Spring 2009 - Roger Williams University School of Law

AMICUSThe Magazine of Roger Williams University School of LawSpring 2009answeringthe CallRWU Law Students, Alumni, StaffAttend Obama Inauguration,Reflect on Service

M E S S A G E F R O M T H E D E A NDavid A. LoganDean and Professor of LawGiving Back…Friends,In January, our nation witnessed an epochal transfer of power, together with a call to a new eraof informed, engaged and service-oriented citizenship. Like the millions of others who watched orattended the Inauguration (a number of RWU Law attendees are spotlighted in this issue), I wasboth encouraged and inspired by this call, not least because those values are already integrally woveninto the fabric of RWU Law.In this edition of Amicus, you’ll meet a number of superb examples. One of them, AlbertoCardona ’04, recently became our first alumnus to be appointed as a judge; heady stuff, but heis using that position to help rescue the community where he grew up, which has been severelyimpacted by the current financial crisis. Also laboring to help solve the mortgage meltdown area group of RWU Law students and attorneys from the Providence office of the leading law firmMotley Rice LLP, brought together by our own Pro Bono Collaborative to research and draft newlegislation protecting tenants whose landlords face foreclosure.Then there’s Alison Foley ’04, recently chosen as a Lawyer of the Year by Rhode Island LawyersWeekly for her outstanding and selfless representation of some of our society’s most vulnerableindividuals – recent immigrants, especially those who are undocumented. This issue of Amicushighlights the personal and political diversity of our law school family – from Ken McKay ’96,whose formidable conservative credentials have won him a top position on the Republican NationalCommittee, to Matt Jerzyk ’08, whose decidedly progressive views led him to create the influentialblog Rhode Island Future, now one of the state’s most powerful Democratic voices.The past year has truly been a transformative one for our country and – I think you’ll agreeafter perusing this issue of Amicus – a transformative one for RWU Law as well. It’s been a year ofdistinguished guests, high bar-pass rates, nationally prominent rankings and ever-growing mediavisibility. And as our nation rises to “answer the call” – to confront and address the huge social,political and economic challenges we face – I am more confident than ever that RWU Law’sstudents, alumni, faculty, staff and many friends will continue to be a major part of the solution.For updates on School of Law events, visit the Dean’s Blog at:http://blogs.rwu.edu/law/deanAmicus is the magazine ofRoger Williams University School of Law,published by University Communicationsand the School of Law’s Office of Alumni,Programs & Events©2009 Roger Williams UniversitySchool of LawPresidentRoy J. Nirschel, Ph.D.DeanDavid A. LoganCo-EditorsMichael M. Bowden, Esq.Chelsie Horne, CMPContributing WritersMichael M. Bowden, Esq.Meghan L. Hansen, J.D.Chelsie Horne, CMPKristin HowleyDavid A. LoganElaine McArdleSophia TiberiHannah WelansDirector of Design Services /Senior Art DirectorRay S. TalamoSenior Graphic DesignerDanielle B. RoyContributing PhotographersRichard Benjamin, Chris Epperson,Getty Images, Andrea Hansen,Meghan L. Hansen, J.D.,Chelsie Horne, CMP, iStockPhoto,David A. Logan, David Silverman,Peter Silvia, Rupert Whiteley,Kathryn Whitney LuceyOffice of Alumni, Programs & EventsExecutive DirectorChelsie Horne, CMPCommunications & Event CoordinatorMeghan L. Hansen, J.D.Law Alumni AssociationExecutive CommitteePresident, Margreta Vellucci ’07Vice President, Nicole Dulude ’06Treasurer, Robert Pirri ’97Secretary, Neville Bedford ’03Immediate Past President, Joel Votolato ’03Send all editorial inquiries,letters, and address changes to:Roger Williams UniversitySchool of LawOffice of Alumni, Programs & EventsTen Metacom AvenueBristol, RI 02809Telephone: (401) 254-4659Fax: (401) 254-4655E-mail: lawalumni@rwu.eduhttp://law.rwu.eduAMICUSVol. 8 No. 1 Spring 20095C o n t e n t s16 Answering the CallRWU Law Students, Alumni, Staff Attend Obama Inauguration,Reflect on Service20 Here Comes the Judge…RWU Law’s First Bench Appointee Takes on the Mortgage CrisisDEPARTMENTS2School of Law Briefs10 Marine Affairs Institute12 Feinstein Institute13 Faculty in the News32 Law Alumni News and Events34 Class Notes1624 Confronting a Housing EpidemicPro Bono Collaborative and Motley Rice LLP Work to HelpTenants in Foreclosed Properties28 ‘Everything His Heart Desires’Rod Alcidonis Overcomes Adversity to Fulfill a Lifelong Ambition30 Lawyer of the YearAlison Foley ’04 Recognized For Defending Immigrants’ Rights20

S C H O O L O F L A W B R I E F SRWU Welcomes Latino Policy InstituteAfter nearly two years of development, the new Latino Policy Institute atRoger Williams University was formally inaugurated by RWU President Roy J.Nirschel, Ph.D., in February.Located in the downtown Providence building that also houses the School ofLaw’s Criminal Defense Clinic, the LPI at RWU will provide sophisticated researchand advocacy for public policies that will benefit Rhode Island’s fast-growingLatino population.A major moving force in the conception and implementation of the Institutewas RWU Law Professor Jorge Elorza, a native Rhode Islander who is drivento improve the quality of debate on key issues facing the Latino community.The Institute has already garnered significant support from the Rhode IslandFoundation, Motley Rice LLP and the Annie E. Casey Foundation, among others.The plan is to operate as a consortium, leveraging the intellectual capital availableat RWU and other top educational institutions in the Ocean State, includingBrown, URI and Providence College.“Like many states, Rhode Island is at a critical policy juncture on a numberof issues, including education, economic security, immigration and health care,”President Nirschel noted. “The Latino Policy Institute at Roger WilliamsUniversity will ultimately shape future public policy by creating a betterunderstanding of the significant contributions – and challenges – facing theRhode Island Latino population.”Latinos are presently the largest minority population in Rhode Island andthose numbers are expected to double by 2020. Because of the projected growthof this community, the Latino Policy Institute at Roger Williams University willmake the case that what is good for Latinos is also good for the state. By stimulatingpublic policy discourse based on timely and factual data, the Institute will serve as avaluable resource to state and local policymakers in Rhode Island.Dean David A. Logan and Profesor Jorge Elorza celebrate at the LPI inauguration event.Top CanadianScholar JoinsRWU Law FacultyThis summer, Professor Tanya Monestierwill arrive in Bristol to join theRoger Williams University Schoolof Law faculty.Monestier has been a visitingprofessor at Queen’s University since2007. She previously worked as in-housecounsel for the U.S. pharmaceuticalcompany Purdue Pharma, specializingin products liability litigation, andhas served as keynote speaker at theCanadian National Symposium onClass Actions.Having graduated first in her classfrom Osgoode Hall, Canada’s top lawschool, Monestier earned her LL.Mfrom the University of Cambridge withFirst Class Honors, and clerked for theHonourable Frank Iacobucci of theSupreme Court of Canada.Monestier will teach contracts, salesand select electives at RWU Law. Shewas hailed by Dean David A. Loganas “a terrific international addition to astellar faculty.”Keeping TipsFlowing at ‘America’sMost Wanted’If you’ve watched “America’s MostWanted,” then you’ve seen the work ofRWU Law alumna Chantal Tocci ’04.Tocci is the hotline operationsmanager for the long-running Foxtelevision series. She “maintainsthe fluidity of the department in itsentirety,” while overseeing a staff of25. A typical day includes answeringviewer comments, maintaining thehotline schedule and running reportson tips. At the end of the week shebrings together the “Saturday NightOperation,” which includes hostingguest detectives, FBI agents andU.S. marshals, while also assisting ondifficult phone calls and tips thatAlum ‘Makes His Mark’Blogging in RIAs the world preparedto ring in the New Year,alum Matt Jerzyk ’08appeared on the frontpage of the ProvidenceJournal as one of “EightRhode Islanders wholeft a special mark” in 2008, alongwith luminaries including Senator JackReed and Providence Police ChiefDean Esserman.Jerzyk, a Brown-educated union andcommunity organizer, came to RWULaw in the fall 2005 on a LeadershipScholarship. “That investment hasturned out to be a very wise one,”noted Dean David A. Logan.The Journal’s profile focused onRhode Island Future, the state’smost successful political blog, with adecidedly progressive outlook on localcome in during the show. Tocci saidthe position constantly draws on skillsshe gained at RWU Law.“My law degree comes in handywhen dealing with legal issues inhuman resources,” Tocci said. “Italso comes into play when I need tocraft answers to viewer comments.Additionally, law school taught me howto think analytically and pay attentionto details. I use these lessons regularlyin my job.”While Tocci’s use of her J.D. maybe unconventional, it also fulfills thedesire to serve that led her to law schoolin the first place. “At ‘America’s MostWanted,’ I get to help others everyday –and that is personally satisfying,” shesaid. “It’s important to be open tonew opportunities because you neverknow where your skills may lead you.”‘Rhode Island Future’ Bloghttp://www.rifuture.orgpolitics and institutions. Jerzyk createdthe blog while still a student at RWULaw, and it has received considerablemedia attention.The blog “dished up the kind ofinside dope that pols and lobbyistsdon’t usually say on the record toreporters from the ‘MSM,’ bloggerspeakfor mainstream media,” the Journalreported. “Readership soared [andsoon] Rhode Island Future became aclearinghouse for news of the Obamacampaign, linking local volunteers whomade calls and visits to swing states.”While at RWU Law, Jerzyk alsofounded the RWU Law chapter ofthe American Constitutional Society,part of a nationwide movement byprogressive law students and professorsthat is modeled on the hugelysuccessful Federalist Society.During her time at RWU Law Tocciwas active in Multi-Cultural LawStudents Association, and participatedin both the London and Lisbonsummer programs. Today she servesas vice president for the D.C. Chapterof the Roger Williams University LawAlumni Association.‘Closing Argument’ Bloghttp://rijustice.wordpress.comNow an attorney practicingwith DeLuca & Weizenbaum, atop regional plaintiffs’ firm, Jerzykhas begun to make his professionalmark: this summer, the Harvard Lawand Policy Review will publish hisarticle, “Gentrification’s Third Wayin Providence.” The article grew outof independent research that Jerzykcompleted under the guidance ofRWU Law Professor Jorge Elorza –who was so impressed by the resultthat he urged Jerzyk to submit thepaper to top journals.Jerzyk’s latest project is a new blogcalled Closing Argument. “It willfocus mostly on legal matters in RhodeIsland and Massachusetts,” he said.“I look forward to using it to promoteRWU Law in any way that I can.”

