DOCS@RWU

Roger Williams University School of Law

Roger Williams University 
DOCS@RWU 
Life of the Law School (1993- ) Archives & Law School History 
2-10-2025 
Changemaker: Justin Pruett : Juris Doctorate : More Than Words: 
Insurance Lawyer Justin Pruett L'11 Takes A Different Route Into 
The Courtroom 2-10-2025 
Roger Williams University School of Law 
Follow this and additional works at: https://docs.rwu.edu/law_archives_life 
 Part of the Health Law and Policy Commons, Insurance Law Commons, Legal Education Commons, 
Legal Profession Commons, and the Litigation Commons 
    Changemaker: Justin Pruett : Juris Doctorate: 
More Than Words: Insurance Lawyer  Justin Pruett        
L’11 Takes a Different Route Into the Courtroom 
                               
Justin Pruett L'11 is currently Director of Claims at HCA Healthcare, one of the nation’s 
leading providers of healthcare services. 
 
Justin Pruett, RWU Law Class of 2011 
 
Juris Doctor 
 
When Justin Pruett L’11, Director of Claims for HCA Healthcare, walks into negotiations, he 
commands respect as “the guy in the corner with the money” who makes settlement and 
litigation decisions in multi-million-dollar medical malpractice cases. 
Years ago, though, Pruett was “the guy who wouldn’t shut up in my English class.” As a 
talkative high school freshman, he was invited to join his school’s mock trial team. That 
experience sparked an interest in litigation, but along the way, he turned from a kid who 
dreamed of arguing before the Supreme Court into a strategic decisionmaker “looking at 
the worst of the worst situations in people's lives and trying to do what's best, not just for 
the company, but also for them.” 
Even though he was interested in a legal career, Pruett took a few years after college to 
“figure out who I was.” He worked as a casualty insurance adjustor before starting at Roger 
Williams University School of Law in 2008. At RWU Law, he enjoyed his classes with Judge 
William Smith, who based many of the hypotheticals in his criminal procedure class on an 
insurance fact pattern. An externship with MetLife Auto & Home also helped shape his 
career. 
Today, Pruett handles the malpractice litigation docket for HCA Healthcare, one of the 
largest for-profit healthcare systems in the U.S. He analyzes the factual and legal merits 
along with the insurance implications for each of the hundreds of cases his team handles. 
Shortly after he began handling medical malpractice claims, a mentor showed the once-
loquacious Pruett how to carry himself in court and at the negotiation table. Pruett recalls, 
“I went to my first mediation with him, and he said, ‘You know, when you walk into a room, 
the people need to know who you are. They don't need to hear you, because if they know 
who you are, they already know you, and that you have the capacity to close the deal.’” 
  
 
Even before that, Pruett says, “My mom told me as a kid that I needed to be quiet more, so I 
learned how to say things without talking, and I learned how to communicate in a variety of 
different ways that I think serves me well in this job, because while I'm not in front of a 
judge every day, I have to communicate to a lot of different audiences.”  
Pruett also credits his mother, who worked 25 years as a legal assistant for a medical 
malpractice insurance company, with introducing him to the medical terminology in which 
he is now fluent. “It never dawned on me that there might have been some sort of innate 
juju that she was bringing home that just kind of embedded itself on my psyche,” says 
Pruett. 
While Pruett spends plenty of time in court, it isn’t in the role he’d once envisioned. He 
encourages law students to look beyond the courtroom to fulfilling careers in the insurance 
industry. “I think when you're in law school, you don't realize that there are other ways to 
use the skill sets that you are learning,” he says. “I hope that people understand that there 
are a variety of different legal professions and highways and roads you can go to using your 
law degree to get into the insurance industry and to have a pretty fruitful career path.” 
 


