Roger Williams University School of Law Student Defense Lawyer

A Roger Williams University School of Law student who needs a lawyer is usually holding one of three things: an Honor Code complaint, a GPA that has dropped below a line in the Student Handbook, or an automatic academic dismissal notice sent to their University email after spring grades posted. All three are governed by the School of Law Student Handbook for 2026–27, revised July 29, 2026. All three run on clocks measured in class days or weeks. And all three leave a record that a bar examiner will read.

How do Honor Code and academic standing cases work at RWU Law?

RWU Law is part of a private university, so the framework is contract, not constitutional due process. A private university is ordinarily not a state actor, which is why a Fourteenth Amendment due process claim against one rarely gets anywhere; the First Circuit said so about another Rhode Island university in Klunder v. Brown University, 778 F.3d 24 (1st Cir. 2015). What a student has instead is the handbook. In Mangla v. Brown University, 135 F.3d 80, 83 (1st Cir. 1998), the court described the student-college relationship as essentially contractual and read its terms by the standard of reasonable expectation: what meaning the university should reasonably expect the student to give them. Havlik v. Johnson & Wales University, 509 F.3d 25 (1st Cir. 2007), applied the same approach to a Providence university’s handbook. That theory is developed on my breach of contract against universities page.

Two separate systems apply to law students. The School of Law Honor Code, printed as Part III of the Student Handbook, covers academic dishonesty and professional conduct. The University’s own Student Handbook and Code of Student Conduct apply to law students too (Honor Code, Art. One). Grades, standing, and dismissal fall under a third set of rules, the academic articles of the Handbook, where courts give schools the most room: Board of Curators of the University of Missouri v. Horowitz, 435 U.S. 78 (1978), and Regents of the University of Michigan v. Ewing, 474 U.S. 214 (1985), direct courts to leave a genuinely academic judgment alone unless it departs so far from accepted academic norms that no real judgment was exercised. The first job in any RWU Law matter is identifying which of the three you are in.

The Honor Code: a complaint, a panel, and student counsel

The Honor Code reaches further than most students expect. It applies from the application for admission through graduation, and it continues to apply during a leave of absence or a semester visiting another school (Art. One). Its list of Prohibited Conduct includes academic dishonesty, misrepresentation, and refusal to cooperate with a panel. It also makes failing to report someone else’s violation a violation in itself (Art. Two, § 1). And it has a generative AI rule: unless the instructor has expressly permitted it in writing, a student may not use generative AI, chatbots, or text generated by research databases to produce or help create any course material. The only carve-outs are using AI to find documents in research databases and to check spelling and grammar (Art. Two, § 1(b)).

A case starts when someone files a signed complaint, in numbered paragraphs, with the student chair of the Honor Board. Within one class day it goes to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and the faculty advisor to the Honor Board, who decide with the student chair, within two class days, whether it states a claim that is more than trivial (Art. Four, §§ A–B). If it does, a three-member disciplinary panel is formed: two faculty members and one student (§ D.1). The student learns of the complaint within one class day after the panel and a student prosecution counsel are in place (§ C.1). Those deadlines on the school’s side are aspirational under the Code and are not grounds for dismissing a complaint (Art. Six, § 2).

The deadlines on the student’s side are not aspirational. A class day is any weekday when classes are ordinarily scheduled, whether or not they meet, and the count starts the day after the triggering event (Art. Six, § 3). The student has two class days to choose a student defense counsel from a list of Honor Board members; otherwise one is appointed (§ C.3). The written answer is due five class days after the student learns who that counsel is. It must respond to the complaint paragraph by paragraph, and the student must affirm it is true (§ C.4). The Code imposes an obligation to answer truthfully even when the answer exposes the student to other consequences (§ C.5). A student who reasonably fears criminal exposure may assert the privilege against self-incrimination instead. But then the student cannot testify, and the panel may draw an adverse inference (§§ C.6, E.5). A student who needs more time may ask in writing for an extension of any deadline, with a reason (Art. Six, § 1).