S C H O O L O F L A W B R I E F SBoard of Directors Announces New MembersRWU Law’s Board of Directors recently announced its newest members:• The Honorable Edward Clifton (J.D., UCLA) has served as an associatejustice of the Rhode Island Superior Court since 1993. Judge Clifton hasserved on the RWU Law Board of Advisors and is active in the mentoringof RWU Law students through a program co-sponsored by the ThurgoodMarshall Law Society.• Michael Field ’97 (J.D., Roger Williams) is special assistant attorneygeneral. An expert on First Amendment and open-government matters,he served on the Roger Williams Law Review and is a past president ofthe RWU Law Alumni Association.• Linn Freedman (J.D., Loyola-New Orleans) is a partner at NixonPeabody LLP. Ms. Freedman served as deputy chief of the civil divisionunder Rhode Island Attorney General Sheldon Whitehouse, and wasdeeply involved in the state’s path-breaking litigation against the leadpaintindustry.• Constance Howes (J.D., Virginia) is president and chief executiveofficer of Women and Infants Hospital, one of the nation’s leadingspecialty hospitals.• Mark Mandell (J.D., Georgetown) is a past president of the Rhode IslandBar Association (RIBA) and the American Trial Lawyers Association(ATLA), and is nationally known for his work in catastrophic personalinjury litigation and medical malpractice.• Joseph Whelan (J.D., Fordham) is a partner at Hinckley, Allen & Snyder,focusing on labor and employment law. For more than a decade, Mr. Whelanhas been a popular member of the RWU Law adjunct faculty.Current members of the Board are:• The Honorable Joseph Weisberger (J.D., Harvard), Chief Justice of theRhode Island Supreme Court (ret.), Chair• Ronald Cass (J.D., Chicago), Dean Emeritus, Boston University Schoolof Law• Roscoe Howard (J.D., Virginia), Partner, Troutman Sanders LLP• Robert Kent (J.D., Boston University), Professor of Law Emeritus, CornellUniversity Law School and Roger Williams University School of Law• Gloria Larson (J.D., Virginia), President, Bentley College• Roy J. Nirschel (Ph.D., Miami), President, Roger Williams University• The Honorable Bruce Selya (J.D., Harvard), United States Court ofAppeals for the First Circuit• Robin Steinberg (J.D., N.Y.U.), Executive Director, the Bronx DefendersTorres Serves as‘Distinguished Judgein Residence’The HonorableErnest C. Torres,recently retiredsenior judge ofthe U. S. DistrictCourt for theDistrict of RhodeIsland, visitedRWU Law in March as the school’s“Distinguished Judge in Residence.”Among other activities, the judgeadvised students on clerkships, spoketo a class on the U.S. Supreme Court,helped coach the Admiralty MootCourt Team and conducted an HonorsRoundtable.In his more than 21 years on thebench, Judge Torres presided over someof Rhode Island’s biggest federal courtcases. Most famously, he sent formerProvidence mayor Vincent “Buddy”Cianci to prison for corruption, andtacked additional time onto thesentence of TV star Richard Hatch –convicted of failing to pay taxes onthe $1 million prize he won on thedebut season of the hit reality show“Survivor” – saying he lied on the stand.Torres, who was nominated byPresident Ronald Reagan in 1987, hasbeen described by the Boston Globeas “an intelligent and by-the-booksjudge – a stickler for proper courtroomdecorum who is determined to keepcases on schedule and has highexpectations of the attorneys whoappear before him.”Raised in New Bedford, Mass.,Torres graduated from Dartmouth asthe first in his family to attend college.After earning his law degree at Duke,he entered private practice, also servingas a state legislator and later as astate judge.Cashin Keynotes MLK CelebrationIn commemoration of Dr. MartinLuther King Jr., RWU Law’s Officeof Diversity and Outreach organizedthe fourth annual, week-long M.L.K.Celebration with a focus on poverty.ProfessorSheryll D.Cashin ofGeorgetownLaw Centerpresentedthe keynoteaddress,titled “TheAgitator’sDaughter:A Memoirist’s Reflections on BuildingDr. King’s ‘Multiracial Army’ forthe Poor.”Just a day after President Obama’sinauguration, with emotions stillrunning high, Professor Cashin gave into tears several times as she spoke of herexperiences at the Capitol the previousday and of her parents’ role in thecivil rights movement of the previousgeneration, especially the Poor People’sCampaign of 1968.“It was a sizeable protest,” she saidof the earlier event. “Nothing comparedto yesterday, of course; but sizeable.”The Poor People’s Campaign wasone of Dr. King’s last initiatives,and featured large numbers ofsharecroppers and other rural poorforming a caravan of covered wagonsbound for the National Mall. ProfessorCashin brought the story alive withfirsthand details, including the storyof her father buying the mules thatpulled the wagons.Cashin discussed what thecampaign was about, the values Dr.King brought to it and where the U.S.stands today on antipoverty issues.She also discussed her surprise that thecampaign has been largely forgottenin popular history, but noted thather father would probably not be toodisappointed. “In the activist’s life,”she said, “victory is in the mere actof trying.”Professor Cashin worked inthe Clinton White House as anadvisor on urban and economicpolicy, particularly concerningRWU Law students Justin Pruett ’11and Angela Alexander ’10 joinProfessor Cashin following her keynote.In the activist’s life, victoryis in the mere act of trying.– Professor Sheryll D. Cashin,Georgetown Law Centercommunity development in inner-cityneighborhoods. She was also a law clerkto the late U.S. Supreme Court JusticeThurgood Marshall and Judge AbnerMikva of the U.S. Court of Appeals forthe District of Columbia Circuit.She has written two award-winningbooks, The Failures of Integration: How Raceand Class are Undermining the AmericanDream and The Agitator’s Daughter:A Memoir of Four Generations of OneExtraordinary African-American Family.

S C H O O L O F L A W M A R I N E A F F A I R S I N S T I T U T ESea Grant Law FellowsALI-ABA Course of Study in Environmental LawSpring EventsAshley Medeiros ’09 undertookresearch for the Nature Conservancy’sGlobal Marine Team (TNC), analyzingInterstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference(ISSC) policies and procedures relatedto shellfish conservation and restoration.Ashley researched whether ISSCguidelines prohibit restoration andconservation of shellfish in “closed” waters.Her work is part of a national initiativesupported by TNC, NOAA and theNational Fish and Wildlife Foundation.Steve Surdut ’10 has been conductingtitle searches for seven potentialrights-of-way identified by the HarborManagement Commission in the townof Warren, R.I. He also undertook thetask of gaining approval of these rightsof-wayfrom the Rhode Island CoastalResources Management Council, via theagency’s Adopt an Access Program.Environmental Moot Court TeamRWU Law’s Environmental Moot Courtteam advanced to the quarterfinal roundof the 2009 National EnvironmentalLaw Moot Court Competition held inFebruary at Pace Law School in WhitePlains, N.Y., beating out 41 other teamsin the process.During the preliminary rounds,Ashley Medeiros ’09 and JacksonParmenter ’10 received “Best Oralist”recognition, Ashley twice and Jacksononce. Coached by Marine AffairsInstitute research counsel MeganHiggins ’01, this year’s team alsoincluded Greg Klipp ’09.This year’s competition presented acomplex set of issues related to admiralty,international law and environmental law.A number of experts helped prepare theMegan Higgins ’01, research counsel for the MarineAffairs Institute, Kate Haber ’10 and Jackie Rolleri ’11 allreceived scholarships to attend the American Law Institute/American Bar Association Environmental Law Course ofStudy held in Bethesda, Md., in February 2009.The three-day course highlighted recent developmentsin environmental law, including the ComprehensiveEnvironmental Response, Compensation and LiabilityAct, the Resources Conservation and Recovery Act, theEndangered Species Act, the Clean Air Act and the CleanWater Act.Kate Haber ’10The course was “an amazing opportunity, which reaffirmed my interest inenvironmental law and my desire to focus on water issues,” Haber said. “Because ofmy courses at RWU Law, I was already familiar with the issues and the major caselaw that comprised the foundation of discussion for many of the speakers, and itwas great to take these materials learned in the classroom and apply and discussthem in a real-world setting.”Rolleri agreed. “As a 1L, it was so valuable to network with fellow students,accomplished attorneys, law professors and government officials. I plan to use thecontacts I made and the knowledge I gained during my internship this summer inthe office of Senator Sheldon Whitehouse [D-RI]team, includingRWU Law professorsSusan Farady, JaredGoldstein, DeanDavid Logan, JaneRindsberg andAssociate DeanDavid Zlotnick;admiralty attorneys/adjunct professorsWilliam Coffey, RobertCollins, Dennis Esposito, Robert Falveyand Dennis Nixon; special assistantattorney general for Rhode Island andenvironmental advocate Tricia Jedele;practitioners Michael Rauworth, NedBartlett and Erika Ueberbacher; andStellwagen Bank National MarineSanctuary expert Leila Hatch.Greg Klipp ’09, Ashley Medeiros ’09 and Jackson Parmenter ’10The competition attracts more than200 competitors from many law schoolsand 200 attorneys who serve as judgesfor three days of oral arguments. Thoseteams with the highest combined scoresfor both written brief and oral argumentadvance to succeeding rounds.The Making of New International Maritime Law:UNCITRAL and the 2009 Rotterdam RulesIn April, a panel of experts – including alumna Jennifer Mehaffey ’07 ofLiebman & Associates, Inc., in Washington D.C. – examined the implicationsof the newly proposed “Rotterdam Rules,” which govern marine cargo interestsand carriers. The rules were drafted by an international panel known as theUnited Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) andmark the culmination of a six-year negotiation process intended to update the1924 Hague Convention rules governing liability for loss and damage to cargoin international trade.The program featured attorneys who served on the U.S. delegation toUNCITRAL. They provided insight into the intricate process of creating newinternational law, reviewed the content and status of the Rotterdam Rules,discussed prospects for its ratification and examined the ramifications for U.S.ocean and inter-modal commerce.Other panelists included Vincent M. DeOrchis of DeOrchis & Partners, LLP,New York; Chester D. Hooper, Holland & Knight LLP, New York; and David T.Maloof, Maloof Brown & Eagan LLC, Rye, N.Y. The moderator was RWU LawAdjunct Professor William J. Coffey, Beaufort Maritime Group LLC.Fisheries and the BenchCo-sponsored by the National SeaGrant Law Center and the SandCounty Foundation, the “Fisheriesand the Bench” conference broughttogether judges, practitionersand regulators to obtain a keenerunderstanding of the principles offisheries law and a better balancebetween the regulatory and economicinterests involved.Case studies on the legalprinciples of fisheries managementand science, interstate fisheriesmanagement, Magnuson-StevensAct Reauthorization, propertyrights and fisheries, and offshoreprojects were presented by JamyBuchanan Madeja, Esq., formergeneral counsel for environmentalaffairs to Massachusetts GovernorWeld; Gary Powers, Esq., ofthe Rhode Island Departmentof Environmental Management;Steven Cadrin, director of theNOAA/UMass Cooperative MarineEducation & Research Program;Elizabeth Butler, Esq., PierceAtwood LLP and former chiefcounsel to Maine Governor AngusKing; Seth Macinko, professor ofmarine affairs at URI; William L.Lahey, Esq., Anderson & KreigerLLP; and Lou Chiarella, northeastregional EFH coordinator for theNational Marine Fisheries Service.10 11