English

Changemaker: Justin Pruett : Juris Doctorate : More Than Words: Insurance Lawyer Justin Pruett L\u2711 Takes A Different Route Into The Courtroom  2-10-2025

I am a Legal Studies & Creative Writing Major with a Political Science minor. I have loved creative writing and poetry since I was young, and I am so excited to be able to share my work with the entire campus. As a poet, I seek to address my own feelings towards real-life experiences and also help others work through their feelings. I hope anybody reading feels inspired to engage in the cathartic practice that is poetry, and I hope they never feel too afraid to share what feelings and experiences matter most to them

DeFeo, Hannah

The Green Thread  
by Hannah DeFeo  
 
 
They tell me, not knowing I am voiceless, that they are sorry 
For my loss. 
I open my mouth the way a funeral lily’s petals may splay out, 
Fragrant white fingers of pollen and grief, 
Grief as lustrous and as ineffable as a river, 
Freshwater eating away at a dam long forgotten, so how do I 
Tell my mother, with a mother no longer, that it feels as though death 
Was the seam ripper, and the thread is now unraveled, and the 
Fabric holds together no longer…? 
 
The trick is that I don’t. Instead, when we are moving porcelain clowns 
Into donation boxes—they are orphans now—I explore a life that now 
Belongs to no body. 
No body to wear these twin turquoise rings, 
Pin this lion brooch to a lapel, 
Clip the lobster claw at the back of this gold chain. 
 
My parents assemble the orphanage, and 
I scour a bejeweled graveyard and pledge 
To let each artifact feel a heartbeat once more, 
Warm skin decorated in gems and charms. 
I will sew you to my body with heartstrings and soul thread. 
 
I am the body that wears and pins and clips. 
I will take care of the gold and the silver, 
Of the turquoise and the tourmaline. 
I cannot revive the seam but I can use greener thread; 
A granddaughter’s thread. 
 
Contours of a soul imprinted over and over again, 
New contours, new thread: I think they call this Fate. 
These imprinted souls attended the same funeral, 
One in the casket, one in the receiving line, 
But she didn’t really die, and I never really unraveled, 
And so I know her soul ebbs and flows alongside mine. 
 
Those turquoise twin rings surround little fingers, 
The lion brooch is pinned to a proud lapel, 
And the delicate chain adorns a limitless voice. 
  
We found—and find—each other beyond the grave. 


The Green Thread

https://docs.rwu.edu/poetry-walk-images/1037/thumbnail.jp

Linda Ramey

https://docs.rwu.edu/poetry-walk-images/1043/thumbnail.jp

Amanda Walsh

Linda Ramey, a winner of the Rhode Island State Arts Council Fellowship in Literature, holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Maryland. Her work has appeared in New Letters, Nimrod, The MacGuffin, Prairie Schooner, and other journals. She teaches in the Writing Studies program at Roger Williams

Ramey, Linda

In the Solarium at Rough Point 
by Linda Ramey 
 
 
She’s lost a ring or a bracelet or some other reminder 
of her family or herself, rolled off 
like a fat rosehip loosened by a wind. 
 
Now she’s down, a forelimb lost in light 
knee-walking the marble floor the way I once watched 
pilgrims at an ancient shrine suffer up a stone stair 
 
in the curious humility of a faith I never found. 
I mock kneel too, out of impulse or empathy 
or whatever the appropriate gesture is for searching, 
 
my fingers aping the long and short of her reach, 
my palms plumbing crisis points in the floor, 
the fault lines of vulnerability, 
 
veining, phraseless 
like some long hurt that traces her jagged, 
dips her into the edgy side of smooth.  
 
She dangles lightless, lost to her loss 
an inverted mole, back pressing stone, 
paws probing for what they can no longer grasp.  
 
Now moonless and marooned, the knee-walker a marbling 
or a mirage, I drag the night through roughened shins, 
bumping into glass walls, at my wrist a dark bracelet tightening. 
 
 


In the Solarium at Rough Point

Roger Williams University 
DOCS@RWU 
Life of the Law School (1993- ) Archives & Law School History 
4-4-2025 
Changemakers: Tracy Harper: Juris Doctorate: A Pioneer In The 
Provision Of Immigration Legal Services 03-2025 
Roger Williams University School of Law 
Follow this and additional works at: https://docs.rwu.edu/law_archives_life 
 Part of the Human Rights Law Commons, Immigration Law Commons, Law and Society Commons, 
Legal Education Commons, Legal Profession Commons, and the Public Interest Commons 
    Changemakers: Tracy Harper: Juris   
Doctorate: A Pioneer in the Provision of   
Immigration Legal Services    
                                  
Tracy Harper, Esq., L'13 is the Afghan and Refugee Program Managing Attorney of Catholic 
Charities Archdiocese of Denver. 
 
