Save the dates for the, Fifth Annual Asian American Pacific Islander and Middle Eastern and North African (AAPI / MENA) Women in Legal Academy Workshop, . This year, the workshop will be held in the spring, on April 24 – 25, 2026 in beautiful Bristol, Rhode Island and hosted by Roger Williams University School of Law. Friday, April 24, 2026 Full Workshop Programming Saturday, April 25, 2026 Workshop Programming until 1:30 PM This annual workshop is organized with the purpose of building community, supporting and mentoring women aspiring…, lunchtime on Friday, April 24, is not one to miss! See below for more information about the biographies and impact of the speakers. , WORKSHOP REGISTRATION, Workshop registration will be $125 to support our excellent programming and the formal establishment of this organization. Registration will include all programming and meals. Stipends for reduced registration may be available upon written request to nvaryani@rwu.edu Register Here The deadline for registration is March 6, 2026., WORKS IN PROGRESS & INCUBATORS , We invite you to present your work to receive support and valuable feedback from your colleagues in our community. We are holding sessions for Incubators (early-stage projects with 2 – 3 page drafts) as well as Works-in-Progress (full, nearly complete drafts of articles). If you are interested in receiving feedback, please submit an abstract of no more than 200 words to nvaryani@rwu.edu by March…, SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES , If your institution is interested in sponsoring this conference. Sponsorship opportunities include:, Lotus ($2,500), Includes logo on website, full page program advertisement, placement of materials in participant bag, sponsored meal, and conference signage., Chrysanthemum ($1,000), Includes logo on website, half page program advertisement, placement of materials in participant bag, and conference signage., Jasmine ($500), Includes logo on website, quarter page program advertisement, and conference signage. Sponsorship Registration Here, MEET THE KEYNOTE SPEAKERS, Sudha Setty, Sudha Setty, is the president and chief executive officer of LSAC. Prior to this role, she served as dean of the City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law and before that, as dean of Western New England University School of Law. In both of her deanships, Setty focused on building structures to support social justice and public interest lawyering, as well as on increasing access to legal education.…, Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia, is a nationally respected immigration scholar, law professor, author, and attorney. She joined Penn State Dickinson Law as a Clinical Professor of Law in 2008 and was named Samuel Weiss Faculty Scholar in 2013. In 2023, Professor Wadhia was appointed by President Biden as the Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security . There she led an office of…, OVERNIGHT ACCOMMODATIONS, A workshop rate has been established and has limited availability until February 23, 2026. Bristol Harbor Inn 259 Thames Street Bristol, Rhode Island 866-254-1444 Overnight Accommodations Reservation Link, Check back for workshop agenda., Questions | RWU Law Professor Natasha Varyani | nvaryani@rwu.edu
Type: Event
Two members of the Roger Williams University School of Law community—Michelle Alves L’03 and 2L Gianna J. DelMonico, , —were among this year’s honorees at the 43rd Annual Neil J. Houston, Jr. Memorial Awards , hosted by Justice Assistance, a Rhode Island nonprofit led by CEO Jake Bissaillon L’16. Held on October 9, 2025, the annual awards recognize leaders who exemplify fairness, compassion, and integrity in strengthening the state’s justice system. Since its founding in 1978, Justice Assistance has supported…, Future Changemaker Recognized, RWU Law student Gianna J. DelMonico received the Francis J. Darigan, Jr. Scholarship, awarded each year to a law student who demonstrates exceptional academic achievement, leadership, and a commitment to community service. Named for the late Judge Francis J. Darigan, Jr., the award honors his lifelong dedication to fairness and mentorship in the administration of justice. DelMonico, a Juris…, Alum Honored for Public Defense Leadership, Michelle Alves L’03 (double Hawk with her undergrad completed in 2000), an Assistant Public Defender in the Rhode Island Office of the Public Defender, was among five recipients of the Neil J. Houston, Jr. Memorial Award, which honors Rhode Islanders whose dedication and integrity have made a lasting impact on the justice system and their communities. Alves was recognized for her tireless…, Continuing a Legacy of Justice and Service, As Chief Executive Officer of Justice Assistance, Jake Bissaillon L’16 leads the organization that confers these honors each year. Under his direction, Justice Assistance continues to expand its impact through initiatives such as Habitat for Justice, which provides affordable housing to justice-involved individuals, and JA Health & Wellness, an integrated primary and behavioral health clinic…
