized research consultations for students to assist in the development of research strategies based on individual needs. To schedule a research consultation with a law librarian,…
Type: Article
The holiday season is upon us again! This year, instead of focusing on solely on Christmas, we want to share some holiday traditions that take place throughout the world. Let’s start in Europe! In Austria, the night before the Feast of St. Nicholas the Krampus appears. The Krampus, a half-goat, half-demon swats at naughty children. It is believed that Krampus was created to counter St.…
Type: Article
