Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

BRISTOL, R.I. -- The state's only law school will increase the amount of pro bono legal services it provides to needy communities, after a well-known lawyer donated $250,000 to expand Roger Williams University's School of Law Pro Bono Collaborative.

Providence lawyer Mark Mandell, a personal injury lawyer who sits on the Rhode Island Supreme Court Ethics Advisory Panel, is a longtime supporter of the law school. Mandell teaches trial advocacy at RWU and sits on the law school's board of directors. He was honored for his donation Thursday at the university.

Mandell's gift includes a challenge to other members of the legal community to match his donation, enabling the law school to further expand its innovative pro bono program that matches lawyers from prestigious law firms with law students and community organizations that serve the poor.

"The law school is a beacon for all judges, attorneys and citizens who are participants on our system of justice," Mandell said in a statement. "I think that RWU Law is as important as any academic institution in the state of Rhode Island."

In 2006, RWU began partnering law students with 10 law firms throughout the state, offering free legal advice and representation to 28 community-based organizations that serve low-income and vulnerable Rhode Islanders.

The law schools says the donated work represents about 500 hours of pro bono services from the state's legal community, and 1,900 hours of work by RWU law students.

"To my knowledge, the [Pro Bono Collaborative] is the only pro bono program in the country that provides legal service to low-ncome people through this sort of three-way collaboration between law firms, a law school and community organizations," said David A. Logan, dean of the law school.

 Tags  Bristol RI education Providence RI Roger Williams University School of Law

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