Roger Williams University School of Law

What Roger Williams University School of Law does

Roger Williams University School of Law (RWU Law) is a private, ABA-accredited law school located on the waterfront in Bristol, Rhode Island. Founded in 1993 and operating as a constituent school of Roger Williams University, it is the only law school in Rhode Island and a member of the American Association of Law Schools (AALS) since 2006. The school offers two core degree programs: a three-year (or accelerated 2.5-year) Juris Doctor (JD), with part-time and transfer pathways, and a Master of Studies in Law (MSL) priced at $977 per credit for working professionals. The JD program is the dominant revenue driver at $48,584 per year (2026-27 academic year), positioning RWU Law as the most affordable ABA-accredited private law school in the Northeast. Specialized programmatic verticals include the Marine Affairs Institute, the Institute for Race and the Law, and the Feinstein Center for Pro Bono & Experiential Education, which underpins a Clinical Guarantee promising every qualified student a hands-on clinical placement. Admissions are processed through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) Credential Assembly Service (RWU Law code: 3081), and financial aid is administered via the federal FAFSA system (Title IV code: 003410) and processed through U.S. Bank.

The business model is tuition-driven with supplemental revenue from student fees, scholarships (Presidential, Jurisprudence, Dean's, Public Interest), the Public Interest Loan Repayment Assistance Program (PILRAP), and philanthropic gifts — most notably a historic ~$4 million gift from Mark Mandell to establish a Trial Advocacy Center. Distribution is primarily direct: on-campus instruction at Bristol and a secondary Providence location for clinics, with a multi-channel marketing footprint spanning the law.rwu.edu website, the Law 401 podcast (distributed on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon, and RSS), active social media channels, in-person campus visits, and recruitment fairs across multiple states. Integrations are largely operational rather than technology-differentiating: housing through VeryApt, financial education through AccessLex, and refund processing through U.S. Bank. The technology stack is conventional for higher education — an LMS for course delivery, the LSAC portal for applications, a financial aid portal, and podcast production infrastructure — without proprietary platform assets. Customer segments are segmented by use case: traditional and accelerated JD students (primary), MSL professionals (secondary), transfer students, international students requiring F-1 visa support, and housing-seeking graduate students.

Name

Roger Williams University School of Law

Legal name

Roger Williams University School of Law

Website

https://law.rwu.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Roger Williams University School of Law is the only ABA-accredited law school in Rhode Island, offering a Juris Doctor (JD) program, a Master of Studies in Law (MSL), and specialized institutes in Marine Affairs and Race and the Law, with a guaranteed clinical experience for every qualified student.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

ABA-Accredited JD-Granting Law Schools (EDAHAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

LLM & Post-JD Graduate Law Programs (EDAHAIAC), Law & Legal Studies Research Universities (EDAHABAF), Clinical Legal Education & Legal Aid Clinics (Law School–Run) (EDAHAIAG)

Keywords

• Legal education
• Juris doctor program
• Master of studies in law
• Law school
• Clinical legal training

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. JD Tuition: Revenue from Juris Doctor program tuition for full-time students. Students pay per semester or annually for their legal education, with the JD program being the primary revenue driver for the law school.
2. MSL Tuition: Revenue from Master of Studies in Law program, charged at $977 per credit. This program serves professionals who want legal knowledge for their current work.
3. Fees and Other Charges: Student fees including health fees, bookstore charges, parking permits, library fines, and bar exam fees (especially for 3L students in their final semester).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Roger Williams University School of Law provides ABA-accredited legal education through its Juris Doctor (JD) degree (3-year full-time, 4-year part-time, 2.5-year accelerated) and its Master of Studies in Law (MSL) degree for non-practicing professionals, priced at $48,584/year (JD) and $977/credit (MSL). Course delivery is supported by in-house legal clinics, externships, specialized institutes (Marine Affairs; Race and the Law; Feinstein Center for Pro Bono & Experiential Education; Business Law), and a guaranteed hands-on clinical experience for every qualified student.

