Programs & Initiatives

Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration
The School of Law celebrates the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a series of activities to highlight his contributions to the Civil Rights Movement.

Diversity Dinner 
This annual event brings together Rhode Island attorneys and judges with high school, college, and law students to discuss issues of interest to members of populations traditionally underrepresented in the legal profession and the justice system.

Street Law Program
Street Law is a national program that partners law students with local public schools and community-based organizations to teach disadvantaged youth about their legal rights and responsibilities. Law students teach law-related lessons in schools and community organizations throughout Rhode Island and in Fall River.

Thurgood Marshall Lecture Series
The Thurgood Marshall Lecture Series is held biennially and is sponsored by the School of Law, a local law firm and the Marshall family.

Stonewall Lecture
In 2017, Roger Williams University School of Law established our annual Stonewall Lecture honoring the numerous individuals who have fought for LGBTQ+ equality and justice, and the many contributions they have made to advance this modern-day civil rights movement. Past speakers have included Marek Bute '05, Congressman David Cicilline, Blake Liggio, and Bendita Cynthia Malakia.

Immigration Clinic
This clinical program provides students with hands-on opportunities to represent immigrant clients.  Students enrolled in the immigration clinic represent noncitizens in their applications for relief from removal before the Immigration Court in Boston. 

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Close Course Type Descriptions

Course Types

We have classified RWU Law classes under the following headers. One of the following course types will be attached to each course which will allow students to narrow down their search while looking for classes.

Core Course

Students in the first and second year are required to take classes covering the following aspects of the law—contracts, torts, property, criminal law, civil procedure, and constitutional law, evidence, and professional responsibility.  Along with these aspects, the core curriculum will develop legal reasoning skills.

Elective

After finishing the core curriculum the remaining coursework toward the degree is completed through upper level elective courses.  Students can choose courses that peak their interests or courses that go along with the track they are following.

Seminar

Seminars are classes where teachers and small groups of students focus on a specific topic and the students complete a substantial research paper.

Clinics/Externships

Inhouse Clinics and Clinical Externships legal education is law school training in which students participate in client representation under the supervision of a practicing attorney or law professor.  RWU Law's Clinical Programs offer unique and effective learning opportunities and the opportunity for practical experience while still in law school.