F E I N S T E I N I N S T I T U T E F O R L E G A L S E R V I C EF A C U L T Y I N T H E N E W SFeinstein Unveils New Advisory BoardThe Feinstein Institute has established a new advisory board, which will“provide guidance about the role of the Institute in the community, as well asthe institutionalization of the Institute’s ideals within the school’s curriculumand the structure of the Institute’s programs in addressing the needs of students,”according to the Institute’s executive director Laurie Barron.Founding members of the Board are:• Armando Batastini ’98, of counsel, Nixon Peabody, LLP, Providence• Diana deGroof ’02, staff attorney, Rhode Island Legal Services• Michael Evora, executive director, Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights• Courtney Cahill, professor of law, Roger Williams University School of Law• Bruce Kogan, professor of law, Roger Williams University School of Law• Angela Alexander ’10, student, Roger Williams University School of Law• Amy Peltier ’09, student, Roger Williams University School of LawPublic Interest Auction ‘Huge Success’The Feinstein Institute’s annual Public Interest Auction was held recently at theFederal Reserve restaurant in Providence, and program coordinator JenniferLashley deemed the event a “definite success.” A strong turnout of School of Lawstudents, alums, faculty, staff and prominent Rhode Island lawyers attended theauction, which raised more than $20,000 for the Public Interest Summer Stipendprogram. The proceeds will supplement another $51,000 already provided by theLaw School and University.“The auction was a blast,” said Dean David A. Logan. “It featured an amazingarray of auction gifts, with 100 percent of the fulltime faculty and senior staffcontributing and many dropping by for the festivities.”Shelburne ClosesSpeaker Series WithHaditha TalkThe FeinsteinInstitute’s PublicInterest SpeakersSeries wrapped upfor the semester withRWU Law ProfessorJon Shelburneaddressing thequestion of “How DidHaditha Become the Next My Lai?”Shelburne, who is also a MarineJudge Advocate, was lead defensecounsel for Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani,the senior Marine charged in the“Haditha massacre” prosecutions, inwhich a group of U.S. Marines stoodaccused of the November 2005 slayingof 24 Iraqi civilians – including sixchildren and four women – in whatappeared to be retaliation for the deathof a Marine in a roadside bombing.The Institute also presented a talk byAbbe Smith, professor of law and codirectorof the Criminal Defense Clinicat Georgetown Law School. Smithdiscussed her recent book, Case of aLifetime, concerning a death penaltycase that spanned the majority of hercareer, in which a woman was wronglyimprisoned for 28 years because ofmistaken identification. The publicationhas been critically praised, with theBoston Globe calling it a “movingand important book” that offers “adisconcerting look at the realities thatdetermine why some people walk freeand others spend their lives in prison.”Other speakers in the Feinstein seriesincluded Rhode Island LieutenantGovernor Elizabeth Roberts, whosetalk focused on the urgent need forhealth care reform in Rhode Island.David M. ZlotnickThe Providence Journal (October 5, 2008)Fallout From Facebook Is Forever[Parole was rejected for Joshua Lipton, 22, a Rhode Island inmate who was caught partying whilewearing a prisoner costume in a Facebook picture before he was sentenced for a drunken-drivingcrash. Lipton, the Journal reported, “is fast becoming a national poster boy for the consequences ofhaving photos online that are damning or simply dumb.”]David M. Zlotnick, a former federal prosecutor who is now associate dean for academic affairsat the Roger Williams University School of Law, said, “Even prosecutors are recognizing welive in the Internet age. The legal system is tradition-bound, but good lawyers look for evidencewhere evidence can be found.”A search for evidence is sometimes aided by the exhibitionism that the Internet seems topromote, Zlotnick said. “It used to be that a friend would tell on you,” he said. “Now you tellon yourself.” Over the years, many crimes have been solved because of bragging, Zlotnick said.For example, robbers have spouted off on barstools, and drug dealers have snapped photos ofthemselves holding weapons, he said.“We are social animals,” Zlotnick said. “You really haven’t done something until you tellyour best friend you did it.” But now, he said, “On the Internet, everybody is your best friend.”Jonathan M. GutoffThe National Law Journal (November 21, 2008)The Biggest Haul By Pirates Since Sir Frances Drake’s Day? Maybe.Jonathan M. Gutoff, a professor at Roger Williams University School of Law in Bristol, R.I.,is teaching a maritime law course on piracy. The naval forces hunting pirates operate under theConvention on Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against Maritime Navigation that allows everysignatory to take action against pirates anywhere in the world. The Navy could bring capturedpirates back to the United States for trial, Gutoff said, though in practice Somali pirates havebeen sent to nearby Kenya, a signatory to the convention, for prosecution.Of far more pressing concern to the ship owners, Gutoff believes, is the ransom reportedlybeing negotiated for the ship and crew. Maritime law has long recognized ransoms to pirates,along with emergency repairs or tossing cargo overboard to keep a ship afloat, as an expense tobe shared by all parties with an interest in the voyage, Gutoff said.“It is possible for the vessel owner who pays ransom to claim what are called general averagecontributions against the owner of the cargo,” Gutoff said. “A more typical example is whena ship requires repairs to complete the voyage. The owners can assess everyone with an interestin the continuation of the voyage to pay a proportionate share of the costs.”12 13

F A C U L T Y I N T H E N E W SPeter S. MarguliesThe Washington Independent (November 24, 2008)Holy Land Conviction Demonstrates Federal Courts Can Prosecute Terror[After more than 15 years of investigation and two trials, a federal jury in Dallas found theHoly Land Foundation – once the largest Islamic charity in the United States – and five of itsformer organizers guilty of illegally funneling more than $12 million to the Palestinian terroristgroup Hamas.]Critics of using the federal courts to try suspected terrorists often claim that militarycommissions or special national security courts are needed to handle sensitive classifiedevidence or testimony of informants who cannot be identified.In the Holy Land case, however, the federal court had no problem allowing the federalprosecutors to introduce and rely upon the testimony of an anonymous Israeli witness whotestified as an expert on funding for terrorism. Although critics have denounced that tactic,the defendants’ lawyers were allowed to cross-examine the witness and were given the basis ofhis credentials as an expert, apparently solving the potential Sixth Amendment ConfrontationClause problems.“Witness anonymity to some extent raises concerns, but the court has to weigh the nationalsecurity interest against the defendant’s right,” explains Peter Margulies, a law professor atRoger Williams University and expert on national security law.John J. ChungThe Providence Journal (December 5, 2008)Consumers Speak Out on the Burden of Debt[RWU Law Professor John Chung was one of several experts who testified at a U.S. SenateJudiciary Committee field hearing organized by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) on proposedchanges to the treatment of consumer credit card debt under federal bankruptcy law. Last year,Whitehouse introduced the Consumer Credit Fairness Act (CCFA, S. 3259), which aims to provideconsumers some relief from high interest rates.]“At an annual rate of interest of 36 percent, compounded daily – which is how my credit cardworks – how long does it take for a debt of $1,000 to double?” The answer, Chung said, is justunder two years. “I wonder if the typical consumer debtor understands the destructive effectof these interest rates. The math tells us that once debt starts compounding at rates like 36percent, the borrower will end up trapped in a vicious cycle of debt spiraling out of control.Laws against usury were designed centuries ago to address this problem, but modern lendershave managed to avoid the application of those laws.”Kim M. BakerNational Public Radio, ‘This I Believe’ (January 21, 2009)I Believe In Living My Truth[NPR reported, “Kim Baker tells us about trauma in her life that, until very recently, was a deep,dark secret. Today, she is empowered by her past. Baker has been teaching writing in academe andbusiness for 16 years. She is the writing coach at Roger Williams University School of Law,a published poet and an advocate to end violence against women.”]“You see, I am a statistic: one in four girls sexually abused before age 18. As I look aroundme now at the grocery store, the bank line, the restaurant, I realize one of the women or girlslikely has been or will be sexually abused. But it took a long time to say it aloud and to heal. […]“I believe in living my truth and bearing witness to the truth of others. To witness withthe one out of four, to witness this all-too-common fact of life for girls in every social strata.To witness that, on the outside, girls may appear ‘sugar and spice’ – but dearly pay a price fortheir entire lives in silence. I believe that living my truth and bearing witness is the first stepin ending childhood sexual abuse – and beginning the healing that only truth can bring.”Donald A. MiglioriThe New York Times (March 12, 2009)Value of Suing Over 9/11 Deaths Is Still UnsettledDonald A. Migliori, a lawyer whose firm handled about 60 suits and 40 fund cases [for 9/11victims’ families], said there was no question that, on average, those who sued fared betterfinancially than those who accepted money from the compensation fund. “You absolutely cancompare those numbers,” he said.Migliori said Mr. Feinberg [Kenneth Feinberg, the special master who administeredthe government’s Victim Compensation Fund for 9/11 families] had “sold the VictimCompensation Fund through fear, by suggesting to people that they would never do any better.”ABC News’ 20/20 (Jan. 12, 2009)What Is One Life Worth? Some Family Members of 9/11 Victims Still Seeking Compensation“For 9/11 – given what these airlines failed to do on Sept. 11, by letting 19 for 19 hijackersthrough checkpoints in four airports, Portland, Logan, Newark and Dulles – these airlinesshould be primarily responsible,” said attorney Don Migliori, who represents Mike Low ofArkansas [whose daughter Sarah was a flight attendant on American Airlines Flight 11, whichstruck the north tower of the World Trade Center]. “There was no need to set up a federalfund, in my view, to compensate those claims.”“We’re not trying to bankrupt anybody,” Migliori added. “We’re trying to get people whatthey need. For somebody who wants answers, we are going to go after every single answer wecan find from these airlines. And if it means we use up every bit of their insurance company’scoverage, so be it. We’re proud of what we do, we’re proud of who we represent and we’reproud of how we do it.”14 15

answeringthe CallRWU Law Students, Alumni, Staff AttendObama Inauguration, Reflect on ServiceBy Michael M. BowdenWhat is required of us now is a new era ofresponsibility – a recognition, on the part of everyAmerican, that we have duties to ourselves, ournation and the world, duties that we do not grudginglyaccept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledgethat there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, sodefining of our character than giving our all toa difficult task. This is the price and the promiseof citizenship.– President Barack Obama, Inaugural Address, January 20, 2009Notwithstanding the widespectrum of political viewswithin the RWU Law community, therewas an unmistakable buzz of excitementon January 20, as students, faculty andstaff packed the Moot Courtroom andthe Bistro, or paused under the mainlobby’s flatscreen, to watch as BarackObama was sworn in as the 44thPresident of the United States of America.The RWU Law family was alsowell represented in Washington itself,and Amicus spoke to some of theseindividuals about their experience andhow it has changed them since theirreturn to Rhode Island. Kim Ahern ’09,one of the state’s delegates pledged toObama at the Democratic NationalConvention, said the President’s call toresponsibility resonated deeply as shelistened from her vantage point on theCapitol lawn.“I thought of the two years ofcampaign work leading up to thatmoment, as I literally watched a newgeneration of American leadershipbegin,” she said. “I thought of what this‘new era of responsibility’ could mean inmy own life and career. It means puttingcitizenship before partisanship, it meansgetting involved in your community,wherever that may be, and it meansgiving back, through whatever acts ofservice you can do.”Also in the crowd that day wasRWU Law’s assistant dean of studentsLorraine Lalli ’01, who said theInauguration was an occasion she feltcompelled to witness firsthand.“What an extraordinary event!” sherecalled. “I feel very fortunate to havebeen in that crowd of millions fromacross the country – from differentraces, religions, ages, backgrounds,experiences and stations in life.“Personally, the Inauguration of thefirst black president of the United Statesof America was also very emotionallymoving,” Lalli added. “It was a tributeto the African-Americans throughouthistory who paved the way. It was alsothe ultimate fulfillment of the Americandream as something that is available tous all.”17

