The, Roger Williams University Law Review's, newest journal,, Justice for All, , proudly presents a symposium focusing on the importance of advocating for prisoners' rights to build a fair and equally opportunistic system in which all rights are protected. Speakers will discuss incarcerated individuals' access to resources while in prison, constitutional rights violations and the protections against them, and how advocates look to protecting prisoners beyond their…, Agenda, 8:30 - 9:00 AM Registration & Breakfast - School of Law - 2nd Floor Atrium 9:00 - 9:30 AM Welcome - School of Law - Law 283 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM Panel 1: Access to Resources Nick Horton, Co-Executive Director, Open Doors RI Michael Mushlin, Professor of Law Emeritus, Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University Therese Zink, MD, MPH, Providence Books Through Bars While incarcerated,…, About the Speakers, Representative Cherie L. Cruz, Member, House Judiciary Committee Member, House Municipal Government and Housing Committee Member, Joint Commission on Reducing Recidivism of Women Rep. Cherie L. Cruz Rep. Cruz was elected to the Rhode Island House of Representatives in 2022 and is a 2020 JLUSA LwC Alumni who has transcended three generations of familial incarceration. She is a first-generation college graduate with a Bachelor’…, Andrew Dunphy, Legal Fellow, Rhode Island Center for Justice Following a thirty-year career as a federal agent, Andrew Dunphy graduated from the Roger Williams School of Law in May 2025. During his 2L and 3L years, Andrew worked in the RWU Prisoners’ Rights Clinic, where he pursued civil rights litigation on behalf of those incarcerated within the Rhode Island Department of Corrections. Andrew is currently a…, Nicole P. Dyszlewski, Nicole P. Dyszlewski, Nicole P. Dyszlewski serves as the Assistant Dean for Curricular Innovation and Professor at Roger Williams University School of Law in Bristol, Rhode Island. Everywhere she goes she brings bold ideas, critical thinking, and a serious commitment to justice (with just a hint of sparkle). Nicole holds a J.D. from Boston University School of Law, a B.A. from Hofstra University, and an M.L.I.S. from…, KEYNOTE SPEAKER - Tim Gumkowski, Esq. L'06, Senior Staff Attorney, Innocence Project A graduate of Roger Williams University School of Law, Tim Gumkowski is a Senior Staff Attorney in the Post-Conviction Litigation Department of the Innocence Project in New York City. The Innocence Project is a non-profit organization that works to free the innocent, prevent wrongful convictions, and create fair, compassionate, and equitable systems of…, Diana Hassel, Professor of Law, Roger Williams University School of Law Diana Hassel Professor Diana Hassel teaches constitutional law, civil rights, critical race theory, and race and the law. She writes in the areas of civil rights litigation, due process, and integrating issues of racial justice into the law school curriculum. She is one of designers of the RWU Law required course -- Race and Foundations of…, Carter Hazzard, Roger Williams University School of Law Student Carter Hazzard is a second-year law student at Roger Williams School of Law. With a demonstrated interest in both criminal and family law, Carter spent last summer working with Rhode Island Legal Services. Looking forward, he is thrilled to spend this upcoming summer as a Rule 9 Student Attorney with the Rhode Island Public Defenders. During the…, Shannon Heery, Professor of Law, Roger Williams University School of Law Shannon Heery Shannon Heery joined the Roger Williams University School of Law faculty in July 2025. Prior to joining RWU Law, Professor Heery taught Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, and Evidence at Vermont Law and Graduate School. She currently serves as the Reporter for the Advisory Committee to the Vermont Supreme Court on the Rules of…, Nick Horton, Co-Executive Director, OpenDoors Nick Horton is the Co-Executive Director of OpenDoors, the first and largest agency in Rhode Island dedicated to helping justice involved individuals, where he has worked since 2004. Opendoors operates over 300 beds of housing, including three homeless shelters, four transitional recovery houses, and the only permanent supportive housing facility in the state for…, Mac Hudson, Emerson Prison Initiative Mac Hudson is a community organizer, activist, and agent for change. He works as a paralegal/community liaison with the Racial Equity in Corrections Initiative (REICI) at Prisoners’ Legal Services of Massachusetts. In that role, he fights against the systemic racism that inflicts disparate harm on Black and Brown people in the Massachusetts criminal legal system. Mac…, Behind the Wall: Facing Structural Racism in the Massachusetts Prison System, . His second documentary,, Massissippi, , tells the stories of three formerly incarcerated Black Bostonians and was selected for 8 film festivals in the US and abroad and has won many awards. In July 2025, Mac was appointed by Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell to serve on the Special Commission on Correctional Consolidation and Collaboration. Mac previously served on Andrea Campbell’s transition team, identifying…, Liz Komar, Sentencing Reform Counsel, The Sentencing Project Liz Komar advocates for an end to extreme sentencing in the state and federal criminal legal systems by supporting the work of the Sentencing Project’s Campaign to End Life Imprisonment, leading federal advocacy efforts, and managing amicus litigation activities. Her priorities include promoting sentencing second