Our Mission: Training the next generation of marine law professionals.
The Marine Affairs Institute at Roger Williams University School of Law is a partnership of the law school, the University of Rhode Island, and Rhode Island Sea Grant. The Marine Affairs Institute is also home to the Rhode Island Sea Grant Legal Program. The Marine Affairs Institute/Rhode Island Sea Grant Legal Program prepares law students to enter the exciting field of ocean and coastal law and policy by providing them with strong academic credentials and practical experiences that help them be practice-ready upon graduation. The Marine Affairs Institute offers a wide variety of opportunities for students, including:
Through the partnership with the University of Rhode Island, students can obtain their J.D. at the law school and their Master of Marine Affairs at the University of Rhode Island in just three and a half years. Through the partnership with Rhode Island Sea Grant, law students can participate in the Rhode Island Sea Grant Law Fellow Program, an experiential education program that matches second and third-year law students with outside organizations seeking assistance with marine law or policy questions.
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. In this program, students enhance their legal education and are positioned to holistically address today’s complex maritime, ocean and coastal legal issues.
Law students selected as Rhode Island Sea Grant Law Fellows conduct legal research and analysis on behalf of outside organizations on real-world issues in ocean and coastal law .
With courses taught by both tenure and adjunct faculty, the Marine Affairs Institute offers students a wide variety of academic experiences during their time at RWU Law.
Our research focuses on timely legal and policy issues raised by the development and use of the oceans and coastal zones.
The Journal of Maritime Law and Commerce (JMLC) is a scholarly publication devoted to all aspects of admiralty and maritime law.
As of January 1, 2021, the JMLC is under new ownership at the Roger Williams University School of Law.
The Marine Affairs Institute prepares students to become professionals in the field of ocean and coastal law. Many are working for the federal government, state government, private law firms, non-government organizations, academia, and have received prestigious post-graduate fellowships.
Nick Battista is quick to connect the success he’s having now with all he learned at Roger Williams University School of Law—success that has helped him to have a significant impact on the vulnerable communities of Maine.
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Filiaggi didn't have any clue that a legal career was in his future while he was studying Marine Affairs as an undergraduate at the University of Rhode Island. His experience included an impactful semester away with the Williams-Mystic Coastal and Ocean Studies Program. Weighing his future options during the pandemic, Filiaggi realized he could still dedicate his career to protecting the natural environment by pivoting to become a lawyer.
Aquaculture is crucial for the state, but when it comes to navigating legal matters, many in the sector are left without help. At RWU Law, the Marine Affairs Institute has made it part of its mission to change this.
Growing up in a neighborhood in Denver marked by socioeconomic disparities and systemic injustices, 3L Samantha Lobato witnessed the legal system's profound power on the country’s most vulnerable communities. It was this experience that drove Lobato to pursue a legal career, one that she plans on dedicating to serving low-income and marginalized communities.
As a law professor, Varyani realized that a lack of representation in legal textbooks reflects disparities in who has access to the courts, particularly the appellate courts that make the written decisions that appear in law books. With a new book on systemic racism in property law, Varyani tackles the problem and helps other professors do the same.
RWU Law’s inaugural law camp brought middle school students to our Providence campus to dive deep into the American judicial and legal system.
DirectorMarine Affairs Institute & RI Sea Grant Legal ProgramAdjunct Professor of Law
Staff AttorneyMarine Affairs Institute & RI Sea Grant Legal Program
Administrative Assistant Marine Affairs Institute & RI Sea Grant Legal Program