Kim Ahern ’09 with then-SenatorObama during a 2008 campaignappearance in Rhode Island.Rhode IslandersEverywhere!Matthew Watson ’10 made theseven-hour drive from Providenceto Washington a few days before theInauguration and enjoyed attendinga breakfast for Rhode Islanders at thePark Hyatt hotel, hosted by ProvidenceMayor David Cicilline – where he foundhimself seated one table away from Lalli.Shortly afterward, he ventured to theHart Senate Building to pick up theInauguration tickets he won in a lotteryheld by Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed.“Much to my surprise, Senator Reedwas in his office, personally handing outthe tickets,” Watson said. “I was gratefulfor the opportunity to speak with theSenator and thank him for his years ofservice to the citizens of Rhode Island.”Those tickets placed Watson in anelevated standing area near the firstReflecting Pool, immediately in front ofthe Capitol, where he found himself sweptup in the chanting and general euphoriaof the crowd. “It was one of the few timesin my life that I knew I was witnessinghistory unfold before my eyes,” he said.Being in Washington, D.C., for the Inauguration wasan inspiring experience – but it is equally inspiring to beback in Rhode Island, where this new era of responsibilitymust be demonstrated in each of our daily lives.– Kim Ahern ’09Even in the vast crowd, chancemeetings were ubiquitous. Watsonbumped into Dean David Logan, whoin turn reported running into ProfessorJorge Elorza – who in a few weeks wouldhelp inaugurate the new Latino PolicyInstitute that he did much to establish atRWU – as well as Professor Keeva Terry,chosen by students as RWU Law’s 2008Professor of the Year.Logan said that, having passedthrough several security checkpoints, he“quickly became part of a huge crowdgoing nowhere. Crowd control was poorand signage nonexistent, which meantthat many ticket holders – includingJudge Netti Vogel [of the Rhode IslandSuperior Court] and my son, Ben, whohad been on Obama’s campaign staff –were unable to get to their designatedareas in time for the ceremony.”Logan himself eventually claimed“my square foot of earth on the Capitolgrounds, close enough to the podiumto feel the electricity of the moment,but alas – even with binoculars – a poorsight line.”Among many other reflections,Logan said “being in that place ina throng reminded me of my anti-Vietnam War marches in the samearea, but with a decidedly differentatmosphere. Instead of anger directedat the government, the crowd at theObama Inauguration was jubilant andfull of pride in our political system.”Michael Boylen, assistant dean ofadmissions at RWU Law, agreed. “It wasa big ‘Kumbaya’ moment,” he said. “Amillion people; just huge crowds; verylittle organization – and yet there wereno tramplings, no arrests.”The event “made me think morebroadly about this country and howI can give back,” Boylen said. “Sincethen I have had a much more positivefeeling than I ever really did toward thepolitical process.”‘The Best of HumanityOn Display’Linn Freedman, a partner with NixonPeabody LLP and member of RWULaw’s board of directors, also commentedon the peacefulness of the vast crowds. “Ihave never before been in a circumstancewhere such a diverse crowd of people –of different races, religions and socioeconomicstatus – held an obviouscommon bond that was unspokenbetween us,” she said. “Under othercircumstances, it could have been adifficult and hostile crowd. What wasamazing was that we were all happy to besquished together, and we treated eachother with respect and dignity.”Despite their differences, “Wegot to know each other, smiled andlaughed at the fact that we werehungry, cold and nowhere near aporta-potty; we even complained toeach other about the horrible crowdcontrol. But there was electricity in theair, and we all embraced it. It was trulya sociological experiment that wentright, but against all stereotypes. It wasa fantastic experience!”Laura Epperson, who managesproduction of RWU Law (and undergrad)publications, agreed that the city wasalive with a palpable positive energy.“Everyone was so open and relaxed,soaking up the magic of the time andsharing it with those around them,” shesaid. “We were thrilled to be there toparticipate in such an historic moment.The best of humanity was on display.”Epperson and her husband spentInauguration Day visiting friendswhose home featured a large balconyoverlooking both the Capitol and theparade route.“From our perch we had agreat view of the Capitol, and withbinoculars you could view the stage,”Epperson said. “As we waited for theceremony to start, we ate and socializedand marveled at the snipers on adjacentrooftops. When the ceremony begansome chose to watch it on TV, but Idecided to stay on the balcony andsoak up the whole moment. To bethere and hear Obama take the oath ofoffice and address the nation, to hearthe roar of the crowd on the Mall, wasa moving and changing experience.”Some RWU Law attendees hadmore overtly political perspectives. Forexample, alumnus Matt Jerzyk ’08 –founder of popular political blogRhode Island Future – arrived inWashington in a very different moodthan in 2001, when he came toprotest the inauguration of formerPresident George W. Bush.“I was so angry eight yearsago,” Jerzyk told the ProvidenceJournal. “So I worked my tail off,as a community organizer and as ablogger, to help change our president.Now we’ve finally done it. For me, it’sredemption.”Attorney John “Jack” McConnell,a partner with Motley Rice LLCin Providence, who is also a majorsponsor of RWU Law’s PublicInterest Loan Repayment AssistanceProgram (LRAP) and a member of theUniversity’s Board of Trustees – not tomention one of Rhode Island’s Obamaelectors – said two aspects of theInauguration stood out for him.“First was the unique experience ofbeing part of a huge crowd of diversepeople, all of whom exuded hope,optimism and community solidarity,”he said. “Hundreds of thousands ofpeople from all over, all united in anew hopeful vision for our countryand world.”He also felt a new kind ofpatriotism. “Seeing so many diversepeople becoming so emotional at theinvocation of patriotic symbols atthe inaugural made me feel like wehave recaptured patriotism for all ofour country,” McConnell said. “Itseemed hijacked by a narrow band ofideologues for the pastdecade. Now, when thenational anthem wasplayed, or people wavedtheir American flags itwas out of a new sense ofpatriotism; that we are allin this together – and that’swhat America is about.”Indeed, everyone whospoke to Amicus about theirvisit to Washington that dayexpressed a lingering sense ofinspiration and a resolve tobring its promise to fruition inthe months and years ahead.Said Ahern, “Being in Washington,D.C., for the Inauguration was aninspiring experience – but it is equallyinspiring to be back in Rhode Island,where this new era of responsibilitymust be demonstrated in each of ourdaily lives.”The Capitol and parade route as seen fromRWU’s Laura Epperson’s enviable vantagepoint from a balcony above the parade route.1819

Here Comesthe Judge…At noon on a sunny winter day, Stanley’sFamous Hamburgers – a Central Fallsinstitution since the 1930s – was packed witha diverse, noisy crowd of diners: men in suitsnegotiating on their iPhones, retirees gossipingover coffee and dessert, a young mothermaneuvering her stroller between the tightlyplaced tables, a group of teens lingering overa leisurely school-vacation-week lunch. Theyhad nothing obvious in common – except thatthey all seemed to know Alberto Cardona ’04.RWU Law’s First BenchAppointee Takes on theMortgage CrisisBy Michael M. BowdenAs Cardona made his way intothe dining room, it was like old homeweek. A grandmotherly woman stoppedto give him a hug; Cardona inquiredwarmly about her health, her family.A wiry young man – a local baseballstar now playing for the Universityof Maine – stepped up and shook hishand. “That’s George Taher,” Cardonasaid, after talking stats with him for afew minutes. “I’ve known him since hewas in Little League, he’s incredible!”He finally settled down at atable next to one of the suits. Theyexchanged greetings and small talkin Spanish. “This is George Ortiz,”Cardona said. “He heads up ProgresoLatino” – one of Rhode Island’s largestcommunity-based advocacy groups.“Look out for this guy, he’s trouble,”Ortiz joked with a broad grin. In fact,Progreso Latino honored Cardonalast fall – along with Senator EdwardKennedy (D-Mass.) and NationalPublic Radio news anchor LakshmiSingh – at its 31st Annual Gala,for significant contributions to thebetterment of the Latino community.It’s been a good year for Cardona.Shortly before the Progreso Latinoevent he was appointed associate justiceof the Central Falls Municipal Court –an honor that, incidentally, also madehim RWU Law’s first alum to ascend tothe bench.21

22‘This Was a ThrivingCommunity’After lunch, Cardona offered a tourof the City of Central Falls – all 1.23square miles of it. The community hasbeen severely battered by the mortgagecrisis; by the close of 2008, there’d beenmore than 150 foreclosures in the city,with the unsightly – and unsettling –result that just about every street nowfeatures at least one boarded-up house,and most have several.Surveying a depressing vista ofplywood-clad properties from thesidewalk outside Veterans MemorialElementary School, Cardona threwup his hands. “What does this tellour kids?” he asked. “How are wegoing to address this issue? How dowe help prevent families from losingeverything? How do we prevent kidshaving to leave school in the middle ofthe school year because their familieslost their homes?”Part of the Central Fall’s solution hasbeen to establish a Municipal HousingCourt dealing exclusively with suchissues. As a former assistant city solicitor,a community activist and a local whoknows the town inside out, Cardona wasunanimously selected by the city councilas the new court’s first judge.Cardona didn’t have to give up hislaw practice for the part-time position;however, he carefully keeps his benchand bar roles separate – for example,symbolically leaving his robe in thecourthouse closet, refusing to take it tohis home or office. “People have askedme to keep it with me so I can, say,perform marriages,” he said, then addedwith a laugh, “but I think that would bebad karma for my divorce practice.”Presiding over the Housing Courthas given Cardona what he calls a“laser-focus on housing issues” – henow regularly wrestles with zoningproblems; garbage removal problems;and, increasingly, foreclosure problems –such as banks that foreclose on amortgage but then fail to clean up andsecure the abandoned property.“To board up a foreclosed house costs$10,000 to $12,000,” Cardona says,describing a typical dilemma. “In sometowns it’s closer to $6,000 or $7,000,but here it’s more because the contractordoesn’t get paid outright; he only getsa lien, and has to wait for the sale. Sowe order the property secured and thenthe bank complains, ‘Why should wepay so much?’ But the bank has alreadybeen sent multiple notices and neverresponded. They never secured theproperty as they were required to do.”On any given day, Cardona mightface issues of tenants staying overafter a foreclosure, realtors refusing tomaintain a property they’re chargedwith selling, or owners who are outof state but have left no Rhode Islandagent of service. On top of that, thebanks themselves are overwhelmed bythe sheer number of foreclosures they’reprocessing, while facing layoffs andcutbacks of their own. So often a bankmight complete a foreclosure, but thenneglect to record the new deed – causingadditional administrative confusion.Workday ordinance enforcementhas also become a delicate balancingact. “We need to determine whetherthe rules in a given case are toocumbersome, too burdensome,”Cardona said. “Do they holdhomeowners to too high of a standard?“For example, should we reallyforce someone to replace a rotten fencein this economy, when families canbarely make their mortgage payments?Similarly, in the wake of the StationNightclub fire, the fire code burdenbecame tremendous. We don’t want tobe hitting folks up for not maintainingand keeping up the property, to theextent that we end up losing them. Weneed to try and help them, work withthem. It’s a quality of life issue. Thisused to be a thriving community!”‘I Got Lucky’Cardona knows the community well.Born in Puerto Rico, he spent his earlychildhood in a barrio in New York,never really picking up English until hewas a teenager and his family settled inCentral Falls.Back then, the city consistedof discreet ethnic pockets: French-Canadian, Syrian and Lebanese,Columbian, Portuguese, even Croatianenclaves that largely kept to themselves.Today, by contrast, “everyone’s mixedup,” with Latinos (largely Mexican,Dominican and Puerto Rican)accounting for nearly 80 percent of thecity’s population.The second of six children, Cardonasays he was “the runt of the litter,”being of average height but dwarfedby his six-foot-plus brothers. “That’swhere I got my Napoleon complex,” hejoked. His mother worked three jobsto support the family; she, along withone of Cardona’s brothers and his onlysister, still lives in Central Falls.Cardona grew up tough andstreetwise, but benefited frominterventions by such guardian angelsas a local cop, a teacher, a city councilor –even a state senator who once walkedinto the teenage Cardona’s home,hauled him bodily out of bed andescorted him to school on a day he’ddecided to skip. All of these people, atdifferent times, saw something worthsaving in Alberto Cardona.“I’m fortunate, I got lucky,”Cardona admitted. He did his partas well, however, graduating magnacum laude from Johnson & WalesUniversity, and later – after marriage,kids, and an extended stint in the realestateinvestment business – enrollingin the evening division at RWU Law.He fondly recalled the pervasive “we’reall in this together” camaraderie of hisclassmates, and the friendly, opendoorpolicies of his favorite professors,including Larry Ritchie, DavidZlotnick and then- Interim DeanBruce Kogan.After graduating and passing thebar, Cardona bought a modest singlefamilyhome across from Central FallsCity Hall, with the idea of movingback to his hometown and perhapsrunning for mayor. His wife balked,however, and the building became hislaw office. But although he now livesin the comfortable suburban sprawl ofWest Greenwich, R.I., Cardona stillconsiders Central Falls his true home.“I got a lot of help as a kid, andthat’s the kind of help I want to giveback,” he said. He is giving indeed:Cardona serves on the Rhode IslandCommission for Human Rights, andhe’s coordinated housing fairs for lowincomefamilies in conjunction withagencies such as Progreso Latino, theBlackstone Valley Community ActionProgram and Rhode Island Housing.He wrote the grants, secured thefunding and established the CentralFalls Even Start Literacy Program.He serves as mentor in Central FallsFamily Self-Sustainability (FSS)Program, counseling students whoare considering law as a career, takingthem to court proceedings andintroducing them to judges. He evensponsors a Cal Ripken Youth Baseballteam (“Little League is too expensivefor a lot of kids around here…”).His wife Claudia, Guatemalanby birth, is also a Latino communityactivist, as are his brother and sister.His kids volunteer at Central Fallscommunity service organizations.“It gives them some perspective,”Cardona explained. The eldest of histhree children, Angie Cardona, is afreshman majoring in legal studies atRWU. (Another RWU undergrad,sophomore Sindy De Leon, works parttimeas a receptionist at his law office.)As he stands chatting on the sidewalkoutside City Hall, Cardona is very muchthe local boy made good. Friends waveor call out to him from passing cars; aworker in a pickup truck pulls over totalk about a case.“The way the Latino communitygoes, that’s the way I go,” Cardona said.“If the Latino community fails, if peoplesee it as a blight or a plague – then that’show I’ll be seen too. I grew up here, so Icame back here. I owe this communityWhat does this tell our kids? How are we going toaddress this issue? How do we help prevent familiesfrom losing everything?– Judge Alberto Cardona ’04something. Maybe I could have donebetter somewhere else, but ...”Reminded that being appointeda judge so early in one’s legal careergenerally isn’t considered a bad indicator,Cardona laughed. “Yeah, four years outof law school and already wearing a robe;I never would have dreamed it…”He paused and looked thoughtfullyup at the courthouse – his courthouse.“But you know what? It’s a good fit.”23

