Year One
- Legal Methods I & II (4 Credits)
- Contracts I & II (6 Credits)
- Torts I & II (5 Credits)
- Civil Procedure I & II (6 Credits)
- Property (5 Credits)
- Criminal Law (3 Credits)
Year Two
- Criminal Procedure (3 Credits)
- Professional Responsibility (2 Credits)
- Constitutional Law I & II (6 Credits)
- Evidence (4 Credits)
- Electives (14-16 Credits)
Year Three
- Legal Methods Upper Level Courses
(2 Courses - may be taken in Year Two)
- Electives (26-29 Credits)
Academic Standards
Students must complete 90 semester hours of credit to be eligible to receive the J.D. degree. The minimum cumulative GPA required for graduation is 2.00.
The minimum cumulative GPA for advancement to the second year of the Day Division or the second or third year of the Extended Division is 1.90. The minimum cumulative GPA for advancement to the third year of the Day Division or the fourth year of the Extended Division is 2.00.
Over the past several years, approximately 6% of students have been academically dismissed after the first year of study and less than 1% thereafter.
Under the law school's grading policy, the mean grade in all first-year required courses must fall between 2.33 and 2.67. For all required courses after the first year, the mean grade must fall between 2.50 and 3.00. For all other courses there is no required or recommended mean.
Fact Sheet
Drawing on the strengths of the School of Law as well as the Roger Williams University School of Justice Studies, Roger Williams University offers a concentrated joint degree program for students interested in criminal justice.
The dual degree program allows matriculated students to complete the Juris Doctor (JD) and the Master of Science in Criminal Justice (MSCJ) in an accelerated period of study.
To earn the degree students must complete 78 credits at the School of Law and 24 credits in the School of Justice Studies. The School of Law and the School of Justice Studies will each accept 12 transfer credits from the other.
The effect of these credit transfers between the School of Law and the School of Justice Studies would be to reduce the overall time needed to complete both degrees from four and a half years to three and a half years, assuming full-time study.
A Roger Williams University School of Law and University of Rhode Island Department of Marine Affairs Partnership
One of Roger Williams' three joint degree programs, the Juris Doctor/Master of Marine Affairs builds upon the comprehensive base of marine law and policy courses offered at the School of Law and University of Rhode Island Department of Marine Affairs.
The program offers students an opportunity to broaden their understanding and analysis of complex marine issues without giving up the benefits of a traditional legal education.
Students have access to full-time and adjunct faculty members at the School of Law and faculty members at URI with the nation's oldest Marine Affairs Program and a renowned School of Environment and Natural Resource Economics.
John Knauss, a member of the Stratton Commission, founded the Department of Marine Affairs at URI, the first program of its kind in the United States. Robert Ballard, a member on the current Ocean Commission, joined the URI Graduate School of Oceanography faculty in 2002.
With URI's rich history in marine sciences and policy, the Law School's partnership provides students with opportunities to broaden the scope of their legal education through the joint degree program and symposia and panels jointly sponsored by the two institutions.
Why consider a JD/MMA?
As our reliance on limited ocean resources grows, lawyers possessing the skills of interdisciplinary analysis will be well-served. The program offers opportunities to:
- Gain exposure to different disciplines;
- Expand your perspective on legal issues;
- Acquire different analytical skills;
- Develop relationships with colleagues from different disciplines; and,
- Meet experts and acquire a foundation of knowledge in the marine field.
Joint Degree students benefit from combining a substantial research project in the social sciences with traditional legal studies, development of research and writing skills, and a focus on marine law from the shipping industry and maritime commerce to the management of the coastal zone and preservation of living marine resources.
The workplace is increasingly complex. Understanding that complexity requires familiarity with history, economics, organizational theory, sociology, law and other disciplines.
Roger Williams University School of Law, in conjunction with the University of Rhode Island Charles T. Schmidt Jr. Labor Research Center, offers a concentrated joint degree program for students interested in extensive study of legal issues relating to employment and labor relations.
The dual degree program allows matriculated students to complete the Juris Doctor (JD) and the Master of Science in Labor Relations and Human Resources (MS) in an accelerated period of study. By combining course work at the two institutions, students are able to reduce the overall time needed for the completion of the two degrees by up to one year.
To earn the degrees, students must complete 75 credits at the School of Law and 30 credits at the Schmidt Labor Research Center.