The hearing follows what the Code calls an inquisitorial model. The panel runs it, decides what evidence comes in, and asks the questions. The student counsel on each side may ask more only if the chair allows it. No rules of evidence apply, and testimony is live and recorded (§§ E.1, E.3, E.6). The panel finds a student guilty if it is more likely than not that the Prohibited Conduct occurred, and it issues a written decision within five class days after the proceedings close (§ G.1). One rule catches people off guard: an oral conversation with a panel member about the complaint is itself Prohibited Conduct, unless that member is investigating (§ D.7).

The Code provides student defense counsel drawn from the Honor Board, and a faculty defense advisor who advises on the answer and on matters before the panel (Art. Five, § 8). It does not describe any role for an outside attorney at the hearing. That shapes what a lawyer does here. The work happens around the hearing rather than in it: the answer, the documents, the sanction arguments, and the appeal.

Sanctions, the transcript, and the bar

Sanctions run from an oral admonition to expulsion. In between are suspension for a set term, a lower grade (including an F), involuntary withdrawal from a course with prejudice, removal from a program, a written reprimand, and continued enrollment on conditions (Art. Three, § 1). The panel weighs listed factors, and several of them are within the student’s control: whether the violation was self-reported, remorse, and candor and cooperation during the proceeding (§ 2).

The record is where the lasting damage is done. A finding and sanction go in the student’s permanent file. They are ordinarily noted on the transcript, and that notation may not be expunged. The panel may leave a minor violation off the transcript. It may not do so if the sanction is expulsion, suspension, a lower grade, or involuntary withdrawal (§ 3). Then the Code requires the Dean or the Dean’s designee to report any Honor Code violation to the bar authorities reviewing the student’s character and fitness, and to other schools the student applies to (§ 4). An RWU Law case is, from its first day, a bar application problem.

A student who admits all or substantially all of the allegations has another route, but it is narrow. The student must also show that a hearing would cause harm well beyond what any disciplinary proceeding involves, and must petition the Associate Dean within five class days of learning who the student defense counsel is. If the petition is granted, the Associate Dean imposes the finding, sets the sanction, and decides the transcript notation. Either side may appeal the sanction or the transcript decision to the Dean within five class days, and the Dean changes it only for an abuse of discretion (Art. Four, § F).

The appeal clock is five class days

Either the complainant or the student may appeal a panel decision to the Dean. The appeal is due no later than five class days after the panel issues its statement of decision, and it is decided only on the record and that statement (Art. Four, § H.1). The grounds are limited. The Dean may reverse a finding only for clear error, and may change a sanction only if it was an abuse of discretion, whether too harsh or too lenient (§ H.3). The Code sets twenty class days after the statement of decision for the Dean’s written decision (§ H.4). A panel decision released on a Monday makes the student’s appeal due the following Monday (Art. Six, § 3).

A record-only appeal means the appeal is built during the hearing, not after it. Evidence that never reached the panel cannot be added on appeal. That is the practical reason to prepare the answer and the evidence as if the panel’s record will be the only one.

Academic standing: supervision, probation, and automatic dismissal

Every student is evaluated for advancement at the end of the spring semester (§ 601). Two thresholds come first:

• Academic Supervision applies below a 2.5 cumulative GPA. It requires an Academic Excellence course, an individual meeting whose recommendations can include a reduced course load, and a mandatory advising meeting before each registration (§ 602).
• Academic Probation applies below a 2.20 cumulative GPA. A student on probation is not in good academic standing and may not register for clinics or externships. Summer courses and directed research need the Associate Dean’s approval, and the student is ineligible to graduate. The Associate Dean or the Dean of Students may impose conditions: a lighter course load, reduced outside employment, repeated courses, or limits on course choices (§ 603).

