“The First Women Project” was conceived to identify the first women admitted to practice law in Rhode Island. Roger Williams University School of Law teamed up with the Rhode Island Bar Association to comprise a definitive list of names of the 175 women admitted to practice law in Rhode Island from 1920 to 1979.
The ceremony, which was held on April 11, 2019 at Roger Williams University School of Law, honored the women by dedicating a plaque bearing their names. Victoria Almeida, Susan Leach DeBlasio and Sally Dowling, who retired from Adler Pollock & Sheehan at the end of last year, were among the women named. The plaque will be permanently installed in a prominent place at the law school, ensuring that the First Women and their contributions will be remembered in perpetuity.
Nicole Benjamin and Nicole Verdi, both graduates of RWU Law served on the Steering Committee for this event.
