Legal Beagle wants to set the scene: people stroll the streets of Providence, almost 2/3 a mile of rivers are aglow with fire, gondolas glide along, music and the crackle of the fire fill the air. In other parts of downtown more surprises await: street performers to starry, starry night , stages with performances, and food and wine. Each time is unique with something new to entertain. Created by…
Type: Article
When Rhode Island Governor Daniel McKee tasked an array of policy subgroups with planning the state’s emergence from the COVID-19 pandemic, one of them – focused on small business – was co-facilitated by, Doris Adesuyi ’20, , who knows the topic well. “It was a perfect fit,” Adesuyi said of her work with the group. “I come from a small-family-business background myself. It’s in my blood, really – the pain and joy and struggles of running a small business are totally real to me. So I understood what they were experiencing, and could relate first-hand to the creative solutions we were developing.” The work also…, Kim Ahern ’09, ). She is a member of the policy team that, in addition to actively developing policy, also tracks relevant legislation in the General Assembly. Adesuyi’s tenure, in fact, bridges two administrations: she first arrived at the statehouse last fall as a legal fellow under Governor Gina M. Raimondo. “I started off with just the legal team but now I’m a bit of a hybrid, a member of both the legal and…, ‘Your Daughter Should Be a Lawyer!’, It’s been an impressive journey for Adesuyi. The daughter of Nigerian immigrants, she is the second of three children born in the U.S.; her two eldest siblings were born in Africa. When her father first arrived in the U.S., he supported the family by doing factory and other work. In fact, Adesuyi remembers helping him as a child when he was a janitor at the statehouse. “It’s amazing how life…, Business-Government Overlap, After finishing high school, Adesuyi received her B.A. in fashion design and merchandising at Miami International University of Art and Design, then returned to Rhode Island to sharpen her business skills, earning a master’s in Management and International Relations at Salve Regina University. But while she experimented with governmental work – for example, interning with Sen. Jack Reed (D.-R.I…
Type: Story
A Roger Williams University Law Review Symposium In collaboration with the RWU American Indian Law Student Association (AILSA), An Uncomfortable Truth: Indigenous Communities and Law in New England, The Indigenous Peoples of New England were among the first in North America to experience European colonization and conquest. How have they been treated by the law and American legal institutions, from the earliest days of settlement to today, and what are Tribes doing to exercise their inherent sovereignty and build thriving native nations? The symposium will be presented as a fully virtual…, Meet the Speakers, Berger, Bethany Berger, is a well-known scholar and professor at the University of Connecticut School of Law. She is a widely read scholar of Property Law and Legal History and one of the leading federal Indian Law scholars in the country. Her highly regarded articles have been published in the, Michigan Law Review, ,, California Law Review, ,, UCLA Law Review, , and the, Duke Law Journal, , among other publications. Professor Berger teaches American Indian Law, Tribal Law, and Conflicts of Laws. She has also served as a Judge for the Southwest Intertribal Court of Appeals. Dr. Diamond, Dr. James Diamond, is a professor at Roger Williams University School of Law. He teaches Federal Indian Law, Tribal Courts, and Law & Governments, among other courses. He is also the Dean of Academic Affairs at the National Tribal Trial College. He is the former Director of the Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy Program’s Tribal Justice Clinic and law professor at the University of Arizona College of Law and…, Matthew Fletcher, is a Professor at Michigan State University College of Law and Director of the Indigenous Law and Policy Center. He sits as the Chief Justice of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians Supreme Court and as an appellate judge for the Colorado River Indian Tribes, the Hoopa Valley Tribe, the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, the MatchE-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Potawatomi Indians, the Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians…, California Law Review, ,, Michigan Law Review, , and, Stanford Law Review Online, , as well as case books such as, Federal Indian Law, (West Academic Publishing) and, Principles of Federal Indian Law, (West Academic Publishing). Professor Fletcher is a highly regarded scholar in the field of Federal Indian Law and will be providing the final keynote address for this symposium. Palermo, Dr. Taino Palermo, is a third-year law student at Roger Williams University School of Law. Dr. Palermo is the Kasiké (Chief) of the Baramaya Guaínía Clan, a federally nonrecognized tribal nation indigenous to the Guaínía region of Borikén (known