Tracy Harper, RWU Law Class of 2013 
Juris Doctor 
Recognizing long ago that traditional legal service models often fail to meet the needs of 
the most vulnerable in our society, Tracy Harper, Esq., L’13 has committed her career to 
developing innovative and compassionate approaches to legal advocacy. 
Currently managing the Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Denver’s Afghan and Refugee 
Program, Harper supervises a team providing immigration legal services to Colorado’s 
growing Afghan and refugee communities.   
After gaining experience in various nonprofit roles supporting immigrant and refugee 
integration throughout the Denver area, Harper has found her niche here. Empowering 
these populations with information and resources, she says, “the result is that Afghan 
humanitarian parolees in Colorado have been overwhelmingly successful in obtaining 
asylum and exercising autonomy over their legal status and their immigration journey going 
forward.” 
Advocating for the rights of underserved and historically excluded communities has been 
the driving force in Harper’s law career—indeed, it’s what led her to Roger Williams 
University School of Law in the first place. 
A few years after earning her undergraduate degree at the University of Colorado-Boulder, 
Harper experienced a defining moment that set her on the path to law school. When health 
insurance rates suddenly quadrupled at her job, she attended an information session with 
her employer hoping to gain insight into the market forces behind the substantial increase. 
Instead, she left the meeting without answers—frustrated and angry not only for herself, 
but on behalf of her colleagues, many of whom were lower-wage employees who lacked 
the resources to challenge or question the policies.  
The experience left Harper with “a flash of insight,” she recalls. “If I go to law school, I can 
stop things like this from happening to people who don’t have the education and resources 
to fight for their rights.” 
 
  
 
RWU Law’s commitment to social justice and public service set the school apart from 
others in Harper’s search for the right law school.  “It was the public interest program that 
really [drew] me,” she says. “I read about the Feinstein Center and the Street Law program, 
and something said to me that this school would get me where I wanted to go.” 
Harper immersed herself in the public interest opportunities offered at RWU Law, joining 
the Association for Public Interest Law (APIL) student group and helping to establish a 
chapter of the National Lawyers Guild (NLG). She recalls attending “as many of Laurie 
[Barron]’s public interest potlucks as I could to meet others who shared my passion and 
determination to use the lawyer power for community good.” 
Experiential learning opportunities like Alternative Spring Break—which she participated in 
all three years—and a judicial clerkship with Justice Indeglia at the Rhode Island Supreme 
Court proved invaluable for Harper.  
However, it was Harper’s participation in the Immigration Clinic with Professor Mary Holper 
that emerged as the most transformative experience. “Within weeks of this class, I was 
hooked,” she says. “I realized that this was an area of law that needed advocates to ensure 
fairness for the world’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged people. The last semester of 
my 3L year I worked as a student attorney in the immigration law clinic and started on the 
path I find myself today.” 
Harper’s current work at Catholic Charities of Denver primarily focuses on family 
reunification for Afghan asylees evacuated in 2021, as well as securing green cards for 
refugees, asylees, and Afghan Special Immigrants who supported the U.S. mission in 
Afghanistan. 
Looking ahead, Harper aims to create a lawyering model that brings legal services directly 
to clients in familiar spaces, like mosques and other community-based organizations 
where they are already receiving non-legal support during the integration process.   
As Harper explains, “There are more displaced persons in the world than at any time in our 
recorded history. There are not enough immigration attorneys, forget immigration attorneys 
with asylum expertise and knowledge of other humanitarian pathways” to meet the growing 
demand. With this in mind, Harper remains committed to “being a pioneer and a 
revolutionary in the provision of immigration legal services” by finding innovative ways to 
ethically and effectively support as many people as possible. 
 