24a Housing EpidemicPro Bono Collaborative andMotley Rice LLP Work to HelpTenants in Foreclosed PropertiesBy Elaine McArdleBen Gworek ’09 knows firsthandthe problem of affordablehousing in Rhode Island – and RWULaw’s Pro Bono Collaborative (PBC)has shown him how he can use the lawto help solve it.Before enrolling at RWU Law,Gworek – a graduate of ProvidenceCollege with a master’s degree fromBrown University – spent two years doingcommunity organizing and legislativeadvocacy with the Housing Network ofRhode Island, which develops affordablehousing and revitalizes neighborhoodsthroughout the state.He’s well aware that Rhode Islandhad led the nation in the housing pricebubble, and that, until the recent realestatecollapse, prices here had grownsix to eight times faster than residents’average incomes. He witnessed the manyfamilies unable to find a decent place tolive, the strain on their personal finances,the pain of eviction or bankruptcy.But nothing prepared Gworek forthe avalanche of foreclosures he’s seenthis year – and especially its devastatingeffect on innocent tenants, who havealmost no protections under RhodeIsland law.“I’ve been at Sixth District Courtin Providence and seen as many as 20different tenants being evicted becauseof this in one day,” said Gworek. Hesighed and added, “That was a prettyshocking experience.”The oft-unrecognized victims of thenation’s massive foreclosure crisis aretenants, who are forced out after theirlandlords lose the buildings for failureto pay their mortgages. Few statesprovide much protection for tenants inthese situations, and in Rhode Islandthey’re particularly vulnerable. Statelaw here holds that tenants have nolegal relationship with the bank ormortgage company and thus no rightto remain in a foreclosed-on propertyeven if they’ve never been late in payingrent. In fact, they aren’t even entitledto notice that their homes have beenlost to foreclosure. Just three days afterforeclosure, tenants can be served withan eviction notice and forced out. Thebank or mortgage company needn’tprovide utilities and other basic servicesto the unit while eviction proceedingsare underway.But that situation may soonchange if Gworek and other RWULaw students have their way. Workingthrough the PBC at RWU Law’sFeinstein Institute, these students –along with Robert McConnell, apartner with the leading law firmMotley Rice LLC – are collaboratingwith the Housing Action Coalitionof Rhode Island to research and draftlegislation that would afford moreprotection to tenants living in foreclosedproperties. The need is urgent: morethan 70 percent of foreclosures inRhode Island involve multi-familybuildings in which renters live.“In a lot of cases, the tenantsand clients are not being accused ofbreaching their lease or any wrongdoingat all,” said Gworek. “Yet they’re stillbeing evicted because the building theylive in is being foreclosed on, and thebank wants to clear the building.” Whilethe problem isn’t new, it “has reachedepidemic levels with the skyrocketingrates of foreclosures,” he adds.‘A Great Vehicle’The idea for the project came fromGworek in conjunction with his formercolleagues at the Housing Network ofRhode Island. Gworek then reached outto the PBC staff with his idea, and beforelong they recruited McConnell (whomGworek had gotten to know in 2008,when the two teamed up to work withthe George Wiley Center in Pawtucketon another PBC project). McConnell,as lead attorney, and Gworek draftedlegislation that would offer protectionsto residents facing shut-offs of theirutilities because of their inability to pay.That bill didn’t pass in the last sessionbut is pending again, says McConnell,who notes that Motley Rice has longbeen committed to pro bono projects,especially in the area of affordablehousing and lead abatement.The PBC also recruited severalof Gworek’s RWU Law classmateswho’d worked on similar issues:Devon Cipperly ’09, as an extern inthe Providence Law Department, hadfocused on the quandary of managingthe growing inventory of foreclosed25

properties; Kelly Noble ’10 had recentlyauthored a law review article on theissue of tenants’ rights in foreclosure,taking a national scope; and EvanTrowbridge ’10 also joined the team.Working through the PBC (seesidebar), the four students began lastfall by researching tenant protectionsin other states and trying to findjurisdictions with more favorable laws.McConnell led the team, and theHousing Action Coalition – a group of70 organizations in Rhode Island thatadvocate for safe and affordable housing –also guided the students in their work.“I think the Pro Bono Collaborativeis a great vehicle for getting involvedwith community issues, and wedding theprivate law firms with the law students,”said McConnell, whose firm, MotleyRice LLC, represents plaintiffs in a broadrange of claims, including occupationaldisease and environmental harm such asasbestos poisoning. Working with RWUI’ve been at Sixth District Court in Providenceand seen as many as 20 different tenants beingevicted because of this in one day.– Ben Gworek ’09Law students has been a very positiveexperience, he said, adding that “Isincerely believe in these projects.”The goal here is to rescue tenantsin foreclosed properties from theirlegal limbo. Banks insist they don’twant to be in the landlord business,and typically want the property to beempty in order to try to sell it. Butfew properties are selling, housingadvocates point out, so it would bein the interest of the community – aswell as the tenants themselves – iftenants were allowed to stay put ratherthan to create empty buildings andneighborhood blight.The students are now in theprocess of drafting a bill that wouldbring tenants under the state’s currentlandlord-tenant act, which offerssome protections. But their proposedlegislation would provide even moresecurity, ensuring that these tenantsdon’t lose their homes unnecessarily.They’re also working to find legislativesponsors for their bill.Brenda Clement, executive directorof the Housing Action Coalition ofRhode Island, praises the work of thestudents and McConnell.“The group works really welltogether,” said Clement. Still, sheadded, “We have a long way to go to getthe bill passed in this legislative session.”Gworek notes that the mortgageindustry is expected to oppose anychanges to the law, just as it did lastyear, when it helped defeat a bill thatwould simply have provided notice totenants after foreclosure.But Clement is optimistic,noting positive changes with the newpresidential administration as well astenant-friendly ordinances introducedby the mayor of Providence. Thisprogress, along with the work ofthe RWU Law students, gives herconfidence that “at the end we’ll comeout with some solid protections fortenants and other consumers,” she said.For Gworek, the project has been aninvaluable educational opportunity.“It definitely has been a very goodpart of my law school experience,”he said. After he graduates, he will beworking in Boston as an attorney withthe federal Department of Housing andUrban Development.“This experience definitely helpedme in getting that position,” he said.“When I interviewed, this was theprimary topic of conversation: it’s apolicy issue that HUD, up until now,has not been very involved in, at leaston the local level – but one for which itcan become a strong advocate.”PBC Flying High In ’09The Pro Bono Collaborative (PBC)recently completed an especiallyexciting quarter and is enteringits fourth year stronger thanever, giving back to underservedcommunity members by linkinglaw students and top law firmsto provide real-world experiencesthat strongly complementclassroom training.In December, the RhodeIsland Foundation cast adefinitive vote of confidence inthe PBC, announcing a $60,000grant for 2009 that brings theFoundation’s total investment inthe Collaborative to more than$250,000.In January, Nixon Peabody LLP –a “Global 100” law firm andone of the largest in the world –joined the six law firms alreadyparticipating in the PBC and tookon four new projects, partneringwith the Family Life Center, theInternational Institute, YouthPride and Rhode Island LegalServices. Also in January, alumnusMatt Plain ’05 joined the PBC’sadvisory board.More changes are aheadfor the 2009-10 academic year.RWU Law students are presentlyrequired to perform 20 hoursof pro bono service beforethey graduate; however, thatrequirement will increase to 50hours beginning with the classof students entering this August.Under the direction ofEliza Vorenberg, RWU Law’sPro Bono Collaborative waslaunched in January 2006 tohelp connect students with lowincomeand at-risk clients whoneed legal help.The Collaborative employsa unique model that mobilizeslarge law firms, law studentsand community organizations toprovide pro bono legal serviceto low-income communitiesthroughout Rhode Island.Working as a team, thesegroups engage in a wide varietyof projects, from assistingfledging nonprofit organizationswith incorporation to directrepresentation of homeless,immigrant, poor and otherWorking for change (l-r): KellyNoble ’10, Devon Cipperly ’09 andBen Gworek ’09 conduct researchfor the PBC’s tenant projectclients, to legislative advocacysuch as the tenant project (seemain story).Community organizationscontact the PBC when theirconstituencies have unmet legalneeds. The PBC then identifiesstudents willing to work onthe project, reaches out toparticipating law firms to mentorthe students and providesadministrative support. Studentsdo not receive academic creditfor their work – nor are they paid –and most end up putting in farmore than the minimum requiredfor graduation.Since its inception, morethan 60 students and 50attorneys have participated inthe Collaborative and seven largelaw firms have signed on to workwith about a dozen communityorganizations. To read moreabout the PBC’s projects andpartners, join the PBC Facebookgroup (search “pro bonocollaborative”). – E.M.26

