The School of Law at Roger Williams University

Law School Admissions

Application

Director of admissions Michael W. Donnelly-Boylen
Application deadline April 1
Full-time program application fee $60
Part-time program application fee $0
Besides the fall semester, can enter in N/A

The School of Law at Roger Williams University

Admissions & Enrollment (Overall)

Acceptance rate 66.4% – High
Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants 3.30
Median LSAT score for all program entrants 151

Admissions & Enrollment (Full-time)

Acceptance rate 66.4%
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 149-155
Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) 3.07-3.55
Median undergraduate GPA for full-time program entrants 3.30
Median LSAT score for full-time program entrants 151

Admissions & Enrollment (Part-time)

Applicants N/A
Acceptance rate N/A
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) N/A
Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) N/A
Median undergraduate GPA for part-time program entrants N/A
Median LSAT score for part-time program entrants N/A

Law School Academics

Academic Program Details

Academic calendar Semester
Joint degrees offered
J.D./M.M.A.
J.D./M.L.R.H.R.
J.D./M.S.C.J.
Special programs offered to J.D. students (as provided by the school)
Marine Affairs Institute explores issues raised by the devel. of ocean & coastal zones.Feinstein Institute offers externships, summer stipends & scholarships.
We have 3 in-house clinical programs: Criminal Defense,Immigration and Mediation.
And, 4 summer programs in: London, England; Buenos Ares, Argentina; Tianjin, China; and in The Hague, Netherlands, and Lausanne, Switzerland.
Programs/courses offered in
clinical training intellectual property law
dispute resolution international law
environmental law tax law
health care law trial advocacy

Curricular Offerings (Overall)

Classroom course titles, beyond the first-year curriculum, offered last year 100
Seminars 35
Positions available in seminars 651
Positions available in simulation courses 160
Positions available in faculty-supervised clinical courses 67
Student activities (as provided by the school)
Law Review, Moot Court, Multicultural Law Students Assn., Women’s Law Assn., Alliance (LGBT), Black Law Students Assn., Latino Law Students Assn., Asian Pacific American Law Students Assn., Older Wiser Law Students, Federalist Society, National Lawyers Guild, Maritime Law Society, Sports and Entertain. Law Society, Int’l Law Society, Assn. Public Interest Law, ACLU, Assn. Trial Lawyers of America.

Curricular Offerings (Full-time)

Typical first-year full-time section size taught by full-time faculty (excludes small sections) 66
Is there typically a full-time “small section” of the first-year class taught by full-time faculty (excluding Legal Writing)? No
Typical size of first-year “small section” N/A
Positions filled in full-time program seminars 466
Positions filled in full-time program simulation courses 139
Positions filled in faculty-supervised full-time program clinical courses 67
Full-time students involved in field placements 71
Full-time students involved in law journals 55
Full-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions 32
Full-time students enrolled in independent study 50

Curricular Offerings (Part-time)

Typical first-year part-time section size taught by full-time faculty (excludes small sections) N/A
Is there typically a part-time “small section” of the first-year class taught by full-time faculty (excluding Legal Writing)? No
Positions filled in part-time program seminars N/A
Positions filled in part-time program simulation courses N/A
Positions filled in faculty-supervised part-time program clinical courses N/A
Part-time students involved in field placements N/A
Part-time students involved in law journals N/A
Part-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions N/A
Part-time students enrolled in independent study N/A

Faculty Profile (Fall 2011)

Student-faculty ratio 17.1:1 – High
Full- and part-time faculty 61
Full-time minority faculty 11.1%
Part-time minority faculty 5.9%
Total faculty 75
Total faculty (men) 58.7%
Total faculty (women) 41.3%
Total faculty (minorities) 9.3%

Class Size

Law School Ranking

Rank Not Published Best Law Schools

Law Ranking Scores

Score N/A
Peer assessment score (out of 5) 1.8
Assessment score by lawyers/judges (out of 5) 1.8
GPA (25th-75th percentile) 3.07-3.55
Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants 3.30
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 149-155
Median LSAT score for all program entrants 151
Acceptance rate 66.4% – High
Student-faculty ratio 17.1:1 – High
Graduates known to be employed at graduation N/A
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 71.9% – Low
Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 89.9% – Medium
State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar MA
Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 88.2%

Law School Student Body

Student Body (Overall)

Total Enrolled 555

Student Body (Full-time)

Enrollment (full-time) 555

Student Body (Part-time)

Enrollment (part-time) N/A
Gender distribution (part-time) N/A

Attrition Rates for Full- and Part-time Students (2010-2011)

First-year students discontinuing law school 4.9%
Second-year students discontinuing law school N/A
Third-year students discontinuing law school N/A
Fourth-year students discontinuing law school N/A
Male students discontinuing law school 3.0%
Female students discontinuing law school 0.7%

Law School Cost

Financial Aid Contact Information

Financial aid director Denise Rousseau
Financial aid phone (401) 254-4510
Financial aid application deadline February 15

Expenses

Tuition and fees
Full-time: $39,550 per year
Room and board $10,342
Books $1,660
Miscellaneous expenses $8,614
Is the tuition the same for first-, second-, and third-year students? Yes
Does the university offer housing restricted to law students? No
Does the university offer graduate student housing for which law students are eligible? Yes
Does the university offer a public-interest scholarship program to current J.D. students? Yes

Grants (Full-time students)