Type: Article
Happy Halloween from the Law Library! We hope between classes and homework you are finding some spooky time for yourself. The Mental Health Club is painting pumpkins, and your Law Librarians are handing out trick-or-treat bags on Thursday, October 30th, outside room 279. It will be a howling good time. While this holiday may be filled with shrieks, shouts, and candy surplus, please be quiet in…
Type: Article
Type: Library Home
Integrating Doctrine & Diversity Speaker Series: Academic Freedom in Polarized Times: A Conversation with Three Law Deans As national debates over free speech, governance, DEI, and higher education continue to intensify, law schools remain on the frontlines of defining and defending academic freedom. Join Dean Erwin Chemerinsky (Berkeley Law), Dean Danielle M. Conway (Penn State Dickinson Law…, Meet the Speakers, Erwin Chemerinsky, Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean, Jesse H. Choper Distinguished Professor of Law, UC Berkeley Law Danielle M. Conway, Danielle M. Conway, Dean, Donald J. Farage Professor of Law, Antiracist Development Institute, Executive Director, PennState Dickinson Law Johanna Kalb, Johanna Kalb, Dean, School of Law, University of San Francisco 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
Photo of Nadine Strossen Join Us for a Conversation on Free Speech with, Nadine Strossen, , Senior Fellow, The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. Nadine Strossen is a Senior Fellow with FIRE (the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression) and professor emerita at New York Law School. Ms. Strossen was the former longtime President of the ACLU and is the author of several books on free speech, including her recent work entitled, Free Speech: What Everyone Needs to Know. , Free and Open to the Public, PARKING, Attendees should enter the Roger Williams Univeristy North Entrance on Metacom Avenue and park in Lot D. RWU Parking Map., 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 | Anne Lawton | alawton@law.msu.edu
Type: Event
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 Michael Mushlin, Professor of Law Emeritus, Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University Brandon Robinson, Campaign and Policy Director, Open Doors RI Daniel Throop, National Prison Debate League, Founder & Executive…, About the Speakers, Rep. Cherie L. Cruz, Representative Cherie L. Cruz, Member, House Judiciary Committee Member, House Municipal Government and Housing Committee Member, Joint Commission on Reducing Recidivism of Women 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’s degree cum laude…, 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…, 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. 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…, Daniel Throop, National Prison Debate League, Founder & Executive Director, Daniel is an experienced prison program developer, award-winning author, speaker, scholar, and change agent who seeks to advance educational and social equality. The recipient of, PEN America’s, 2021 L’Engle-Rahman Mentor of the Year Award as well as, Toastmasters International’, s Leadership Excellence Award for project management, Daniel devotes himself to service leadership and the facilitation of human potential. He holds a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies from, Boston University,, served as a Co-Chair of the Career, Workforce and Employer Connections Workgroup for the, New England Commission on the Future of Higher Education in Prison, , a Justice Initiatives Fellow for, Ithaka S & R, , and recently as a thought leadership contractor with Jobs For the Future. In addition to decarcerating minds through the work of the NPDL, Daniel contributes to liberatory action as a bail organizer with the Massachusetts Bail Fund, . , 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
Welcome to the Journal of Maritime Law and Commerce (JMLC), a scholarly publication devoted to all aspects of admiralty and maritime law., As of January 1, 2021, the JMLC is under new ownership at the Roger Williams University School of Law.
Type: L1 & Institute