For me, being in law school is not an accident. I hadbeen working for it all my life – so when I got here itwas a ‘dreams coming true’ type of thing. I was on fire.– Rod Alcidonis ’09‘Everything His Heart Desires’Once Rod Alcidonis ’09 decidedhe would become a lawyer,he didn’t let anything stop him: not adifficult childhood in a poor country;not even the loss of his eyesight.Such is his passion for the professionthat – as a child growing up in Port-au-Prince,Haiti – he used to carry a briefcase toschool instead of the usual knapsack orbook bag. He continued to nurse hisaspirations through high school, whereone of his teachers dubbed him “theRenaissance Man” due to his broadrange of interests, and college, whereparticipated in the debate team andearned his bachelor’s degree in sociologyon a three-year fast track.And despite his visual challenges,Alcodonis claims there was no bumpytransitional period upon arriving atRWU Law. “For me, being in law schoolwas not an accident,” he explained. “Ihad been working for it all my life – sowhen I got here it was a ‘dreams comingtrue’ type of thing. I was just on fire.”Alcidonis’s persistent legal aspirationshave been a rare constant in a life thatotherwise seems to have been a seriesof constant changes (the other majorconstant is his love for music: he hasstudied accordion, trombone andpiano, maintains a small mobilerecording studio and servesas keyboardist at his church).Besides transitioning to a newcountry and culture – he moved to theU.S. with his family in 1998, livingfirst in Brooklyn, N.Y., then upstate inPlattsburgh, N.Y., and finally settlingin Philadelphia – Alcidonis has beenchallenged by a worsening case ofglaucoma that rendered him legallyblind and dependant on a cane forgetting around. Alcidonis shrugs off thisconsiderable challenge as just a variationon the sorts of change that all peoplemust face in one form or another.“In the past, I used to play soccerand ride motorcycles,” he said. “Butthat was the past; life moves on. Today,I undertake different ventures that areequally exciting and challenging: I arguein court, speak at conferences, recordmusic and troubleshoot computerproblems; and, for the most part, I amhappier than ever before.”In conversation, this casual embraceof change is one of Alcidonis’s moststriking traits.“I look at changes as opportunities,”he said. “So every time a change occursin my life, my first reaction is to say, ‘Allright, so what’s next?’ I adapt to changevery quickly, so change for me is a positivething as opposed to something negative.”On his laptop, for example,Alcidonis uses a special “screen-reader”software called JAWS, that reads thecontent of the monitor aloud. Healso uses an electronic Braille deviceconnected to his laptop, which allowshim to read the content of the computerscreen in Braille as an alternative tousing the voice program.“Braille is my primary way ofreading and taking law school exams,”he said. “I cannot imagine how difficultit would be for a blind attorney to bea successful litigator without knowingBraille thoroughly. And while I believeit’s possible to successfully graduatefrom law school as a blind student,without modern technology it certainlywould not have been as comfortable andenjoyable as it has been for me duringthe last three years.”Still, he insisted that the term“disabled” does not fit him – at leastnot without a lot of caveats andqualifications.“I do not know how a man whodoes virtually everything his heartdesires can be considered disabled,” hesaid. “That is incomprehensible to me.”Alcidonis’s visual impairment led to aRhode Island legal first when he obtaineda court order making him the first lawyerallowed to bring a laptop and canewith him into the Adult CorrectionalInstitution (ACI) maximum securityprison in Cranston, R.I.It happened during his secondyear of studies, when Alcidonis wasrepresenting an ACI inmate who’d beenarrested for drunk driving. Standing upnext to his client as the judge imposedthe sentence was, he said, “a pivotalexperience that only a lawyer can attestto” and one that gave him “a newfoundunderstanding of the respect inmateshave for defense attorneys.”Rod Alcidonis OvercomesAdversity to Fulfill aLifelong AmbitionBy Hannah WelansBefore arguing in a courtroom,Alcidonis said, he always visits thespace to familiarize himself with theenvironment.“I don’t like to use a cane to navigatearound the courtroom,” he explained.“I think it arms judges with somethingby which to stigmatize me. But if I learnthe layout of a courtroom and movearound without my cane, it becomeseasier for judges to put aside the factthat I am blind and to view me in thesame light as my opposing counsel.”His favorite courses involve litigation –Criminal Procedure, Advanced CriminalProcedure and Lessons of Litigation –and he actively participates in the CriminalDefense Clinic. While admitting that lawschool is a formidable intellectual challenge,Alcidonis insists that, with hard work andfocus, most people who want to succeedbadly enough probably can.“That would be my advice toprospective law students,” he said. “Ifyou really want it, go for it. Don’t givein to the hype that law school is animpossible feat.”RWU Law recently awardedAlcidonis the Thurgood MarshallScholarship Award, given annuallyto a third-year student who has“demonstrated academic merit andleadership skills.”“It was an unexpected honor,” saidAlcidonis, who is an admirer of theaward’s namesake and met the lateJustice’s widow last spring during RWULaw’s Thurgood Marshall MemorialLecture, featuring UCLA Law Professorand leading civil rights scholar DevonCarbado. His greatest honor at RWULaw, however, is yet to come, he saidwith a smile. That will happen in Maywhen receives his diploma.“My litigation skills have improvedimmeasurably from the time I firstwalked into this building,” he said. “Ifeel much more comfortable being inthe courtroom and making an argumentnow. I am interested primarily inlitigation; I’m passionate about criminallaw. I chose the legal profession becauseI want to help solve complex societalissues and provide legal assistance inthe courtroom to those who are oftenunderrepresented. That, I think, will bemy greatest achievement.”2829

30Lawyerof theYearAlison Foley ’04 Recognized For Defending Immigrants’ RightsBy Kristin HowleyAlison Foley ’04 – barely intoher second year at RWU Lawwhen the 9/11 attacks occurred – wasdismayed as she watched the U.S.succumb to the panic, anger and fingerpointingthat dominated public debatein the immediate aftermath of theassault. In many ways, she said, thoseuncertain days profoundly colored hersubsequent career path.Foley had entered law schoolintending to work in the civil- orhuman-rights arena. But as the BushAdministration pushed through toughnew policies affecting immigrants andundocumented citizens, Foley decidedshe could help most by focusing onimmigration law – after all, that seemedto be where “international humanrights” had come home to roost.“The anti-immigrant factions in theU.S. are very, very strong right now,and they have the ear of the Americanpublic,” said Foley, whose tone issoft-spoken but passionate. “They arestill using the same fear-mongeringtactics that we saw used all throughoutthe Bush years, equating immigrantsto terrorists and crying that they’retaking ‘American jobs’ – which is purebaloney at best, and racist at worst.Unfortunately, that kind of talk reallygrabs people in times of crisis.”Following September 11, Foley said,U.S. officials perceived a “clear andpresent danger” to the U.S. – and Araband Muslim immigrants put a face on anotherwise unidentifiable enemy. Morerecently, she added, anti-immigrationactivists have turned their focus toimmigrants from Mexico, South andCentral America. The shift has beenespecially apparent in southern NewEngland, where some devastating raidshave taken place in the last few years.Problems Throughoutthe SystemFor example, in March 2007, an army ofmore than 300 homeland security officersdescended upon Michael Bianco Inc. –a New Bedford leather manufacturerengaged mainly in producing militarybackpacks and survival vests for U.S.troops abroad – and arrested 361undocumented workers, most of themyoung women from Guatemala and ElSalvador, many with children waiting indaycare centers or staying with familymembers. The workers were shackledtogether and forced onto buses forincarceration in Fort Devens, a militaryfacility outside Boston.It is estimated that between 100 and200 children were separated from theirfamilies that day; two years later, somestill have not been reunited, said Foley,who represents several of the women. Insome cases parents were deported, whiletheir U.S.-born children were placedinto foster care here.“What happened in those cases wasthat family court judges improperly tookthe parents’ immigration status intoconsideration in placing the children,”Foley said, explaining that such statusis not supposed to be a factor indetermining whether it is in a child’s bestinterests to remain with his or her parents.In another raid last July, 31employees of two Rhode Island janitorialcompanies – all of them maintenanceworkers in the six state courthouses –were rounded up by Immigration andCustoms Enforcement authorities.Foley helped coordinate the defense forthose workers, representing several ofthem personally. To date, 12 have beenreleased on humanitarian grounds, while19 others were sent to area detentionfacilities – including the WyattDetention Center in Central Falls, R.I.,which gained notoriety in 2008 after 34-year-old Hiu Lui Ng, a Chinese nationaland N.Y.-based computer engineer, diedwhile in the facility’s custody.“The problems at Wyatt are thesame problems that exist throughoutthe system,” Foley said. “The publicoutcry was getting louder after Ng’sdeath, so there was an investigationinto the facility, but the same problemsexist in every center. And we’re still notaddressing the system, only the facilities!”She added, “These raids havedevastating effects on the familiesinvolved, and they’re just not catching thepeople who are the real security risks.”Will things improve under thenew Administration? Foley isn’t sure,citing a similar raid conducted at theend of February in Washington State –the first major raid carried out under theObama Administration.“We haven’t seen anything gettingbetter yet,” Foley said. “We’re allhoping that Obama is going to reallypursue reforms, but we also know thatthe economy has taken over and that,without serious political will, it’s notgoing to happen because it’s such atouchy issue.”Lawyer of the YearFoley’s efforts won recognition earlierthis year when she was named as oneof three “Lawyers of the Year” by RhodeIsland Lawyers Weekly. The newspapercited her involvement “in cases thatraise challenging legal issues andotherwise furthering the profession’scommitment to the rule of law and tojustice in the state.”While “surprised and honored” bythe award, Foley was mainly pleased bythe opportunity it afforded to publicizethe work that she and other immigrationlawyers are doing around the country.“I was never passionate aboutmaking a lot of money or winning bigcases or making a name for myself,”said Foley. “I really wanted to makea difference in people’s lives, and tobe a little bit of a rebel – to speak outpolitically. If I win a personal injurycase, it doesn’t undo the injury – but if Iwin an immigration case it makes a hugeimpact on someone’s life. A whole newset of doors opens for them.”Foley jumped into the immigrationscene with her first job out of lawschool at Progreso Latino, a non-profitdedicated to helping the Latino andimmigrant communities in RhodeIsland achieve greater self-sufficiency andself-determination.“Once I got into it, my passionkept building,” she said. “I began tounderstand how deep the injustice in thesystem runs.”She later opened a private practicefocused on family and immigrationlaw, but soon realized that her heartwas in “the practice of law and not inkeeping the books.” Unable to takeon the asylum cases she wanted andconstrained by the need to make endsmeet, she finally accepted a position aslegal director for the immigrant victimsrepresentation project at Catholic SocialServices in Fall River, Mass., where sheworks today.“I’ve always had a strong servicedrive; it was instilled at a young age,”Foley said. “My mom was always givingback and continues to be involved withthrough college by waitressing andworking in restaurants, and the same forlaw school. I wouldn’t have been able togo to law school at all if it hadn’t beenfor RWU giving me a scholarship. AndI loved Roger Williams; it was a greatexperience. I loved going to a smallschool where my professors knew who Iwas and cared about how I did.”While earning her J.D. fromRWU Law, she was involved in severalstudent groups and activities, and wasfounder and president of the ChristianLaw Society.According to Professor Carl Bogus,for whom Foley was a legal assistant,“Alison was a bright and determinedstudent – determined not only to excelbut to acquire the knowledge and skillsthat would enable her to make a positivedifference in the world. It’s wonderful tosee that she’s succeeding on both counts.”Asked to advise law studentsinterested in her brand of immigrationlaw, Foley – a single mother of twoyoung children, who keeps a cribwedged into her office between herdesk, client chairs and stacks of filesfor those late nights – says it’s a tough,I was never passionate about making a lot of money orwinning big cases or making a name for myself. I reallywanted to make a difference in people’s lives – and to bea little bit of a rebel.– Alison Foley ’04countries in Central America. My dadwas involved in politics and gave me my‘leftist leanings.’”She spends countless hours workingon pro bono immigration cases andvolunteers with La Red de Defensa, aProvidence group that works to defendthe rights of immigrants and thecommunity. Foley believes that if shehadn’t gone into law, she would havechosen another human-interest field –and she credits RWU Law for gettingher to where she is today.“I came from a very poor, workingclassfamily,” Foley said. “I put myselfemotionally demanding but ultimatelyfulfilling job that’s perfect for … well,someone just like her.“I can say that you won’t berewarded in a typical way,” she said. “Ican provide for my family, of course, butthe real reward is so much sweeter thanmoney for me. I wouldn’t change a thingin my life – unless it was to have societyput a higher value on what I do, or toput more hours in the day or days inthe week. But I love my kids, and I lovewhat I do.”31