today as Ponce, Puerto Rico). He is also the Deputy Director General of the Federation of Aboriginal Nations of the Americas. Dr. Palermo worked as an education and…, Bethany Sullivan, is a senior associate attorney with Maier Pfeffer Kim Geary & Cohen LLP. She advises broadly on tribal governance, economic development, fee-to-trust land acquisitions, gaming and business transactions, taxation, natural resources, and other matters involving tribal, federal, and state law. Ms. Sullivan was the founding Director of the Natural Resource Use & Management Clinic at the…, Jennifer Turner, is the Assistant City Attorney in Albuquerque New Mexico. Prior to this role, Ms. Turner was an Associate at Frye & Kelly, PC and served as an Assistant Solicitor at the U.S. Department of the Interior, Division of Indian Affairs. Ms. Sullivan and Ms. Turner will be providing an update on the, Carcieri, decision following the 2019 Publication of their article: Enough is Enough: Ten Years of Carcieri v. Salazar., Rhode Island MCLE Credit, This program has been approved for six (6) CLE hours in Rhode Island. Questions | lawevents@rwu.edu
Type: Event
Returning Students Orientation is designed to provide important information and reminders for returning students. This mandatory session covers specifics about the Pro Bono Experiential Learning Requirement (ELR), experiential learning opportunities including clinics and clinical externship opportunities and successful strategies for finding summer and post-graduate employment. In addition,…
Type: Event
The RWU Law Library staff warmly welcomes our incoming 1Ls and returning 2Ls and 3Ls. We are excited to have students back in the building with us! We also welcome back our colleagues back on campus this fall. The library staff is here to help you! We offer a collection and services that harmonize with study, research and scholarship, practice skills education, and all aspects of intellectual…
Type: Article
Professor Shapiro founded the Law Office of Melanie Shapiro, LLC in 2014. Her practice focuses on Immigration law, specializing in asylum, VAWA, U visas, special immigrant juvenile status, federal litigation, and removal defense. She graduated, summa cum laude, from the University of Rhode Island's honor's program, majoring in Women's Studies. Professor Shapiro obtained her J.D. from Roger Williams University School of Law where she was a Public Interest Scholar. She currently serves as a liaison on the American Immigration Lawyers Association's New England Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. She partners with the LGBT Asylum Task Force and the…
Type: Faculty & Staff Profile
“ Roger That ” might sound familiar to you. You may have heard or read this phrase watching or reading something concerning World War II. During World War II, the main form of communication was through two-way radio. Military and aviation personnel used the phonetic alphabet to communicate in a clear way with no room for misinterpretation. “ Roger ” was used to indicate a message had been…
Type: Article
This event is co-sponsored by Roger Williams University School of Law and City University of New York School of Law. The virtual program introduces the newly released book, Integrating Doctrine and Diversity: Inclusion and Equity in the Law School Classroom, . Drawing upon the experience of faculty from across the country,, Integrating Doctrine and Diversity, is a collection of essays with practical advice, written by faculty for faculty, on specific ways to integrate diversity, equity and inclusion into the law school curriculum. Chapters will focus on subjects traditionally taught in the first-year curriculum (Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Legal Writing, Legal Research, Property, Torts) and each chapter will also include a short…, Meet the Speakers, 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 the Head of Reference, Instruction, and Engagement at the RWU Law Library and as an adjunct professor. 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…, Raquel J. Gabriel, is the Director of the Law Library and a Professor of Law at CUNY School of Law who teaches Legal Research and Advanced Legal Research. An active member of the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL), from 2010 – 2013 she penned a series of columns in AALL’s, Law Library Journal, , geared towards exploring diversity issues in the law library profession. Professor Gabriel was included in, Celebrating Diversity: A Legacy of Minority Leadership in the American Association of Law Libraries, ,, 2nd ed., (2018), where she was recognized for her leadership role within the Association. Professor Gabriel presents frequently on integrating diversity issues into teaching legal research, including the inaugural Teaching the Teachers Conference in 2019 for law librarians, and was invited back to present in 2020. She is a co-editor of the book, Integrating Doctrine and Diversity: Inclusion and Equity in the Law School Classroom, (2021), a collection of essays with practical advice, guidance, and reflections on ways to integrate