Product overview

Roger Williams University School of Law offers two core degree programs: the Juris Doctor (JD) for aspiring attorneys and the Master of Studies in Law (MSL) for professionals seeking legal skills without bar admission. The school provides experiential learning through its Clinical Guarantee, ensuring hands-on experience via the Feinstein Center for Pro Bono & Experiential Education, Marine Affairs Institute, Institute for Race and the Law, and Business Law Program. Financial support includes Presidential, Jurisprudence, Dean's, and Public Interest Scholarships, plus the Public Interest Loan Repayment Assistance Program (PILRAP). Delivery modalities include the Law 401 Podcast and flexible scheduling options including accelerated 2.5-year and four-year part-time pathways.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Juris Doctor (JD) Program Three-year full-time or four-year part-time ABA-accredited law degree preparing students for careers in private practice, public interest, government, litigation, corporate, marine, educational, or other legal fields. Priced at $48,584 per year (2026-27).
• Master of Studies in Law (MSL) Program Graduate degree designed for working professionals who want to bring deep legal skill and know-how to their existing career focus without practicing law. Priced at $977 per credit.
• Accelerated Graduation Option (2.5-Year JD) Allows students to complete the JD degree in 2.5 years (5 semesters), saving one semester of living expenses through summer coursework and evening classes.
• Part-Time JD Option Flexible four-year scheduling for students with family obligations or those working part-time, with classes scheduled 2-3 days per week.
• Clinical Guarantee Program RWU Law's guarantee that every qualified student will be afforded a substantial, hands-on clinical experience through in-house legal clinics or externship programs.
• Feinstein Center for Pro Bono & Experiential Education Hub connecting students and faculty with community organizations for pro bono legal services and experiential learning opportunities, including clinics and externships.
• Marine Affairs Institute Specialized program preparing law students for ocean and coastal law and policy careers through academic credentials and practical experiences. Recognized by preLaw Magazine as a top school for environmental law.
• Institute for Race and the Law Institute transforming legal education and driving justice reform through scholarship, addressing root causes of systemic inequality, including a 3-credit required race-in-the-curriculum course.
• Business Law Program Concentration program for students interested in corporate, business, and transactional law practice areas.
• Law 401 Podcast Podcast combining legal expertise with real talk, breaking down legal issues shaping communities in Rhode Island, covering housing, healthcare, public safety, politics, and infrastructure. Distributed on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon, and RSS.
• 1L Merit and Mission-Based Scholarships (Presidential, Jurisprudence, Dean's, Public Interest) Scholarships awarded to admitted students based on academic credentials, holistic file review, or demonstrated commitment to social justice and public interest law; require maintenance of superior academic performance.
• Public Interest Loan Repayment Assistance Program (PILRAP) Forgivable loan program providing up to $4,000 annually to graduates pursuing public interest careers representing low-income clients in non-profit offices.
• University-Sponsored Housing (Almeida Flats and Almeida Townhouses) Apartment-style graduate and law student housing located two miles from the Bristol campus, available to enrolled students.

Quantifiable outcome

• #11 national ranking for social justice law schools
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered support, minor and core.

• VeryAptsupportOthersPartnership with VeryApt to provide personalized housing resources for graduate and law students. VeryApt serves as RWU Law's housing portal to help students find off-campus apartments in the Bristol area and surrounding towns.
• Johnson & Wales UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArticulation agreement allowing combined 3+3 law programs where students can complete undergraduate and law school requirements in six years.
• American Bar Association (ABA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRWU Law is accredited by the American Bar Association. The ABA sets standards for legal education and admission to the bar.
• American Association of Law Schools (AALS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRWU Law has been a member of the American Association of Law Schools (AALS) since 2006. AALS is the principal representative organization for American law schools.
• Law School Admission Council (LSAC)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStudents apply to RWU Law through LSAC's Credential Assembly Service (CAS). LSAC code: 3081. LSAC also administers the LSAT exam required for admission.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Mitchell Hamline School of Law: Larger private ABA-accredited law school with a hybrid/blended learning model and broad programming — a broader incumbent that shares RWU Law's emphasis on accessible legal education and innovation in delivery.

Emerging players

• Vermont Law School: Northeast law school with a strong environmental and energy law specialty directly comparable to RWU Law's Marine Affairs Institute — competes in the same environmental-law niche.
• Pace University Elisabeth Haub School of Law: Northeast law school with a recognized environmental law program that overlaps with RWU Law's Marine Affairs specialty — competes for environmentally focused JD applicants regionally.

Direct peers

• Western New England University School of Law: Private ABA-accredited law school in Springfield, MA with similar affordability, regional positioning, and a comparable emphasis on practical legal training — directly comparable in size and mission.
• Quinnipiac University School of Law: Private ABA-accredited law school in North Haven, CT serving similar Northeast applicant pools with comparable tuition levels and JD/MSL-style programming — a direct competitive peer.
• Suffolk University Law School: Private ABA-accredited law school in Boston with a similar affordability-oriented positioning in the Northeast and an emphasis on experiential learning — directly comparable to RWU Law on price, geography, and student profile.
• University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law: ABA-accredited law school in Concord, NH within the same New England applicant geography, with comparable size and a similar mix of JD and graduate law programs.
• University of Massachusetts School of Law (UMass Dartmouth): Public ABA-accredited law school in North Dartmouth, MA — Southern New England peer that competes with RWU Law for the same regional applicant pool with a public-school price advantage.
• New England Law | Boston: Private ABA-accredited law school in Boston focused on JD education with a regional student draw and a tuition profile similar to RWU Law — competes for similar price-sensitive Northeast applicants.

Regional players

• University of Maine School of Law: Public ABA-accredited law school in Portland, ME with a small regional footprint similar to RWU Law — comparable in scale and mission though operating in a different New England geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RWULaw
• Facebookfacebook.com/Roger-Williams-Universi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/roger-williams-university
• Instagraminstagram.com/rwulaw

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Roger Williams University School of Law