L A W A L U M N I N E W S A N D E V E N T SSAVE THE DATE!Sunday, August 16, 200910 th Annual Law Alumni Association Golf Tournament32LAA President’s MessageMargreta Vellucci,Esq. ’07President,Law Alumni AssociationAs RWU Law celebrates the end ofanother successful academic year, itis important to look back and reflecton how much our law school hasaccomplished in such a short amountof time. Just this year the law schoolU.S. Supreme Court Bar Admissionsaw its first group swearing-in at theUnited States Supreme Court, some ofthe school’s highest-ever bar-pass rates forfirst-time bar takers, and a recent studyranking our public-interest program assecond in all of New England.It is clear that great things arehappening, and we need your help tomake sure that this growth and progresscontinues at an exciting rate. Reach outto your classmates and encourage themto become involved. It is also importantfor all of us to share the pride we have inour school with anyone considering thelegal profession.As always, my appreciation goes outto the Law Alumni Association BoardRWU Law announces its second United States Supreme Court swearing-inceremony, to be held on Tuesday, February 23, 2010.Dean David A. Logan and Professor Jared Goldstein invite the candidates foradmission to join them for breakfast on the morning of the swearing-in ceremony.The breakfast will be held at 8:00 a.m. at the Supreme Court of the United States.Supreme Court oral arguments will take place after the ceremony.Space is limited to twelve attorney admissions, and priority will be given toRWU Law graduates from the classes of 1996-2000. Only one guest is allowedinside the courtroom. If you wish to participate, please indicate your intent, as soonas possible and no later than July 24, 2009, to Chelsie Horne at chorne@rwu.edu.Once you receive confirmation from the School of Law, you must follow the stepsbelow to complete the application process:• Be a member in good standing of the highest court of your jurisdiction for thepast three years;• Present a certificate of good standing from that court;• Be sponsored by two current members of the U.S. Supreme Court Bar;• Pay the $200 fee; and• Complete the admission application.For complete admission information and forms, visit the U.S. Supreme Court BarAdmission website at http://www.supremecourtus.gov/bar/baradmissions.html.of Directors, the Office of Alumni,Programs & Events, and all of thealumni who continue to support thelaw school with financial gifts or giftsof time and talent.Finally, I would like to extend aspecial welcome to the Class of 2009,the newest members of our AlumniAssociation. I encourage each of youto make a habit of staying involvedwith the law school as you begin yourlegal careers.If you are interested in getting involved,please contact the Alumni Office or medirectly at margretav@gmail.com.Margreta Vellucci, Esq. ’07‘Symplicity’ LaunchedThe Office of Career Services ispleased to announce the launch of“Symplicity,” a new resource that allowsyou to search for jobs by practice areaor location, view a calendar of events,access our Online Resource Libraryand apply to jobs directly throughthe system. You will no longer needa monthly password to access jobpostings. Symplicity also supplies theOffice of Career Services with personalinformation so that we may contact youfor specific opportunities in which youmay be interested.To register as a new user on thesystem, please visit https://law-rwucsm.symplicity.com/studentsandclick on the “Register” button on therighthand side of the page. You willreceive an email with your usernameand password once your registrationhas been approved.Feel free to contact any member ofthe Career Services staff with questionsor comments, at (401) 254-4650.Tournament Sponsor:Thank you for helping us raise over $19,000 for the 2008 Roger WilliamsUniversity School of Law Alumni Association Scholarship Fund!Early-Bird Registration Fee: Pay by June 15, 2009 to receive afoursome for $480. $125 per Tee Sponsor. All proceeds benefit theLaw Alumni Association Scholarship Fund.LAA Holiday Reception a HitMore than a hundred alumni, faculty, staffand guests attended the 11th Annual LawAlumni Association Holiday Reception,always a great chance for folks to reconnectwith the law school community. As in pastyears, attendees brought unwrapped giftsfor the Toys for Tots campaign, whichassists families during the holiday season.The event was an ideal ending to a greatyear for the RWU Law alumni community.1 (l-r) Michael Daly ’02 and CarlyBeauvais Iafrate ’00 with unwrapped giftsfor Toys for Tots.2 (l-r) Stephen Maguire ’96, MichaelVoccola ’97 and Bill Warren ’97.3 (l-r) Nicole Dulude ’06, R.I. SupremeCourt Justice William P. Robinson IIIand Joelle Sylvia ’06.4 (l-r) Eric Miller ’01, Rebecca Cox ’01,John Poloski ’02, Gregory Blasbalg ’01,Megan Higgins ’01, RWU Law marineaffairs research counsel, Meredith Kelley’01 and Lorraine Lalli ’01, RWU Lawassistant dean of students.Co-Chairs:Anthony Leone ’97 andKimberly Tracey ’07When: 11:30 a.m. Registration12:00 noon Lunch1:30 p.m. Shotgun Start6:30 p.m. Dinner, Raffle, Silent Auction & PrizesWhere:1 24Cranston Country Club69 Burlingame Road • Cranston, R.I.Registration: $125 per player$500 per foursomeWatch for additional event details and register online at: http://law.rwu.edu/news/events333

C L A S S N O T E S341996Cindy DeMarco wasmarried to David Franco inOctober 2008. She worksas an Assistant GeneralCounsel with the F.B.I.Stephen P. Maguirerelocated his firm to a newoffice in Cranston, R.I.,specializing in social securitydisability and SSI claims, andhe is licensed to practice inR.I., Mass. and Conn.Anne (Richardson) Nicollwelcomed her second child,Scott Michael, on August22, 2008.1997Cara Conaty married MarkLucchetti on January 8, 2009in Belize.Christopher Millea and hiswife Ellen are pleased toannounce the birth of theirfirst child, Kathryn ReillyMillea, on October 22,2008. Chris has also openedhis own private criminaldefense practice located inProvidence.Andrea Krupp is theassociate directorof Stewardship &Development, Plannedand Major Gifts, with theDiocese of Providence. Shewas previously an estate1997planning attorney withKenyon Law Associates.Andrea lives in SouthKingston with her husbandBrandon and their 2-yearoldson Harris.Amy Parker and MelodyAlger have opened the lawfirm, Alger Parker LLP inProvidence. They concentratein civil litigation matters.Robert Pellegrini openedhis own practice, the LawOffices of Robert Pellegrini,located in Bridgewater andNewburyport, Mass.Robert Pirri and his wifeJulie welcomed theirdaughter, Angela Patricia“Ela” Pirri on December 14,2008, and currently residein Bristol, R.I.Thomas Sheehan joinedHinckley Allen Snyder, LLPin Providence as a partnerin the personal financialplanning group.David Slepkow marriedDebbie Avelar on December13, 2008, at the Oceancliffin Newport, R.I. Davidis a partner at the lawfirm of Slepkow Slepkow& Associates in EastProvidence, R.I. They residein Stoughton, Mass.Erik Wallin has declared hiscandidacy for Rhode IslandAttorney General in the2010 election.Mark Gemma was nameda “2008 Rising Star inRhode Island” by theSuper Lawyers Association.Only 2.5 percent of thosenominated receive thedistinction. Mark served aspast president of the RhodeIsland Association for Justiceand is active in the American Association of Justiceserving as the secretary to the Counsel of Presidentsand as a state delegate. He has been appointed tothe plaintiff’s steering committee for the Kugel MeshHernia Patch Litigation in the Rhode Island statecourts. He also served as president of the RWU LawAlumni Association.1998Dawn Callaghan and herhusband welcomed theirsecond child, Siena Laura,in February 2008. They alsohave a son, Christian.Sheila A. Harrington and herhusband have moved their firmto a building they remodeled inEast Greenwich, R.I.Dennis A. Meyers marriedDana M. Parks of Orlando,Fla., in January of 2007.In October 2006, afterworking nearly five yearsas a senior associate withWalton Lantaff Schroeder& Carson, LLP in Tampa,Fla., Dennis opened the LawOffice of Dennis A. Meyers,P.A. in that city. Dennishandles insurance defenseand civil litigation.Vicki Ray has been promotedand is now working withinthe Department of HomelandSecurity, Office of theGeneral Counsel, as counselto US-VISIT.Lawrence Zimmermanand his wife, Jennifer,welcomed their first child,Charlotte Rose, on January23, 2009. Lawrence has afirm dedicated to protectingthose charged with bothfederal crimes and seriousstate charges. He is alsocurrently on the board ofdirectors for the GeorgiaAssociation of CriminalDefense Lawyers and hasbeen invited to speak atseveral criminal law seminars.2000Saad Ahmed has his ownpractice in San Francisco,specializing in immigrationlaw. He recently argued acase before the 9th Circuit,sitting en banc (EstradaEspinoza v. AttorneyGeneral of the U.S.), andwon a unanimous decision.It was Saad’s tenth oralargument in the 9th Circuit;one was held at StanfordLaw School. He has alsoargued in the 4th Circuit.1998Jana Berger was namedas partner at the nationallitigation firm Foley &Mansfield, PLLP. Bergerpractices out of the firm’sDetroit office where sheserves as defense counsel tovarious corporations in casesinvolving product liability,toxins, construction defects and premises liability.Berger is also recognized as an expert on the HealthInsurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)and has published numerous articles on the privacyrules in Michigan Lawyers Weekly, Midwest In-Houseand Health Care Weekly Review. She is a member ofthe State Bar of Michigan, the State Bar of California,Michigan Defense Trial Counsel and the DefenseResearch Institute.Stephen R. Archambaultis publicly declaring hiscandidacy for RhodeIsland Attorney Generalin the 2010 election as aDemocrat. Stephen waspreviously a Jamestownpolice officer from 1998to 2003 and is currentlya criminal defense andpersonal injury lawyer,with his office located inWarwick, R.I. He currentlyprosecutes in District Courtfor the Town of Lincoln.In addition, Stephen waselected to the SmithfieldTown Council, where he waspresident until 2008, andnow serves as a councilman.Julie A. Bruno-Archambaultis pleased to announcethe birth of her son, BradyLouis Archambault, born onMarch 18, 2008.Walter Manning IIIcurrently operates theLaw Offices of Walter J.Manning III in both Warwickand North Providence, R.I.He is licensed in all federaland state courts in R.I.,Mass. and Conn., with hisconcentration being realestate, corporate, family,and criminal law. Walterlives in Narragansett, R.I.with his wife, Lynn, andtheir three boys, Walter,Drew, and Collin.Shannon Garvey Roachand her husband Kevin, arepleased to announce thebirth of their son, HenryBernard Michael, born onDecember 9, 2008.2001Rene G. Brown is a solopractitioner with an officein Fall River, Mass., since2001. She is admittedto the Mass., R.I. andU.S. Supreme CourtBars. Her practice area isprimarily criminal defense,representing indigent clientssince 2002 as a BristolCounty Bar Advocate, inFall River and New BedfordDistrict Courts as well asNew Bedford, Fall Riverand Taunton SuperiorCourts. Rene recently hashad a case taken up onappeal to Mass. SupremeCourt, awaiting decision,Commonwealth v. Alabi.Kevin O. Hagan is anassociate at Houlihan,Managhan & Kyle, LLPlocated in Newport, R.I. Hewas formerly a R.I. SpecialAssistant Attorney General.Lisa S. Holley is currentlyserving as ExecutiveCounsel to the RhodeIsland Department ofPublic Safety, a newlycreated department in stategovernment which consistsof the Rhode Island StatePolice, State Fire Marshals,Capitol Police, R.I. JusticeCommission and E911.She is married to David A.Holley ’99 who is a seniormanaging director and headof the New England Regionof Kroll Associates. Theyreside is East Greenwich, R.I.Lorraine Lalli was appointedto the Board of Governorsfor the Boys & Girls Clubs ofProvidence.James Smith has returnedto R.I. after working inManhattan for four yearsin the law department of aWall Street broker/dealer.He opened a generalpractice firm in EastGreenwich, R.I., with afocus in criminal defense,contract formation/litigationand bankruptcy. James islicensed to practice in N.Y.,R.I. and in the United StatesDistrict Court of R.I.Maurene Souza and herhusband Daniel Pilkingtonwere lauded on November25, 2008 at the AnnualPhilanthropy Day held atR.I. Civic Center. They werehonored and made “Partnersin Philanthropy” for thework done with the SanMiguel School for Boys inProvidence, which providesmiddle school education forinner city boys. The couplehas served on the boardas committee members,volunteers, sponsors andmentors. They also foundedan annual golf tournamentto benefit the school.2002Daniel Connors ’02 wasrecently elected MajorityLeader of the Rhode IslandSenate and now serves asex-officio member of allSenate committees. Hehas been representing theresidents of Cumberlandand Lincoln’s District 19at the State House as amember of the R.I. StateSenate since 1996.2005Captain Eric M. Kopka (at left)has returned from a sevenmonthdeployment to Iraqwith the 1st Battalion, 8thMarine Regiment. During thebattalion’s time in Iraq, Ericworked extensively with theIraqi police and Iraqi judges. He is currently workingas the chief trial counsel at Marine Corps Base CampLejeuine in North Carolina.Mike Daly is with the law firmof Pierce Atwood in its newlyopened Providence office.Mike was admitted to theMaine Bar in October 2008.Rebecca (Yeager) Dyewelcomed a daughter, MacyNoel, on December 23,2008. Rebecca is an LSATinstructor for Kaplan.Stacey Leigh (Cassidy)Malloy and her husband,Gerald, welcomed theirfourth child, Warner Joseph,on November 24, 2008.Stacey is a member of theMass., Ga. and D.C. Bars.She resides in Mass.Kelly A. Moore has beenan assistant public defenderin Chicago, Ill. for the past4 years. She was promotedto the Felony Trial Divisionat the Cook County publicdefender’s office in Chicagowhere she is one of 400attorneys.John J. Poloski III and hiswife Nicole welcomedtheir first child, Dylan JohnPoloski, on September 14,2008. John is currently anassociate with the law firmof Lisa & Sousa, Ltd. inProvidence.2003Jessica F. Kallipolites isan assistant administratordirector for the Conn. BarExamining Committee.Gayle C. Mambro-Martin isemployed with the State ofRhode Island Department ofTreasury as the internal legalcounsel/policy analyst forthe Employees’ RetirementSystem of Rhode Island.Sharad Motiani is aprosecutor at the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Officein Fla. where he has servedas the chief of the NarcoticsUnit, worked in the DomesticViolence Unit and servedas Special Assistant UnitedStates Attorney in the SpecialProsecutions Division. As ofJanuary 2009, he became anAssistant State Attorney andis working as Assistant UnitedStates Attorney for the Officeof the United States Attorney,Southern District of Florida.In addition, he is on the hiringcommittee at the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office.Daniel J. Williams andKathleen Giles ‘04 areengaged to be married inMay. Dan is an attorneywith the law firm ofLevinson Axelrod in Howell,N.J. and Kathleen is anattorney with the law firmof Tressler, Soderstrom,Maloney & Priess, LLP,Newark, N.J.Richard Shewack is the latentclaims manager with GlobalAerospace. Richard was alsonamed the Head of AviationClaims at one of the largestinsurance brokers in theworld, Willis of New York.2004Alison M. Foley has beenrecognized as a “Lawyerof the Year” by RhodeIsland Lawyers Weekly.She is the legal directorfor the immigrant victimsrepresentation project forCatholic Social Servicesin Fall River, Mass., afterrunning her own privatepractice.Mark Romley is with theEnvironmental CrimesSection of the Departmentof Justice’s Environment andNatural Resources Division.2005Ronald J. Grant is engagedto be married to MelonyK. Baldwin on October 24,2009, in Greensboro, N.C.2006Ryan S. Andrews isemployed with Cushing &Dolan, P.C. in Boston. Hisprimary practice areas aretaxation, corporate/businesslaw, business planning, andelder law (Medicaid).Victoria Moreno-Jacksonhas been named to theboard of directors for theNational Association forCommunity Mediation2007(NAFCM), a nonprofitclearing house that supportscommunity mediationcenters nationwide. Victoria,who is program directorwith the CommunityMediation Center of RhodeIsland in Providence, hopesto help NAFCM raisefunds to better supportcommunity mediationcenters without raising theirannual dues.2007Katie Ahern is an associate atHinckley Allen Snyder LLP.Liv Fetterman is the assistantdirector of archaeologicalresource investigationswith Western CulturalResource Management inFarmington, N.M. Liv isproviding archaeologicallaw enforcement andarchaeological damageassessment training to publicand private archaeologists,law enforcement agents,and land managers. She willalso provide investigativeassistance and expertwitnesses services.James Steck ’07 andProvidence attorney DavidStrachman recently led adiscussion on civil terrorismlaw at the law school.Having recently co-authoreda new textbook, Cases andMaterials on Civil TerrorismLaw (Lawyers & JudgesPublishing Company, Inc.,2008), the pair focusedon the law and practice oflitigating claims by victims of international terrorismfrom within the U.S. legal system.Strachman is noted for his representation of terrorvictims in civil suits against defendants including thePLO, Palestinian Authority, Hamas and the IslamicRepublic of Iran. He has won judgments on behalfof the victims of “terrorism” from each of theseentities, and focused particularly on his controversialrecent efforts to collect a judgment against Iran bysuing for possession of ancient Persian artifacts inU.S. museum collections.35