diversity, equity and inclusion into the first-year law school curriculum. Professor Gabriel also contributed to the Legal Research chapter in the book. She received her B.A. from American University, J.D. from Howard University School of Law, and M.L.S. from Rutgers University. Suzanne H-S, Suzanne Harrington-Steppen, is the Associate Director of Pro Bono Programs and the Director of Summer Public Interest Externship Program at RWU Law. Suzanne received a B.A. in Political Science from Boston College and a J.D. from City University of New York School of Law. Prior to joining the Law School as the Project Coordinator for the Pro Bono Collaborative, Suzanne completed a two-year federal clerkship with the…, Jeremiah Ho, Professor Ho is an Associate Professor at UMass Law. He writes about law and inequality, exploring such issues mostly with respect to sexuality, race, and culture. In addition, he also writes extensively on legal education, methodology, and theory. His articles have appeared in the, Yale Journal of Law & Feminism, , the, Harvard Journal on Legislation, ,, The Georgetown Law Journal Online, , the, Journal of Legal Education, , the, Utah Law Review, , the, Kentucky Law Journal, , and the, U.C. Davis Business Law Journal, . Professor Ho is currently a regular contributor on the Humans Rights at Home Blog, and his blog postings on sexuality and race often garner mentioning by SCOTUS Blog. Professor Ho teaches Contracts I & II, Trusts & Estates, Remedies, and Law Review Note Writing. For his work in the classroom, the University of Massachusetts recently awarded him the, Manning Prize for Excellence in Teaching, , a university system-wide teaching prize. At UMass Law, Professor Ho has been named, Professor of the Year, for a record six times, an award given by students to the most outstanding teacher on the faculty. And in 2014, Professor Ho was selected for inclusion in Lawyers of Color’s, 50 Law Professors Under 50, . Prior to joining UMass Law, Professor Ho taught at Washburn University School of Law. He was the inaugural fellow at the Institute for Law Teaching and Learning, co-sponsored by the law schools at Gonzaga University, Washburn University, and the University of Arkansas, Little Rock. Nejdl, Clanitra Nejdl, is Head of Professional Development and Research Services Librarian at the Alyne Queener Massey Law Library at Vanderbilt University. She is also a Lecturer in Law, teaching both 1L and advanced legal research instruction. Prior to joining Vanderbilt in 2019, she served for five years as a reference and instructional services librarian and an assistant professor at the Northern Illinois…, Hoang Pham, is a Research & Policy Fellow for the Stanford Center for Racial Justice at Stanford Law School. He previously spent 10 years working in education to improve outcomes for low-income Black and students of color—six years as an elementary school teacher in South Los Angeles and four as a consultant with the Center for Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning. He graduated from the University…, Anna Russell, is a US Court Librarian, managing the Alaska library branch. She provides legal research support for Circuit, District and Bankruptcy court staff. Staying current with information technology tools and trends, she was thrilled to have the opportunity to edit the 2021, Integrating Doctrine and Diversity: Inclusion and Equity in the Law School Classroom, Carolina Academic Press teaching book. She is currently serving on the Federal Bar Association’s Task Force on Access to Justice and is a member of the American Association of Law Libraries since 2011. Prior to her librarian work, she worked as an intelligence analyst for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. She has also honorably served as a United States Surface Warfare Naval Officer, living…, Genevieve B. Tung, is the Associate Director for Educational Programs at the Biddle Law Library at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. In this role, she teaches and coordinates Biddle’s legal research instruction for 1L, upper-level JD, LLM, and Masters in Law students. She received a JD from Fordham School of Law and a MLIS from the Drexel University College of Computing & Informatics, and was…
Type: Event
Roger Williams University School of Law is the new home of the, Journal of Maritime Law and Commerce, (JMLC), the premier periodical in the field of maritime law in the United States. Founded in 1969, the JMLC is a scholarly and practice-oriented periodical “devoted to all aspects of admiralty and maritime law, including the law of the sea.” Since its inception 50 years ago, courts and arbitrators – including the Supreme Court of the United States and foreign courts – have cited the, Journal, hundreds of times. “RWU Law is a fitting home for this leading publication,” said Dean Gregory W. Bowman. “We are a nationally known maritime law school that provides strong training in this field to the next generation of lawyers and leaders through our excellent faculty, the Marine Affairs Institute (MAI), and our partnerships with the University of Rhode Island and Rhode Island Sea Grant.”