First Women group
Honorees assemble at an April 2019 celebration of the First Women of the Rhode Island Bar.

First Women of the Rhode Island Bar

In April 2019, RWU Law honored the first 176 women to join the state’s bar, in an event that drew an overflow crowd celebrating the massive strides made since those early days – while recognizing the work still to be done.

A plaque, prominently mounted in the law school’s second-floor Atrium, includes a listing of all known First Women “and others unknown,” which was painstakingly compiled by RWU Law Library staff. It opens with this preamble:

“Roger Williams University School of Law honors the pioneering First Women of the Rhode Island Bar (1920 to 1979). Their efforts helped establish the rightful place of women in the legal profession and a foundation upon which a more fully inclusive legal profession can be built.”

The plaque was officially unveiled by Judith E. Hodge, who was admitted to the bar in 1965. Hodge was the earliest bar admittee (23rd of 176) of the First Women attending the event.

“It’s been obvious from the start [of the project] that this issue has resonated with many, many people,” Professor Emily Sack noted in her introduction to the ceremony. “This is truly a powerful moment for our legal community, for our law school, and most especially for our students as we focus on the continuing need to achieve gender equity in our profession.”

Speaking for the First Women present, the Honorable Netti Vogel (admitted in 1975), a former RWU Law Board member who did much to help bring the project to fruition, compared the moment to the tear-jerking final scene from the 1992 film “A League of Their Own”, in which the players in later life visit an exhibition about pioneering women in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

“This is kind of our Hall of Fame,” she said. “I think that’s awesome.”

Honor Roll: The First Women Lawyers in Rhode Island

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The First Women Lawyers in Rhode Island, listed alphabetically along with their year of admission to the Rhode Island Bar.

