Roger Williams University, Ralph R. Papitto School of Law Admission
Roger Williams University, Ralph R. Papitto School of Law Undergraduate Program
Roger Williams University, Ralph R. Papitto School of Law Application

The Facts

Roger Williams University is a rather small, private institution located in the town of Bristol, Rhode Island, and has a combined graduate and undergraduate population of over 4,500 students. The university's Ralph R. Papitto School of Law, however, is significantly smaller, and is home to about 630 graduate law students. The average age of enrollment is around 28, and it is quite rare for any students to enter the school directly from their undergraduate education. The school is perhaps best known for its wonderful library and consequent research resources, as well as for its experienced faculty and administration. The school offers degrees in the 3 year JD, as well as combined degrees in the 4 year JD/MCP in community planning, the 4 year JD/MMA in marine affairs, the 4 year JD/MS in labor relations and human resources, as well as the 4 year JD/MCJ in criminal justice. Some of the most popular programs of study include courses in the areas of commercial law, constitutional law, corporation securities law, criminal law, environmental law, intellectual property law, international law, labor law, maritime law, as well as public interest law.

Admission to Roger Williams University's School of Law is fairly competitive among the students who apply; last year, over 1,620 students applied for admission to the school, and approximately 643 of those students were accepted. Eventually however, only about 248 of the admitted students actually enrolled for the coming semester. The admitted students had an average LSAT score ranging from 150 to 155, as well as an average undergraduate GPA of about a 3.2. Students are notified of their admissions status on a rolling basis, and there is currently no early application program in place.

The School of Law has 59 faculty members, all of whom come from very diverse legal and professional backgrounds. Students rave about their availability and accessibility, saying that they are always there to help out and answer questions. The school has a rather dismal student to faculty ratio of about 21:1, and there are many students we hear complaining about the large classes that make engaging discussion and legal discourse quite difficult. However, many students work together outside of class to tease out ideas.

Employment Facts

Students at the school of law seem quite anxious about finding jobs after graduation; the career services office apparently isn't doing their job, according to students. Over 80% of the most recently graduating students were able to find jobs within a few months of receiving their degrees, and had an average starting salary of about $47,912. Students are most frequently hired by employers such as Rhode Island courts, as well as rather small, private New England law firms.

What's Good

"The school is nice and small, and you tend to get a lot of attention from your professors outside of class, which is nice."

"The school really focuses on the kind of practical legal skills that will be of use in the real world."

"The student body here is really diverse, and it's nice to have variety among us."

What's Bad

"There aren't a huge amount of internships available, which is disappointing."

"The career services office needs to do a much better job of attracting attention to our school so people will come here and recruit."

"There is never enough on campus graduate housing, and the surrounding area is really expensive in terms of real estate."

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