…, Journal, in both online (, law.rwu.edu/go/jmlc, ), , and print editions twice a year, coinciding roughly with the fall and spring academic semesters. ‘The JMLC will serve a dual mission: providing a vital resource to maritime professionals in the field, while also putting our students to work alongside those professionals.’ “This is a wonderful opportunity for the law school and the Marine Affairs Institute,” said Julia Wyman, director of the MAI…, Journal, is an internationally respected, professionally published journal that experts in the maritime field rely on for important analysis of current issues.”, Linking Students and Professionals, At its new home, the JMLC will remain a peer-reviewed publication supported by external funding. It came to Roger Williams as a generous gift from the family of George Jay Joseph, the Washington, D.C., lawyer who founded the, Journal, . Two RWU Law alumni, Alison Laboissonniere Boyd ’06 and Bradford Boyd ’08 – founders of ANOVA Marine Insurance Services LLC, a major marine insurance firm headquartered in Pembroke Pines, Fla. – have generously agreed to underwrite the, Journal, ’s production for five years. “We were thrilled to be able to help RWU Law add yet another component to its already strong maritime law reputation,” said Bradford Boyd. “As a student, I chose Roger Williams because of its maritime law opportunities, and my career has benefited greatly from that decision. Alison and I both felt that a journal focusing on the commercial side of maritime law would…, Journal, while offering opportunities for our students to assist with the production of the, Journal, ,” said Gutoff. “We plan on keeping George Jay Joseph’s vision for the, Journal, alive and strong.” Kishbaugh remarked, “The JMLC is essentially a professional journal, with working lawyers in the field actively involved in the editorial process. This dynamic will provide students with a substantially different experience than that of editing a traditional law review.” “Our intent is for students to be an active part of the editorial team,” Wyman explained. “That means they’…, ‘I’m a Little Jealous!’, Many of those maritime professionals are, in fact, alumni who came to RWU Law specifically for its nationally recognized focus on maritime law. For example, Marc Fialkoff ’14 is a national expert on nuclear security and transport law who works with Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, currently on a detail to the U.S. State Department. A few years ago, he published a piece in the JMLC on…, Journal, is an invaluable forum for important discussions that showcase the interdisciplinary nature of maritime law,” he said. “And Roger Williams is really a perfect fit, being home to the MAI, the admiralty moot court team, the joint J.D./Marine Affairs degree, and so many other outlets. To be honest, I’m a little jealous that I’m not studying there today! This really highlights and elevates the…, Journal, . “This is a very exciting development,” she said. “The, Journal, is a very well-known publication and a great resource for practitioners. The professionals who contribute articles are familiar names in the field. I’m really excited for the law school; this is a real feather in their cap.” O’Brien is equally excited that students will be involved in producing the publication. “It’s such a great opportunity to learn and understand, to be exposed to the issues…, A Unique Mixture, Gutoff said the JMLC offers a unique mixture of scholarly depth and practical know-how that the RWU Law team is committed to maintaining. “Articles in the, Journal, are held to a very high standard of writing and research, but they also tend to focus on current practical issues facing the maritime industry and the maritime bar,” he said. “There’s a lot less theoretical work in the JMLC than you might find in the average student-edited academic journal. Sometimes there are more technical explorations – say, a five-paragraph piece on how to do, x, in a particular court – and sometimes the articles can be historical when history is key to resolving a given legal question.” “As someone who’s been interested in maritime law for my entire career and published work in the, Journal, – one of my JMLC pieces was cited by the U.S. Supreme Court – this is especially exciting for me,” Gutoff added. Kishbaugh noted, “Having this prestigious journal in-house will allow our student editors to develop their writing and editorial skills on an international stage and gain invaluable professional experience prior to even graduating from RWU Law, which is just such an excellent…
Type: Article
The book, Dust Tracks on a Road , ( ebook available at the University Library) is the autobiography of Black female American thinker and writer Zora Neale Hurston. In this 1942 work the author states, "Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose." This is the exact spirit with which the library encourages you to go forward with your directed research papers this semester--formalized legal curiosity…
Type: Article