Advancement standards come next. A student must pass every required course, though the Associate Dean may waive that for advancement (not for graduation) for good cause (§ 604). The minimum cumulative GPA is 2.00 to advance to the second year and 2.20 to advance to the third, and advancing to the third year also requires an annual GPA of at least 2.00 (§§ 605–607). Graduation requires a 2.20 cumulative GPA (§ 104(a)). A student who does not meet the advancement standards “shall be dismissed automatically,” with notice sent to the student’s University email. The notice comes with the reinstatement rules, and the student may request five years of bar passage and graduation data for students who were reinstated or readmitted (§ 701).

Reinstatement after an RWU Law dismissal

Reinstatement is a written petition, labeled “Petition for Reinstatement After Academic Dismissal” and substantially following Form AC One (§ 702). The deadlines depend on when the dismissal happened.

• After the first year: file with the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs between March 1 and May 1 of either of the two academic years after the dismissal. Reinstatement is available only at the start of a fall semester (§ 703(b)). A reinstated first-year student repeats all first-year courses unless the Academic Standards Committee waives it (§ 703(c)).
• In or after the second year: file at least 30 days before the first day of classes of the semester you want to return, and no more than one year after the dismissal notice. This route is available only to a student who has never been academically dismissed before (§ 704).

The standard is demanding, and the Handbook says so. A petitioner “must overcome a high presumption against reinstatement” (§ 706(a)). The petition has to show that the dismissal came from a specific issue rather than a lack of capacity to finish law school and be admitted to the bar. It must also prove that the issue has been adequately resolved, with medical documentation if a physical or psychological cause is raised (§ 706(b)–(d)). The Associate Dean checks the petition for completeness. The Academic Standards Committee decides, after input from the Registrar, the Associate Dean of Students, the Director of Academic Excellence, and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. The committee also considers five years of bar passage and graduation data, and reinstating a student dismissed after the first year takes a two-thirds vote (§ 706(e)–(g)).

A reinstated student’s transcript carries a notation of the dismissal and the reinstatement. The old grades stay visible, but only the new grades in repeated courses count toward the GPA (§ 707). A student who misses the petition windows, or is denied, may apply for readmission through the Admissions Committee and the Dean, but not until the waiting period in § 708 has run. Because RWU Law is the only law school in Rhode Island, there is no in-state alternative, so the petition is usually the realistic path. It is worth building with evidence rather than apology. See law school dismissal and academic standing and readmission after dismissal.

Other RWU Law rules that come up

• Grade challenges. Grades carry a presumption of regularity, and a student may seek a change only on the ground that the grade was based on something other than the student’s work in the course. The burden is on the student, and the petition (Form AC Two) is due within 30 days of the grade report (§ 411(c)).
• Disability accommodations. Requests go to the Office of Student Life at least 30 days before the date the accommodation is needed, with current documentation from a physician or licensed professional (§ 901). A separate disability discrimination grievance procedure is in § 902. For exam-day issues, see law school accommodations.
• University conduct cases. Under the University’s Conduct Review Process (revised June 2026), a student may bring one advisor from the University community. An attorney may serve as advisor only when the student has been criminally charged in connection with the same conduct, and advisors may not participate. The standard is preponderance, and an appeal is due in writing to the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution within five business days of the outcome.
• Sexual misconduct. The Honor Code sends these complaints through University procedures rather than the Honor Board. A finding of responsibility still goes on the law school transcript, cannot be expunged, and is reported to bar authorities (Honor Code Art. Two, § 2). See Title IX and sexual misconduct.
• Emergency suspension. The Dean, the Associate Dean, or the Dean of Students may suspend a student on an interim basis if the student is considered a danger to self, others, or property, without waiting for any Honor Code proceeding (§ 306).

What should you do first?

Get the 2026–27 Student Handbook and read the provision you are charged under. Then count class days, not calendar days, from the notice in front of you. Two class days to choose student defense counsel passes faster than most people expect. Do not talk to any panel member about the complaint. Do not write your answer until you have gone through the complaint paragraph by paragraph. Preserve everything that fixes the timeline: drafts, version histories, exam software records, submission receipts, and any written instructor permission about AI tools. If the problem is a dismissal, calendar the petition deadline today. For a first-year dismissal, the March 1 to May 1 window comes around only twice.