Changemakers: Tracy Harper: Juris Doctorate: A Pioneer In The Provision Of Immigration Legal Services  03-2025

Roger Williams University School of Law Library

Roger Williams University 
DOCS@RWU 
Law Library Newsletters/Blog Law Library 
3-2025 
Law Library Blog (March 2025): Legal Beagle's Blog Archive 
Roger Williams University School of Law Library 
Follow this and additional works at: https://docs.rwu.edu/law_lib_newsblog 
 Part of the Law Librarianship Commons, Legal Education Commons, and the Legal Writing and 
Research Commons 
March 2025 Library Blogs 
Legal Beagle's Post 
 
 
March 24, 2025 
A WEEK IN THE LAW LIBRARY LIFE: LINDSAY KOSO, 
RESEARCH & INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES LIBRARIAN 
March 24, 2025 
 
As the Research & Instructional Services Librarian at Roger Williams University School of Law, 
no two weeks ever look quite the same. Balancing student engagement, faculty support, and 
scholarly work means wearing many hats — often several at once. Here’s a glimpse into a recent 
week in my professional life. 
Planning and Promoting Library Programing - The week kicked off with a burst of 
creativity as I finalized plans for our ongoing Lawyer March Madness event. This fun, 
competitive program invites students to vote on their favorite legal luminaries, mirroring the 
excitement of the NCAA tournament to get us through the spring slump. I worked on 
promotional materials, crafting engaging graphics and drafting announcements to spread the 
word via our law school’s social media channels, email newsletters, and library website. Fun 
fact—I use my art and design background to create a lot of our promotional materials from 
scratch. Developing visual didactics and engaging infographics is a great way for me to be 
creative and keep patrons engaged. 
Student Outreach and Pro Bono Supervision - Most weeks focus on building 
connections with students. I brainstormed ideas for future outreach and engagement — from 
interactive workshops to informal research Q&A sessions. Additionally, I met with the students 
working under my supervision to fulfill their Pro Bono requirement, compiling and synthesizing 
research for a vital advocacy project for Rhode Island public libraries. I also prepped for a guest 
lecture I am giving in Dean Ortiz’s Advanced Legal Research course on Critical Legal Theory, 
which I call research for the social justice lawyer. 
Scholarship and Course Development - Midweek, I carved out time for two major 
writing projects. I’m currently working on articles examining the digital shift in law school 
research and testing, and historic research for federal Indian law in colonial New England — 
both exciting, deeply relevant topics. In parallel, I developed proposals for new seminar courses 
on specialized legal research, aiming to equip upper-level students with targeted skills in practice 
areas and legal academia. 
Reference Desk, Chat, and Research Requests - A lot of my job revolves around direct 
support. I staff the Reference Desk three days a week, helping students with externship research 
and placement-related queries, while simultaneously staffing the Reference Chat feature for 
virtual assistance. Faculty requests rolled in as well — from researching legislative histories to 
tracking down hard-to-find case law — and I worked swiftly with my colleagues to gather and 
deliver the needed materials. Alumni also reached out for support with ongoing legal matters, 
reinforcing the library’s role as a lifelong resource. Finally, I coordinated Alternative Spring 
Break reference coverage, ensuring smooth operations while some of our community members 
engage in impactful service projects. 
Collections Management and a March Book Display - Wrapping up the week, I 
focused on collections management. I reviewed Greenslips — a selection tool for recommending 
new acquisitions — ensuring our resources remain current and practice-focused. I also curated a 
monthly book display, spotlighting titles that align with upcoming events, legal observances, and 
student interests. 
Professional Development - When I’m not at work, I’m pursuing an LL.M. in Indigenous 
Peoples Law at The University of Oklahoma. This semester I’ve finished a course on Criminal 
Jurisdiction in Indian Country, and I start my course on International Indigenous Peoples Law 
next week. I’m also staying on top of my qualifications for Connecticut, where I’m barred, which 
means at least one or two CLE programs a month. Finally, I volunteer as a Citizen Archivist for 
the National Archives Catalog, working to digitize thousands of handwritten, illegible, or 
otherwise mis-cataloged legal documents for the Archives. Right now, I am a few hundred pages 
deep into an equity case involving a dispute over large tracts of land promised to the Pokagon 
Band of the Pottawatomie Nation by the Treaty of Greenville (1914).  
 