C L A S S N O T E SU P C O M I N G E V E N T S362007Deborah Gonzalez is anassociate with GonzalezLaw Offices, Inc., EastProvidence, R.I.Robert S. Knychalski is anassociate with Pannone,Lopes & Devereaux LLC inProvidence.Kali Racavich and Al Brink’07 are engaged to bemarried in 2010. They live inBoston where Al works forErnst & Young in transactionadvisory services.Elizabeth Suever was namedthe chair of the new lawyersdivision of the Rhode IslandBar Association.Sara E. (Sepe) Sweeney wasmarried to Patrick Sweeneyon July 20, 2008. She isemployed with the LawOffices of J. William Harsch& Associates.Kimberly Tracey is anassociate with the law firmof Duffy Sweeny & Scott.Before joining the firm, sheserved as a judicial law clerkto R.I. Superior Court JusticeMichael A. Silverstein.2008Wendy Andre is pleased toannounce the opening ofthe Law Office of WendyAndre, PC, New Bedford,Mass. The firm is a generalpractice law firm includingthe areas of immigration,family law, estate planningand probate litigation.Cathleen (Costigan)Andrzejczyk was marriedto Jason Andrzejczyk onSeptember 5, 2008, at theHotel Viking in Newport, R.I.Alexandria E. Baez is anattorney for Robinson &Cole LLP in their Bostonoffice. She serves thefirm’s business litigationsection, and is a memberof the firm’s technologycommittee.Alison R. Conboy is anassociate with Burns &Levinson LLP in Boston afterparticipating in the firm’ssummer associate programin 2007.Laura Corbin is a staffattorney with the AffordableLawyers Project at the LegalAid Society of Hawaii inHonolulu.Katherine (Johnston) Godinwas married in Augustof 2008. She works asan associate at Corley &Associates focusing mostlyon criminal defense.Megan Maciasz is a lawclerk for Justice Suttell onthe R.I. Supreme Court.Jennifer (Kimball) Neurohwas recently marriedand accepted a positionat Fidelity Title Group asClaims Counsel.In MemoriamWhat’s?NewWithYouThe Honorable Albert DeRobbio, longtime ChiefJudge of Rhode Island’s District Court and a popularadjunct professor who taught criminal law at RWULaw, died on December 22, 2008, at the age of79. He served in the Army, graduated from BostonCollege in 1951, earned his law degree from BostonUniversity in 1956 and was involved with the GrandLodge of Rhode Island, the Plantations Lion’s Cluband the Order of the Sons of Italy. He was describedas a “tremendous force” by R.I. Attorney GeneralPatrick Lynch, and will be sorely missed by the RWULaw community.Alumni@Chapter List ServesInterested in joining any of the Roger WilliamsUniversity alumni list serve areas?D.C. Arealawdcarea@rwu.eduRhode Island Arealawri@rwu.eduNew Job? Promotion? Award Recipient?New child? Recently married?Share your news with the RogerWilliams University School of Lawcommunity.E-mail your Class Notes to:lawalumni@rwu.eduN.Y.C. Arealawny@rwu.eduYou must become a member in order to receive or sendcorrespondence through the list serve to other alumni members.Email your request to: lawalumni@rwu.eduProfessional photographs are welcome.Thursday, June 4, 2009Providence Alumni“After Hours” ReceptionTime:Location:5:30 – 7:00 p.m.Hors d’oeuvres &Cash BarPizzico Ristorante “On the East Side”762 Hope Street, Providence, R.I.Law alumni are encouraged to RSVP to the Office ofAlumni, Programs & Events by Wednesday, May 27, 2009at lawevents@rwu.edu or (401) 254-4659.Thursday, June 18, 2009Law Alumni Association AnnualMeeting and BreakfastTime:Location:7:45 a.m. Registration8:00 a.m. Buffet BreakfastThe Westin ProvidenceOne West Exchange Street, Providence, R.I.Held in conjunction with the Rhode Island Bar AssociationAnnual Meeting, and introducing the new 2009/2010 LawAlumni Association Board of Directors. Law alumni areencouraged to RSVP to the Office of Alumni, Programs &Events by Wednesday, June 10, 2009 at lawevents@rwu.eduor 401-254-4659.Friday, July 31, 200911th Annual Rhode Island AttorneyGeneral Open Government SummitTime:Location:8:30 a.m. Registration9:00 a.m. SummitSchool of LawAppellate Courtroom, Bristol, R.I.For additional details on upcomingSchool of Law events, please visit:http://law.rwu.edu/news/eventsRhode Island Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch will hostthe state-wide Open Government Summit. To reserve seating,e-mail agsummit@riag.ri.gov or contact (401) 274-4400,Ext. 2101. Seating in the Appellate Courtroom may belimited. Overflow rooms will be available. Co-sponsored bythe Law Alumni Association.Sunday, August 16, 200910th Annual Law AlumniAssociation Golf TournamentTime:Location:11:30 a.m. Registration12:00 noon Lunch1:30 p.m. Shotgun Start6:30 p.m. Dinner, Raffle, Silent Auction & PrizesCranston Country Club69 Burlingame Road, Cranston, R.I.Registration: $125 per player$125 per Tee Sponsor$500 per foursomeEarly-bird Registration Fee:Pay by June 15, 2009 to receivea foursome for $480.All proceeds benefit the Law Alumni Association ScholarshipFund. For more information or to register on-line, visit:http://law.rwu.edu/news/events/details.aspx?events_id=1080Thursday, October 1, 2009The American Society of Comparative LawAnnual Meeting: Methodological Approaches toComparative LawConference room rates have been established at the BristolHarbor Inn in Bristol, R.I. and the Residence Inn byMarriott-Newport/Middletown. For more information, visit:http://law.rwu.edu/news/events/details.aspx?events_id=1086.

Office of Alumni, Programs and EventsTen Metacom AvenueBristol, Rhode Island 02809Change Service RequestedJanuary saw a first for RWU Law: a group swearing-in ceremony at theUnited States Supreme Court. Having called the Court to order, ChiefJustice Roberts asked Professor Larry Ritchie to approach the podium andmake the formal motion to admit. After repeating the oath, a dozen RWULaw grads became the newest members of the Bar of the Supreme Courtof the United States.(l-r) Thomas Shaffer ’98, Maria Marley’99, Debra Lord ’98, Richard Lord ’96,Cindy DeMarco ’96, Marco Uriati ’96,Lynne Radiches ’97, Anthony Leone II’97, Carly Beauvais Iafrate ’00, MarkGemma ’97, MiCoya Hutchins ’98,and Joseph Healey ’96.