Drawing upon specific examples from your life, please share your personal story as it relates to your desire to attend law school and why RWU Law is right for you. Please discuss any factors you feel would be relevant to the Admissions Committee; past applicants have shared experiences relating to determination, motivation, and their unique ability to contribute to our law school community.

Roger Williams University is an open, accepting and affirming community of citizen scholars. We stand firmly committed to creating a campus that is diverse and inclusive as well as welcoming to and accepting of all people regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, ability, socio-economic class, age or spirituality. We reflect this in our many programs, initiatives, organizations, and clubs throughout the university, ranging from our undergraduate programs to the School of Law. To learn more about RWU Law?s mission, click here.

In what ways do you believe your distinctive experiences and background would positively impact and enrich our university community?

Please limit your response to no more than two pages.

You may submit an addendum or supply additional information for the Admissions Committee to consider. Documentation may also be submitted to LawAdmissions@rwu.edu in PDF format. Please include your full name and LSAC account number when sending email attachments.

A current resume is required of all applicants. The resume should reflect all full-time and part-time employment, both paid and unpaid, and all extracurricular activities and honors. There is no required length for the resume. Occasionally, the Admissions Committee will request further clarification of an applicant’s activities.

If you answer "yes" to any of the character and fitness questions, we require that you attach an addendum explaining the circumstances. if your answer to any of the character and fitness questions contained in this application changes after you submit your application, prior to matriculation, and/or while enrolled at the law school, you are required to notify the Admissions Office in writing. Failure to provide full and truthful answers may result in revocation of admission or disciplinary action the the School of Law, and responses to these character and fitness questions will likely be required as part of your application to practice law.

Note that answering "yes" to any of these questions does not necessarily preclude or even prejudice admission to our law school. Your answer will be reviewed on an individual basis in relation to all aspects of your experience, academic achievement, and potential. Individuals may be strong applicants and passionate contributors to classrooms discussions not in spite of their past engagement with the criminal justice system, but because of those experiences. We regularly admit, enroll, and graduate law students who have responded affirmatively to questions in these sections.

In addition to a bar examination, there are character, fitness, and other qualifications for admission to the bar in every U.S. jurisdiction. Applicants are encouraged to determine the requirements for any jurisdiction in which they intend to seek admission by contacting the jurisdiction. Addresses for all relevant agencies are available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

Our character and fitness questions do not represent all the possible questions, topics, or considerations a state bar admissions board might inquire about or require you to disclose, or for the law school to disclose in the course of the bar admissions certification process. Some states require disclosure of much fuller information relating to criminal proceedings, including information subsequently expunged or sealed. Admission to our law school does not suggest or ensure eligibility for, nor guarantee, admission to any state, federal, or other bar.

If you would like more information or resources for navigating these questions or attending law school as a justice-impacted person, contact our office. We are also available for individual advising appointments.

1. After high school, have you ever been suspended, expelled, or dismissed from any learning institution for academic or conduct related reasons?

If you answer yes, the Admissions Committee may request additional documentation.

2. Have you ever, as an adult or a juvenile, been charged with or convicted of a felony? Expunged or sealed records need not be disclosed.

If you answer yes, the Admissions Committee may request additional documentation.

3. Have you, within the last five years, as an adult or a juvenile, been convicted of a misdemeanor? Expunged and/or sealed records need not be disclosed. Additionally, minor, non-criminal traffic offenses such as parking and speeding tickets need not be disclosed.

If you answer yes, the Admissions Committee may request additional documentation.

4. Are there any pending criminal charges against you now? Minor, non-criminal traffic offenses such as parking and speeding tickets need not be disclosed.

If you answer yes, the Admissions Committee may request additional documentation.

5. Have you ever been discharged or asked to resign from any employment, professional organization, or public office?

6. Have you been subject to professional discipline, voluntarily surrendered a professional license, or had a professional license denied, suspended, or revoked?

7. Have you been party to a civil proceeding in which you were alleged to have committed fraud or any type of misrepresentation?

8. As a member of the armed forces, have any charges ever been made or proceedings instituted against you? (No is the same as Not Applicable.)

Admission is offered on a rolling basis. Applicants improve their chances for favorable decisions by applying early. All applications must be accompanied by a non-refundable $60 fee, payable directly to LSAC by credit card. The application fee will be automatically waived for applicants pre-approved for an LSAC fee waiver.

All completed law school application files are reviewed by the Admissions Committee. To the extent a candidate's race or ethnicity is disclosed through the application process, that information will be considered only as it relates to that individual's unique ability to contribute to the University, and will not be considered on the basis of race or ethnicity alone.

A completed application file consists of:

• A completed, electronically certified application including a Personal Statement;
• A Credential Assembly Service (CAS) report available to RWU Law from the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) in electronic format;
• One letter of recommendation. The School of Law welcomes and reads up to three (3) total letters. Letters must be submitted directly to LSAC and will be electronically transferred to the School of Law via CAS. If you have been enrolled in an academic program within the last three years, the School of Law prefers at least one academic recommendation;
• A current resume; and
• A $60 application fee.

LSAT
All candidates are required to take the LSAT.

TOEFL
If your native language is not English and your undergraduate degree was attained in a country in which English is not the primary language, you must provide a TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score taken within the last two years.

International Students & Bar Requirements
Roger Williams University School of Law does not consider citizenship status for purposes of admissions. Students without US citizenship are advised to consult directly with the state bar examiners in the jurisdiction(s) they intend to sit for the bar examination to determine eligibility for admission to the bar.

Character and Fitness Advisory
In addition to a bar examination, there are character, fitness, and other qualifications for admission to the bar in every U.S. jurisdiction. Applicants are encouraged to determine the requirements for any jurisdiction in which they intend to seek admission by contacting the jurisdiction. Addresses for all relevant agencies are available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

Roger Williams University and Roger Williams University School of Law Non-Discrimination Policy
RWU prohibits all forms of discrimination on the basis of sex in its education programs and activities and is required by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (?Title IX?) and its implementing regulations not to discriminate in such a manner. This non-discrimination requirement also extends to admissions and employment processes and procedures. According to Title IX, ?No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance?.

Complaints of Title IX sexual harassment should be reported to the Title IX Coordinator at the contact information listed below. Details regarding the formal complaint process can be found here: Title IX Sexual Harassment Policy and Procedures. All complaints of sexual harassment will be taken seriously and responded to promptly.

TITLE IX COORDINATOR

• Name: Dr. Jen Stanley
• Office Location: 2nd Floor of the Center for Student Development Building
• Office Mailing Address: 1 Old Ferry Road, Bristol, RI 02809
• Phone Number: (401) 254-3123
• Email Address: jstanley@rwu.edu

For further information concerning admissions policies, the application, or procedure, please contact:

Roger Williams University School of Law
Ten Metacom Avenue, Bristol, RI 02809-5171
401-254-4555
Michael W. Donnelly-Boylen
Associate Dean, Office of Admissions