What can a student defense lawyer do here?

• Reading the complaint against the Code’s definitions, including the written-permission requirement in the generative AI rule
• Working behind the scenes on the paragraph-by-paragraph answer the Code requires, so that it is truthful, complete, and not more damaging than the facts
• Advising on the privilege against self-incrimination where a criminal matter overlaps, and on what asserting it costs before the panel
• Assembling the evidence and witness requests so that the record, which is the only thing the Dean reviews on appeal, is complete
• Preparing the sanction submission around the Code’s listed factors, and arguing that a minor violation should be left off the transcript
• Docketing the five-class-day appeal clock and drafting the statement of appeal on the record
• Building a reinstatement petition that meets § 706’s presumption with evidence of a specific, resolved cause
• Preparing the character and fitness disclosure so it is accurate, complete, and consistent with the school’s own report

Where an RWU Law matter would be litigated

A contract claim against a private Rhode Island university can be brought in state court. If a federal claim arising at RWU Law, such as Title IX, Section 504, or the ADA, is filed in federal court, it goes to the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island, with appeals to the First Circuit. I am not admitted in that court; see the note on licensing below. The campus-by-campus guide to federal districts covers venue in more detail. For the university as a whole, including undergraduate conduct cases in Bristol, see the Roger Williams University page; for the rest of the state, the Rhode Island student defense page.

Common questions about RWU Law cases

Can a lawyer represent me at an RWU Law Honor Code hearing?

The Honor Code provides a student defense counsel chosen from the Honor Board and a faculty defense advisor. It does not describe a role for an outside attorney at the hearing. A lawyer’s work happens around the hearing: the written answer, the evidence, the sanction arguments, and the appeal.

How long do I have to appeal an Honor Code decision?

Five class days after the panel issues its statement of decision. The appeal goes to the Dean, is decided on the record, and succeeds only for clear error in the finding or an abuse of discretion in the sanction. Class days are weekdays when classes are ordinarily scheduled, so a decision released on a Monday makes the appeal due the following Monday.

Will an Honor Code violation be reported to the bar?

Yes. The Code requires the Dean or the Dean’s designee to report any Honor Code violation to the bar authorities reviewing character and fitness, and to other schools the student applies to. A transcript notation of a violation cannot be expunged.

What GPA leads to academic dismissal at RWU Law?

Dismissal is automatic for a student who does not meet the advancement standards. Those standards are a cumulative GPA of at least 2.00 to advance to the second year, and at least 2.20 cumulative plus a 2.00 annual GPA to advance to the third, along with passing grades in all required courses. Below 2.20 cumulative, a student is on Academic Probation and cannot graduate.

When can I petition for reinstatement after a first-year dismissal?

Between March 1 and May 1 of either of the two academic years following the dismissal, for a return in the fall. The petition must overcome a high presumption against reinstatement, and the Academic Standards Committee needs a two-thirds vote to grant it. A reinstated student ordinarily repeats all first-year courses.

Can I use ChatGPT or other AI tools on RWU Law assignments?

Only if the instructor has expressly permitted it in writing. Without that permission, using generative AI to produce or help create course material is Prohibited Conduct under the Honor Code. The exceptions are using AI to find documents in research databases and to check spelling and grammar.

This is general information about the matters I handle and the law that applies to them. It is not legal advice about your situation, and the law in this area can change. For advice on your matter, start with the Full Read + Game Plan — your entire file read, straight answers, and exactly what to do next, in what order.

This page is informational and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the institution named on it.

Where I am licensed. I am licensed to practice law in Florida, and admitted to the bars of the U.S. District Courts for the Southern, Middle and Northern Districts of Florida, the District of Colorado, the Northern and Southern Districts of Illinois, the District of Nebraska, the District of New Mexico, and the Western District of Wisconsin, and of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Campus proceedings are not court proceedings, and many schools permit an out-of-state attorney to advise or appear under their own policies. A court matter outside those jurisdictions may require local counsel or separate admission, and that is disclosed before you decide anything. How out-of-state representation works.