Champions for Justice

The Hon. Christopher K. Smith L'07
Associate Justice, Rhode Island Superior Court

The Honorable Christopher K. Smith, L’07 appointed by Governor Daniel McKee in 2023, currently serves as an Associate Justice on the Rhode Island Superior Court. Prior to this position, in 2019, he was appointed by then Governor Gina Raimondo to the Rhode Island District Court. Before joining the bench, Judge Smith practiced law at the Rhode Island Public Defender’s Office where he rose from an Assistant Public Defender to the Chief of the District Court Unit. As a public defender, Judge Smith supervised dozens of RWU Law students, inspiring many law students to pursue careers in public defense.  While on the bench, Judge Smith has remained dedicated to engaging law students in public service, most recently when he helped launch the Rhode Island District Court Eviction Help Desk. Judge Smith is a frequent guest speaker in many RWU Law classes and he is a welcome and familiar face at many of the law school’s events throughout the year.

Judge Smith is a graduate of Hamilton College. He went on to receive his law degree from Roger Williams University School of Law and an LL.M. from the University of Oregon School of Law with a concentration in International Environmental Law. In addition to his official duties, Judge Smith serves on the Board of Directors for Crossroads Rhode Island and is a member of the Committee on Racial and Ethnic Fairness in the Rhode Island Courts.
 

John Karwashan, Esq. L'15
Rhode Island Center for Justice

John Karwashan, Esq. L’15 joined the Rhode Island Center for Justice as the Supervising Attorney in December 2022. Prior to joining the Center, John was an assistant public defender at the Rhode Island Public Defender’s Office for over three-and-a-half years and had his own criminal defense practice for two years, practicing in both state and federal courts. For nearly a decade John has been an incredible role model and mentor to RWU Law students.  In addition to serving on the Pro Bono Collaborative Advisory Board for several years, John was a pro bono supervising attorney for the Pro Bono Collaboratives’ ACI Civil Legal Clinic Project and has consulted on several other Pro Bono Collaborative projects. John has supervised law student interns and externs throughout his career. No matter the task, John has always said “yes” to any request to support the law school’s pro bono and social justice initiatives. He is thoughtful, humble, and collaborative with his clients, colleagues, and the law students that work alongside him. John goes the extra mile for everyone who is lucky enough to cross paths with him. John is a graduate of the University of Connecticut and Roger Williams University School of Law.

City of Central Falls, Rhode Island
presented to The Hon. Maria Rivera '19, Mayor of Central Falls & Matthew Jerzyk, Esq. L'08, Central Falls City Solicitor

The City of Central Falls has been an incredible partner to the law school and its RWU Law students. Through the City’s long-standing commitment to hosting law students during the Alternative Spring Break (ASB) program, students have been able to learn from, and engage with, the incredible Central Falls community. In addition to facilitating law student pro bono service during our ASB program, Matt has welcomed dozens of law students into his office through the public interest externship program. RWU Law students have engaged in meaningful work on behalf of Central Falls. Most recently, Mayor Rivera and Matt Jerzyk re-launched the Domestic Violence Task Force with the help of a RWU Law extern, and this spring an extern is working on improving housing conditions for residents of the City. Centrals Falls has also been a leader in educating and preventing lead poisoning in the City’s housing stock.   

2024 The Hon Christopher K. Smith L'07
2023 Robert B. Mann, Esq. LHD’15
2022 The Honorable O.Rogeriee Thompson'10HL
2020 Amato “Bud” DeLuca and Miriam Weizenbaum
2019 Robert J. McConnell, Esq., Motley Rice, LLC
2018 The Honorable Edward C. Clifton
2017 Stephen M. Prignano, Esq., McIntyre Tate, LLP
2016 The Honorable Judith Colenback Savage
2015 Linn Foster Freedman, Esq., Robinson + Cole

2024 John Karwashan, Esq. L'15, Rhode Island Center for Justice
2023 Joy C. Dingle, Esq. L'03, Street Law, Inc.
2022 Akin Adepoju L '07
2020 Weayonnoh Nelson-Davies, Esq. L’07, Community Legal Aid
2019 Diana deGroof, Esq. L’03, Rhode Island Legal Services
2018 Luis Mancheno, Esq. L’13, The Bronx Defenders
2017 Swapna Yeluri, Esq. L’07, Homeless Persons Representation Project
2016 Dena Castricone, Esq. ’98 L’02, Murtha Cullina, LLP
2015 Deborah Gonzalez, Esq. ’04 L’07, Gonzalez Law Offices, Inc.

2024 City of Central Falls, Rhode Island
2023 House of Hope CDC
2022 Rhode Island Legal Services, Inc.
2020 Rhode Island Office of the Attorney General
2019 Rhode Island Public Defender
2018 Barton Gilman, LLP
2017 Rhode Island Medical-Legal Partnership
2016 Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island
2015 Committee for Public Counsel Services