March 28, 2025 
Week in the Law Library Life—Misty Peltz-Steele, 
Associate Law Librarian for Research & 
Administration 
March 28, 2025 
 
As several of my colleagues have already mentioned, no two weeks in the library are exactly the 
same.  Facing a new set of challenges each day keeps us on our toes and makes for an interesting 
time.  Here are a few highlights from my work life over the last week 
Anyone Need a Teacher? 
By far, my favorite experience last week was guest lecturing in the Advanced Legal Research 
course.  Course participants, after watching a video that I previously recorded on international 
and foreign legal research, allowed me to help guide them through an in-class workshop.  We 
explored many of the different resources and databases used to conduct research in these areas.  I 
very much enjoyed my time in the class.  I hope that the students did as well.  Thank you to my 
fearless leader, Raquel Ortiz, for the invite. Our teaching librarians, me included, are often called 
upon to guest lecture in classes.  Although it takes a great deal of time to prepare for such 
lectures, I always enjoy the opportunity because I seem to learn more than I ever have time to 
pass on in a class.  It makes me a better librarian and gives me much appreciated, face-to-face 
time with students and faculty.   
I also brought the teaching librarians together for a meeting at the end of the week. We discussed 
issues that may arise this spring and next fall and reviewed one-credit course proposals that we 
are considering. The proposal I’m working on is for a course to teach the research skills 
necessary to succeed on the NextGen bar exam.  I spent a few hours organizing content into a 
rough syllabus and refining course objectives before the meeting.  It’s important to me to 
develop a course that is fun and engaging, while also allowing students to hone their research 
know-how and strategy.   
What’s the Latest and Greatest in Legal Research? 
I took some time this week to keep current on legal research tools.  I attended a vLex training. 
For those of you unfamiliar with that platform, vLex is a large legal database with coverage of all 
states and seventeen countries (translations included).  The demonstration focused on upgrades 
to the platform’s AI assistant.  We don’t subscribe to vLex, but it doesn’t hurt to keep informed 
about research options. Our wonderful Aspen representative, Kaitlyn, also visited the law school 
in person.  It’s always nice to catch up with her and learn about new offerings from Aspen 
Publishing.  I also began reviewing new book titles, published this year, to make purchase 
suggestions in line with our Collection Development Policy. 
 
Any Questions? 
The most routine aspect of my week is research questions.  We are here to serve students and 
faculty so answering questions is one of the most important aspects of our job.  As Lindsay Koso 
mentioned in last week’s blog post, we constantly monitor email and chat for questions and share 
shifts at the reference desk.  We’re able to answer most of the questions we receive pretty 
quickly.  However, I worked on a couple of research requests last week that were more complex 
in nature.  I spent the better part of a day answering them in coordination with my 
colleagues.  Sometimes it takes a village to accurately complete a task in a timely manner.  I’m 
always impressed by the willingness of the library staff to pitch in and help with research as 
needed. I carved out some precious time to work on my independent research last week as 
well.  Writing will be harder for me, not because I don’t enjoy it, but because I’m an anxious 
writer.  Chocolate is not safe anywhere in my vicinity when I start typing.  It’s a good thing this 
blog post isn’t very long because I’m already a candy bar and two packages of Dots deep. 
What’s a Week Without a Little Chaos? 
At some point last week, the operating system for our catalog went down.  If you missed it—
good!  I think we caught it pretty quickly in the library.  One of my responsibilities is to manage 
our information systems and technologies and keep them up to date.  Fortunately, the system 
Help Desk came through for me, and the issue was repaired within a couple of hours. I’m 
grateful that the problem wasn’t more difficult to fix.  A library without a working catalog 
cannot stand. 
Because I direct the law library’s research and access services, I work closely with most of the 
library staff.  In addition to Raquel and Lindsay, that includes Jessica Silvia, Erin Orsini, and our 
newest librarian, Kiron Ireland, who I caught up with this week for coffee and a chat about his 
goals for the year.  It’s a joy and privilege to work with such good people.  They are full of great 
ideas, and I get just as much pleasure as everyone else in the building when I see them come to 
life. 


Law Library Blog (March 2025): Legal Beagle\u27s Blog Archive

Jeznach, Lillian C.