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  • Lois B. Agronick, 1979
  • Janice Ahlquist, 1952
  • Victoria Almeida, 1976
  • Lillian M. Almeida, 1977
  • Cheryl A. Asquino, 1979
  • Denise M. Auger, 1975
  • Haiganush R. Bedrosian, 1971
  • Patricia M. Beede, 1979
  • Deborah D. Benik, 1975
  • Emilie A. Benoit, 1977
  • Helen I. Binning, 1922
  • Rebecca E. Book, 1978
  • Sheila Cabral Sousa, 1971
  • Dorothy A. Carr, 1951
  • Catherine Carroll-Chiulli, 1979
  • Deborah P. Clarke, 1979
  • Rae B. Condon, 1965
  • Eileen G. Cooney, 1977
  • Mary F. Counihan Livingston, 1977
  • Dorothy R. Crockett Bartleson, 1932
  • Judith Crowell, 1977
  • Emma M. Cummings, 1953
  • Dianne Curran, 1979
  • Marie Daignault, 1929
  • Laurie N. Davison, 1974
  • Mercedes Deines, 1979
  • Kristin A. DeKuiper, 1979
  • Margaret Joyce Diamond, 1953
  • Marion J. Dillon, 1970
  • Sophia Douglass Pfeiffer, 1975
  • Sarah T. Dowling, 1977
  • Louise Durfee, 1966
  • Elizabeth M. Fahey, 1977
  • Carolyn Famiglietti, 1973
  • Joyce A. Faraone, 1979
  • Margaret D. Farrell, 1976
  • Margaret M. Fitzgerald Cooney, 1926
  • Judith B. Fox, 1977
  • Ann T. Frank, 1972
  • Gertrude Friedman Jacobson, 1925
  • Margaret-Ann Gardner, 1979
  • Lise J. Gescheidt, 1977
  • Alice B. Gibney, 1972
  • Cynthia M. Gifford, 1975
  • Carol T. Giliberto, 1978
  • Janet Gilligan, 1978
  • Virginia Giroux, 1974
  • Beverly Glenn Long, 1951
  • Andrea K. Goins Van Leesten, 1979
  • Kathleen Gooden DiMuro, 1976
  • Angelica B. Gosz, 1973
  • Marilynne Graboys Wool, 1950
  • Corinne P. Grande, 1953
  • Patricia Gray Bell, 1978
  • Betty R. Greenberg, 1973
  • Dianne Griffin, 1979
  • Betsy E. Grossman Deleiris, 1973
  • Nancy Hall McMillen, 1974
  • Carolyn Harvie Thompson, 1960
  • Erato Haseotes, 1960
  • Susan D. Hayes, 1977
  • Mary F. Healey, 1979
  • Carol A. Helliwell, 1979
  • Cynthia M. Hiatt, 1978
  • Ann E. G. Hicks, 1978
  • Maureen A. Hobson, 1977
  • Judith E. Hodge, 1965
  • Mary C. Hogan, 1928
  • Merita A. Hopkins, 1979
  • Constance A. Howes, 1978
  • Barbara Hurst, 1976
  • Patricia A. Hurst, 1978
  • Patricia J. Igoe, 1979
  • Elizabeth E. Jutras, 1978
  • Linda S. Katz, 1978
  • Mary Louise Kennedy, 1976
  • Susan L. Kenny, 1977
  • Winifred Elizabeth Kiernan, 1972
  • H. Frances Kleiner, 1979
  • Lynette J. Labinger, 1975
  • Anne M. Lang, 1979
  • Sandra A. Lanni, 1978
  • Faith LaSalle, 1979
  • Rosemary C. Lawlor, 1977
  • Maryann Lawrence Grodin, 1978
  • Susan Leach De Blasio, 1979
  • Beverly E. Ledbetter, 1979
  • Victoria Lederberg, 1977
  • Mary E. Levesque, 1978
  • Margaret R. Levy, 1977
  • Doris J. Licht, 1973
  • Mary Mona Lisi, 1977
  • Diana Littleton Daunis, 1973
  • Mary F. Logan, 1979
  • Helen M. MacGregor, 1953
  • Pamela M. Macktaz, 1970
  • Corinne J. Magee, 1979
  • Kathleen Managhan, 1971
  • Nancy Marks Smith, 1976
  • Mary E. Masulla, 1973
  • Elizabeth L. Mathieu, 1977
  • Joanne E. Mattiace, 1976
  • Anne Maxwell Livingston, 1975
  • Mary Ellen McCabe, 1966
  • Marcia McCabe Wilbur, 1971
  • Jean McCahey Connelly, 1978
  • Gail E. McCann, 1978
  • Marcia McGair Ippolito, 1979
  • Marifrances McGinn, 1975
  • Susan E. McGuirl, 1977
  • Maureen E. McKenna Goldberg, 1978
  • Mary Ellen McQueeney-Lally, 1979
  • Ellen M. McVay, 1977
  • Katherine Merolla, 1979
  • Constance L. Messore, 1957
  • Cathleen S. Miller, 1976
  • Diane H. Miller, 1979
  • Joan M. Montalbano, 1972
  • Patricia D. Moore, 1979
  • Diane M. Morrocco, 1977
  • Allegra E. Munson, 1970
  • Florence K. Murray, 1946
  • Jean A. Musiker, 1974
  • Mary J. Nagle, 1979
  • Carol E. Najarian, 1974
  • Helen M. Nash, 1967
  • Anne L. Northrup, 1974
  • Jo Ellen Ojeda, 1979
  • Nancy Palmisciano, 1974
  • Janet G. Perelson, 1978
  • Hinda G. Pollard, 1978
  • Fredrika H. Quinn, 1976
  • Barbara M. Quinn, 1977
  • Pamela Rehlen, 1970
  • Elizabeth D. Rode Dunning, 1977
  • Paula E. Rosin, 1977
  • Patricia Ryan Recupero, 1974
  • Beth S. K. Sarat, 1977
  • Ada L. Sawyer, 1920
  • Nancy S. Schectman Nemon, 1967
  • Dorothy W. Schoch Jacobson, 1979
  • Marilyn Shannon McConaghy, 1978
  • Merrill W. Sherman, 1974
  • Lisa N. Singer, 1978
  • Carol I. Siravo, 1975
  • Sarah Smith Friedman, 1940
  • Linda L. Standridge, 1973
  • Judith N. Stevenson Calcagni, 1979
  • Jeanne K. Stretch Barrett, 1977
  • Patricia A. Sullivan, 1978
  • Kathleen Sullivan Murray, 1976
  • Elizabeth C. Suvari, 1975
  • Amy R. Tabor, 1975
  • Alyssa L. Talanker, 1979
  • Gayle F. Tarzwell, 1976
  • Ojetta Rogeriee Thompson, 1976
  • Sheila Tobie Swan, 1978
  • Norma M. Trifari Carberry, 1942
  • Rosemary D. Van Antwerp, 1975
  • Diane S. Vanden Dorpel, 1977
  • Saundra W. Verri, 1979
  • Patricia Vinci, 1978
  • Arlene M. Violet, 1974
  • Kathleen A. Voccola, 1978
  • Netti C. Vogel, 1975
  • Jill S. Votta, 1975
  • Ellen Wattendorf, 1977
  • Judith P. Wegner, 1974
  • Janice M. Weisfeld, 1978
  • Mildred White Tracey, 1969
  • Melanie Wilk Thunberg, 1978
  • Stacy E. Wolfe, 1974
  • Carolyn A. Yacovone, 1979
  • Marjorie Yashar, 1968
  • Myrth York, 1977
  • Carol A. Zangari, 1978
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Course Types

We have classified RWU Law classes under the following headers. One of the following course types will be attached to each course which will allow students to narrow down their search while looking for classes.

Core Course

Students in the first and second year are required to take classes covering the following aspects of the law—contracts, torts, property, criminal law, civil procedure, and constitutional law, evidence, and professional responsibility.  Along with these aspects, the core curriculum will develop legal reasoning skills.

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After finishing the core curriculum the remaining coursework toward the degree is completed through upper level elective courses.  Students can choose courses that peak their interests or courses that go along with the track they are following.

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Seminars are classes where teachers and small groups of students focus on a specific topic and the students complete a substantial research paper.

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Inhouse Clinics and Clinical Externships legal education is law school training in which students participate in client representation under the supervision of a practicing attorney or law professor.  RWU Law's Clinical Programs offer unique and effective learning opportunities and the opportunity for practical experience while still in law school.