Degree program: JD/MMA

Year accepted: 2023

Advisor: Dr. David Bidwell

Samuel Filiaggi graduated from the joint-degree program between the University of Rhode Island (URI) and Roger Williams University School of Law with his Master of Marine Affairs (M.M.A.) and Juris Doctor. Sam also majored in marine affairs and minored in oceanography as an undergraduate at URI, earning his Bachelor of Science. During that time, Sam also completed the Williams-Mystic Ocean and Coastal Studies Program. Through that experience, he discovered a passion for using an interdisciplinary approach to address environmental challenges with the goal of building positive change and relationships in affected communities. He applied this approach for his M.M.A. major project. for which he worked with the Pokanoket Tribe, Center for Indigenous Peoples Rights, and Save The Bay to identify policy recommendations to remediate pollution of the Tribe’s ancestral shellfishing grounds in Mount Hope Bay. After graduating, Sam became a 2026 John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellow. He is a licensed attorney in the State of Rhode Island seeking to practice ocean and coastal law for the public interest.