Legal Studies
Legal Studies students dive into ethics, conflict resolution, and social justice to understand the profound effect that law has on people’s everyday experiences, and our graduates – who are advised by attorney faculty members and are required to take a second major – are well prepared for law school or a career in the legal field.
Interdisciplinary project creates vital co-parenting tool for Rhode Island Family Court
With generous funding from the Hassenfeld Family Initiatives, faculty and undergraduate students from RWU's Legal Studies and Psychology programs as well as RWU Law students created "Parenting Together: Do It for the Kids,” a 20-minute video showcasing best parenting practices for families involved in Rhode Island Family Court. This interdisciplinary community-engaged project took several years to research and create. Read about Parenting Together
Success By The Numbers
Real-World Experience
SJS students have guaranteed opportunities for internships or co-op experiences at various agencies.
Placement of 2022 Grads
Our 2022 SJS graduates found success in employment or in graduate school within 6 months of graduation.
Average Starting Salary
of our 2022 graduates.
Degree Requirements
Earn your bachelor’s and juris doctor degrees in six years through RWU’s Three-Plus-Three Law program. You’ll get a jump-start on your J.D. by integrating law courses into your undergraduate studies and completing undergraduate requirements in your first year of law school. Accepted students will take first-year courses in the School of Law along with legal electives to fulfill undergraduate fourth-year requirements. Interested students must indicate their intent to pursue a 3+3 pathway early in their undergraduate studies for curriculum planning and advising.
Customize Your Studies
Choose Your Second Major
The Legal Studies program provides a strong pre-law education with a unique interdisciplinary approach. Students learn how law interacts with other areas of study and how it's incorporated into every facet of society while gaining a foundation to enter law school or go straight into the workforce. To provide a true interdisciplinary undergraduate curriculum, our program requires you to incorporate a second major. Many students pair Legal Studies with Psychology, Political Science, Philosophy, Anthropology + Sociology, Creative Writing, English Literature, History, or Modern Languages. As a Legal Studies student, you have the flexibility to choose the major that is right for you and best fits your academic interests.
Legal Advocacy Clinic
Led by Professor of Legal Studies Tricia Martland L’00, the Legal Advocacy Clinic is a unique opportunity for students interested in working with victims of domestic violence in the court system. The clinic experience begins in the classroom where students learn the history of domestic violence and the unique challenges involved with addressing domestic violence cases. Once educated and trained, students shadow court advocates in courthouses across Rhode Island to see first-hand how the criminal justice system handles domestic violence cases. While in court, students talk with judges, lawyers, prosecutors, probation officers and other court personnel to better understand how the role of the domestic violence advocate works within our current system.
3+3 Legal Studies/Juris Doctor Program
Outstanding students who qualify for this special accelerated program earn a Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies along with a Juris Doctor in six years rather than seven. The program is jointly sponsored by the School of Justice Studies and the Roger Williams University School of Law.
A Path to Law School
After completing their undergraduate degree at RWU, many of our Legal Studies students continue to law school to earn their Juris Doctor. Some schools our graduates have attended include Roger Williams University School of Law, Suffolk University School of Law, Boston University School of Law, Georgetown University School of Law, University of Connecticut School of Law, New England Law, and School of Law at Quinnipiac University.
Learn From Faculty Experts
Tricia Martland L'00, Esq.
Professor of Legal Studies
Tricia Martland, Esq.is the Director of the Legal Studies program for the School of Justice Studies. As a former Special Assistant Attorney General for the State of Rhode Island, Martland teaches various classes on legal topics including domestic violence law, family law and juvenile law. As a trained mediator, Martland teaches classes on alternative dispute resolution processes, conflict resolution and mediation techniques.
Martland trained members of the Rhode Island criminal justice system at the annual Rhode Island State Victims Assistance Academy beginning in 2008, receiving the Crime Victim Service Award in 2020 for her career long advocacy and efforts in the victim’s rights movement.
Alumni Share Their Experiences
“The Legal Studies program was a wonderful learning experience and has really prepared me for my time in law school. I was able to make great connections. One life-changing experience I had was an internship at the Rhode Island Family Court where I was able to witness mediations and court hearings firsthand."
Morgan Clark ’20
Majors: Legal Studies and Psychology
Second-year Law Student at UMass Dartmouth
"This program prepared me for day one of law school. I enjoyed learning from such experienced professors and being challenged in ways that helped me develop professionally. I've used the skills I learned throughout my legal career."
Nicole M. Verdi '11 L'14
Majors: Legal Studies and Political Science
Head of New England Government Affairs & Policy at Orsted Americas in Providence, R.I.
"Legal Studies was more valuable to my transition to being a 1L than I could have ever imagined. The foundational understandings of Case Briefs, Constitutional Law, and Torts, which I gained through a number of my classes at RWU, were instrumental in helping me catch my footing."
Bennett Flanagan '22
Majors: Legal Studies and Political Science
First-year Law Student at Georgetown University Law Center
Intern with Prestigious Organizations
Legal Studies majors must complete a required internship that allows them to gain practical, hands-on experience in the industry. Students have interned at places such as:
- R.I. Family Court
- Public Defenders’ Office of R.I.
- Southeastern Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corp.
- Institute for Labor Studies & Research
- Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island
- Clerk's Office of the RI Supreme Court
- Edwards, Angell, Palmer & Dodge
- Bremer Law & Associates, LLC
- Feeney IP Law Group
- Coalition for Social Justice Education Fund
Ways to Get Involved
Mock Trial
The Mock Trial Club is a competitive travel team that promotes and teaches courtroom skills and techniques through simulated courtroom settings as prescribed by the American Mock Trial Association. RWU Mock Trial is a great club for any student interested in the legal field, but students of every major are welcome and appreciated. The team competes in invitational, regional, and national competitions.
Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law
Phi Alpha Delta is a pre-law fraternity and a pre-professional academic club on campus. RWU's chapter runs on an open-membership policy and holds many types of programs that deal with the legal career, LSAT preparation, and anything members want to learn more about.
John Jay Society
The John Jay Society is a student-run club open to all School of Justice Studies majors with the goal of furthering students' understanding and appreciation of the criminal justice system. The club helps members prepare for future careers in the criminal justice field, promotes opportunities for students to interact with professionals in the criminal justice field, sponsors events and demonstrations that inform the campus community about local crime issues, and more.