Students receiving grants of less than one-half tuition 32.4%
Students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full 6.1%
Students receiving grants of full tuition 9.5%
Students receiving grants of more than full tuition 0.5%
Median grant amount $13,500
Grant range (25th–75th percentile) $7,500–$29,879
Full-time students receiving grants 48.6%

Grants (Part-time students)

Students receiving grants of less than one-half tuition N/A
Students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full N/A
Students receiving grants of full tuition N/A
Students receiving grants of more than full tuition N/A
Median grant amount N/A
Grant range (25th–75th percentile) N/A
Part-time students receiving grants N/A

Indebtedness

Average indebtedness of 2011 graduates who incurred law school debt $131,754
Proportion who borrowed 87.3%
Does the school offer a loan repayment assistance program for 2011 J.D. graduates? Yes

Law School Library

Library Information Resources

Print titles (excluding nonbook titles) 29,821
Microform titles 121,915
Electronic titles 86,788
Other non-book titles 490
Total titles 239,014
Volumes (excluding microforms) 116,472
Volume equivalent microforms 195,894
Total volumes and volume equivalents 312,366
Number of volumes in the collection that are stored off site and are systematically retrievable 0
Library’s online catalog or website includes links to electronic titles or databases made available by another campus library or consortia Yes

Library Schedule of Operation

Number of hours per week library is open on a regular schedule 110
Number of hours per week professional staff are on duty on a regular schedule 56
Number of hours per week only full-time support staff are on duty on a regular schedule 0
Number of hours per week only students or other part-time staff are on duty on a regular schedule 54
Number of hours of reference service provided per week on a regular schedule 56
Number of weeks per year library operates on an abbreviated schedule 10
Number of hours per week library is open on an abbreviated schedule 79
Number of hours per week professional staff are on duty are on an abbreviated schedule 48
Number of hours per week only full-time support staff are on duty on an abbreviated schedule 0
Number of hours per week only students or other part-time staff are on duty on an abbreviated schedule 31
Number of hours of reference service provided per week on an abbreviated schedule 48
Number of weeks per year library operates on expanded schedule 6

Information Technology

Department(s) responsible for the law school information technology operations university information technology department
Approximate number of full-time-equivalent information technology staff (excluding hourly students and other temporary staff) 25
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in the law library (excluding computer labs) 112
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in classrooms 0
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in computer labs 0
Number of open, wired network connections available to students elsewhere in the law school 0
Does the law school have a wireless network? Yes
Wireless network is available in the law library, in classrooms, in computer labs, in administrative/faculty offices and work areas, elsewhere in the law school
Does the school require entering students to own a computer? No

Physical Library Facilities

Net square feet of space assigned for library purposes 31,224
Total seats available for library users 403
Details about the library and other facilities (as provided by the school) The School of Law is self-contained in a multimillion-dollar building designed exclusively for the study of law. The four-level facility contains class and seminar rooms and is equipped with state-of-the-art audiovisual and computer technology. The law library contains 300,000 volumes and equivalents and provides wireless Internet access.

Law School Careers

Bar Statistics (Winter and Summer 2010 administrations)

State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar MA
Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 89.9% – Medium
Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 88.2%

Class of 2010 Graduates

Total graduates 171
Graduates known to be employed at graduation N/A
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 71.9%

Class of 2010 Graduates-Class Breakdown at Graduation

Graduates whose employment status is unknown N/A
Graduates whose employment status is known N/A
Graduates known to be employed at graduation N/A
Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program N/A
Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work N/A
Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work N/A

Class of 2010 Graduates-Class Breakdown at Nine Months

Graduates whose employment status is unknown 4.7%
Graduates whose employment status is known 95.3%
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 71.9%
Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program 7.6%
Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work 8.2%
Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work 7.6%

Starting Salaries of Graduates Employed Full-time (Class of 2010)

25th percentile private sector starting salary $45,000
Median private sector starting salary $52,500
75th percentile private sector starting salary $65,000
Percent in the private sector who reported salary information 18%
Median public service starting salary $46,000

Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2010)

Percent employed in academia 1.6%
Percent employed in business and industry 14.6%
Percent employed in government 9.8%
Percent employed in all judicial clerkships 16.3%
Percent employed in law firms 48.8%
Percent employed in public interest 8.9%
Percent employed in an unknown field 0.0%

Employment Location (Class of 2010)

Graduates employed in-state 45%
Graduates employed out-of-state 54.5%
Graduates employed in foreign countries 1%
Number of states where graduates are employed 17
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) 66.7%
Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA) 16.3%
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) 0.0%
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) 0.0%
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) 10.6%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) 0.8%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) 0.0%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) 1.6%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY) 3.3%
Employment location unknown 0.0%

Career Services

(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)

Career services operations The Office of Career Services is dedicated to serving the needs of law students, alumni, and the legal community. The office features a welcoming suite for career research, on-campus interviews, and mock interviews. All of these tools help to prepare students to take advantage of the versatility of the Juris Doctor degree.

Job Type

Bar admission required/anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks) 81.3%
Bar admission required/anticipated – percent employed in full-time positions 93.0%
J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent) 15.5%
J.D. preferred – percent employed in full-time positions 94.7%
Professional other (jobs that require professional skills or training but for which a J.D. is neither preferred nor particularly applicable; e.g., accountant, teacher, business manager, nurse) 1.6%
Professional other – percent employed in full-time positions 50.0%
Non-professional other (job that does not require any professional skills or training or is taken on a temporary basis and not viewed as part of a career path) 1.6%
Non-professional other – percent employed in full-time positions 0.0%