Roger Williams University 
DOCS@RWU 
University Workshop Materials for the 
Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution 
Model (SELDM) 
Engineering, Computing, and Construction 
Teaching Materials 
2025 
Pre and Post Student Self-Assessment Questions 
Lillian C. Jeznach 
Follow this and additional works at: https://docs.rwu.edu/teachingmater_seldm 
 Part of the Engineering Commons 
SELDM Case Study Exercise 
Pre and Post Student Self-Assessment Questions 
All questions are on a Likert scale with 5 being strongly agree and 1 being strongly disagree 
1. I can define the term “drainage area”. 
2. I can define the basic physiographic properties of a drainage area such as area, length, 
and mean slope. 
3. I can define “total impervious area”. 
4. I can define “stormwater runoff”. 
5. I can define “hydrograph”. 
6. I understand how total impervious area effects a stormwater runoff hydrograph. 
7. I can define “runoff coefficient”. 
8. I can define “BMP”. 
9. I can use a mass balance method to calculate downstream flows, concentrations, and 
constituent loads. 
10. I understand how to read a probability axis on a graph. 
11. I understand the definition of a triangular hydrograph. 
12. I know of a tool used in practice to model stormwater runoff and the effects of structural 
stormwater controls. 
13. I know where I can get national data on precipitation, streamflow, and constituents if I’m 
doing a stormwater study. 
14. I know what a random variable is. 
15. I understand the difference between a statistical model and a physical one.  
16. I can run a basic SELDM simulation to generate planning level estimates of upstream, 
impervious area, and downstream hydrographs and water quality constituents. 
17. I can interpret outputs from SELDM by producing graphs that can be used for water 
management decisions. 
18. I understand how a BMP can affect concentrations and loads downstream.  
19. I have the ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by 
applying principles of engineering, science and mathematics. 
20. I have the ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and 
interpret data, and use engineering judgement to draw conclusions. 


Pre and Post Student Self-Assessment Questions

SELDM Case Study Exercise
Worksheet 2: Analyzing and interpreting SELDM results
Objectives:
Reinforce hydrology concepts (precipitation, watersheds, hydrographs, stormwater runoff, stormwater controls) with an application of SELDM.
Apply SELDM to generate planning level estimates of upstream, impervious area, and downstream hydrographs and water quality constituents.
Apply SELDM to generate planning level estimates of stormwater structural controls on a downstream hydrograph and water quality constituents.
Interpret data outputs from SELDM by producing graphs that can be used for water management decisions.
SELDM Output Files:

File	Contents	Worksheet name
HowardBrookLevel2-Annual.txt	Annual Highway Runoff	Annual
HowardBrookLevel2-DF.txt	Dilution Factor	DF
HowardBrookLevel2-DQ.txt	Downstream Runoff Quality	DQ
HowardBrookLevel2-HQ.txt	Highway Runoff Quality	HQ
HowardBrookLevel2Out.txt	Output Documentation	Out
HowardBrookLevel2-PE.txt	Precipitation Events	PE
HowardBrookLevel2-PS.txt	Prestorm Streamflow	PS
HowardBrookLevel2-SF.txt	Stormflows	SF
HowardBrookLevel2-UQ.txt	Upstream Water Quality	UQ

Analysis Instructions:
Download the “Results.xlsx” spreadsheet on Bridges.
Open your results folder where you saved SELDM on your C Drive. There should be 9 .txt files.
Copy and paste the results of each text file into the appropriately labeled worksheet. Be sure to paste into the A1 cell each time.
Results of your model run should automatically appear in “Graphs” worksheet.
Answer the questions below.

SELDM Results Interpretation and Discussion:

Question 1: 
Briefly discuss the impacts of the highway runoff on total phosphorus concentrations downstream with and without a BMP. 
What percentage of events is expected to exceed the common limit for running waters? 
Approximately what concentration can be expected for a storm with a 3-year exceedance risk? 
Paste in a graph to help with your discussion.