chances, ending life without…, Michael B. Mushlin, is Professor of Law Emeritus at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, where he also served as Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. During his tenure, he held two distinguished professorships: the Charles A. Frueauff Research Professorship (1991–1992) and the James D. Hopkins Chair in Law (2005–2007). Before entering academia, Professor Mushlin practiced law for 15 years as a public…, Rights of Prisoners, (5th ed., Thomson/Reuters), a four-volume treatise, and, New York Evidence with Objections, (6th ed., National Institute of Trial Advocacy, forthcoming 2026) (with Lissa Griffin and Jo Ann Harris), along with numerous law review articles, book chapters, and op-eds. Professor Mushlin was a member of the American Bar Association’s Task Force on the Legal Status of Prisoners, which drafted the, ABA Standards for Criminal Justice: Treatment of Prisoners, , later approved by the ABA House of Delegates. He is a past Chair of the Correctional Association of New York, the Osborne Association, and the Corrections Committee of the New York City Bar Association, where he led an investigation into conditions on New York’s death row. Currently, he serves by appointment of the Chief Administrative Judge of New York on the Advisory Committee on Criminal Law…, cum laude, , from Northwestern University and his B.A. from Vanderbilt University., Jack Oleske, Roger Williams University School of Law Student Jack Oleske is a third year law student at Roger Williams University School of Law. Dedicated to the public interest, he has worked as a Rule 9 Student Attorney for the Rhode Island Public Defenders representing indigent clients. In addition, he now externs with the Rhode Island Attorney General's Office doing Civil Asset Forfeitures. Jack focuses…, Brandon Robinson, Campaign and Policy Director, Open Doors RI, Brandon Robinson is a lifelong resident of Providence, Rhode Island, and the Lockwood Plaza community. After serving more than 15 years in prison, he transformed his life through education, leadership, and a deep commitment to community advocacy. Brandon earned a Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Leadership and Change from College Unbound and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from…, The Hon. William E. Smith, The Hon. William E. Smith, Senior United States District Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island Judge William E. Smith was appointed to the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island by President George W. Bush in 2002. He served as Chief Judge from 2013 to 2019 and was the youngest person ever to serve as chief judge in the District of Rhode Island. He assumed senior status in January 2025.…, Magistrate Judge Patricia A. Sullivan, United States District Court, Rhode Island Magistrate Patricia A. Sullivan has served as a Magistrate Judge in the District of Rhode Island since October 1, 2012. Judge Sullivan graduated from Wellesley College with honors in 1973, and Georgetown University Law Center, magna cum laude, in 1978. Prior to her appointment to the federal bench, Judge Sullivan was a private litigator at Edwards & Angell, LLP for 34 years, Judge Sullivan played an integral role in the success of the District’s HOPE (Helping Offenders Prepare for reEntry) Court, an alternative supervision reentry court program focused on supporting individuals returning to the community after incarceration. She…, Celeste Trusty, State Legislative Affairs Director, FAMM Celeste Trusty Celeste Trusty serves as State Legislative Affairs Director for FAMM, where she works with impacted community members, lawmakers, and other stakeholders to advocate reforms to our overly-punitive sentencing laws and policies. During her tenure as Secretary of the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons in the final year of Governor Tom Wolf's…, Therese Zink, MD, MPH, Professor, Department of Family Medicine/Warren Alpert Medical School and the School of Public Health at Brown University Therese Zink, MD, MPH is a family physician and professor in the Department of Family Medicine /Warren Alpert Medical School and the School of Public Health at Brown University. Zink has volunteered with Providence Books Through Bars for six plus years and is incharge of…, Roger Williams University Law Review, Registration, General Admission: $50 per person Non-Profit/Government: $25 per person RWU Law New Alumni (Classes of 2020-2025): $25 per person Student: $15 per person Member of the Judiciary: Complimentary, *Code Required, RWU Law Student: Complimentary, *Student Code Required, RWU Faculty/Staff: Complimentary, *Code Required , Register Here - November 7 - RWU Law Review Symposium, Rhode Island MCLE Credit, 4.5 Rhode Island MCLE Credits including one diversity, equity, and inclusion MCLE Credit., Thank You To Our Partners, Special thanks to Troutman Pepper Locke and Emerson Prision Initiative, Cancellation & Refund Policy, Symposium cancellations received by Thursday, October 30, 2025, are eligible to receive a full refund less a $10 administrative fee. Cancellations received after the stated deadline will not be eligible for a refund. Cancellations are accepted via email at lawevents@rwu.edu ., Special Accommodations, Persons who, because of a special need or condition, would like to request an accommodation for an event should contact the Office of Programs & Initiatives, as soon as possible, but no later than 72 hours before the event, so that appropriate arrangements may be made. lawevents@rwu.edu Questions | lawreview@g.rwu.edu
Type: Event