Question 2:
Briefly discuss the impacts of the BMP on downstream phosphorus dilution. The BMP that was included in our simulation was one that could decrease the volume of runoff and also extend the stormwater runoff hydrograph. 
Does this type of BMP increase or decrease the dilution factor in the downstream receiving water?
Does this type of BMP increase or decrease the dilution of the stormwater in the downstream water? (Hint: Think about dilution factor definition)
How is the dilution factor related to downstream concentration?
Paste in a graph to help with your discussion.




Question 3:
Briefly discuss the effects of this type of BMP on annual phosphorus yield (lb/yr).
Paste in a graph to help with your discussion.

2


Lesson 2: Worksheet Student Version

Melgar, Helga

Roger Williams University 
DOCS@RWU 
Life of the Law School (1993- ) Archives & Law School History 
5-14-2025 
Law School News: RWU Law Teams Earn Top Honors At National 
Admiralty Moot Court Competition 4-2-2025 
Helga Melgar 
Follow this and additional works at: https://docs.rwu.edu/law_archives_life 
 Part of the Admiralty Commons, Judges Commons, Law of the Sea Commons, Legal Education 
Commons, Legal Profession Commons, and the Legal Writing and Research Commons 
April 2, 2025 
 
Law School News 
 
RWU LAW TEAMS EARN TOP HONORS AT NATIONAL 
ADMIRALTY MOOT COURT COMPETITION 
Recognized for Second-Best Team Oral Advocacy, Best Brief, and Best Oral Advocate 
 
April 2, 2025  Helga Melgar 
 
L-R: Prof. Jonathan Gutoff; 3L team: Michael Pluhowski, Isaac Berlau, Rafael Rodriguez; 2L 
team: Caroline Stanton Chlaupek, Max Schapfel, and Kaely Larkin. 
Roger Williams University School of Law delivered an impressive performance at the 2025 
Judge John R. Brown Admiralty Moot Court Competition, held in New Orleans. Coached by 
Professor Jonathan Gutoff and Adjunct Professor Brody Karn L’19, RWU Law’s 3L and 2L 
teams stood out in this well-regarded national competition focused on admiralty law and 
designed to test students’ written and oral advocacy skills. 
 
The event drew 32 student teams from across the country, including law schools from the West, 
Gulf, and East coasts—as well as inland institutions such as the University of New Mexico 
School of Law. Notable participating schools included the University of Texas at Austin School 
of Law and the University of Michigan Law School. Rounds were judged by federal and state 
judges, leaders of the Maritime Law Association of the United States, and distinguished 
professors in admiralty law. 
RWU Law’s 3L team—Isaac Berlau, Rafael Rodriguez, and Michael Pluhowski—earned a 
perfect 3-0 record in the preliminary rounds, advanced to the quarterfinals, and received the 
Second-Best Team Oral Advocacy Award. The 2L team—Kaely Larkin, Max Schapfel, and 
Caroline Stanton Chlaupek—posted a 2-1 record and was awarded Best Brief, while Caroline 
Stanton Chlaupek earned individual honors as Best Oral Advocate. 
“For the brief, the students—without any help—had to master issues of admiralty and federalism 
that have been troubling the bar, courts, and scholars for over 100 years,” said Professor Gutoff. 
“For the oral argument, students practiced twice a week and were mooted by numerous alumni 
and faculty members, all of whom were incredibly generous with their time.” 
The teams’ achievements reflect the strength of RWU Law’s maritime and admiralty curriculum, 
as well as the school’s continued focus on experiential learning and legal writing excellence. 
 


Roger Williams University

Not a member yet

Changemaker: Justin Pruett : Juris Doctorate : More Than Words: Insurance Lawyer Justin Pruett L\u2711 Takes A Different Route Into The Courtroom 2-10-2025

The Green Thread

Linda Ramey

Amanda Walsh

In the Solarium at Rough Point

Changemakers: Tracy Harper: Juris Doctorate: A Pioneer In The Provision Of Immigration Legal Services 03-2025

Law Library Blog (March 2025): Legal Beagle\u27s Blog Archive

Pre and Post Student Self-Assessment Questions

Lesson 2: Worksheet Student Version

Law School News: RWU Law Teams Earn Top Honors At National Admiralty Moot Court Competition 4-2-2025

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