March 18, 2026

RWU Law's Seventh Annual Women in Law Leadership Lecture welcomed Carrie A. Goldberg, founder of the victims' rights law firm C.A. Goldberg, PLLC, and recognized the winners of RWU Law's Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Essay and Art Contest.

BRISTOL, R.I. - Roger Williams University School of Lawand the Women's Law Society hosted its Seventh Annual Women in Law Leadership Lecture this March, welcoming Carrie A. Goldberg, founder of the victims' rights law firm C.A. Goldberg, PLLC, for a fireside conversation about justice, advocacy, and the evolving challenges women face in the legal profession.

Goldberg joined Law Professor Emily J. Sack for a discussion exploring her career representing survivors of sexual violence and individuals harmed by online abuse and harassment. The annual program is part of the Women in Law Leadership Lecture Series, which brings influential women in the legal field to campus.

RWU Law Assistant Dean Jodi Haley, chair of the Women in Law Leadership Steering Committee, said the lecture series evolved from a broader law school initiative that recognized the first women admitted to practice law in Rhode Island.

"We wanted to continue this important narrative into today to ensure that we are keeping the issues of gender and the law front and center," Haley said during opening remarks.

The program also included the announcement of the RWU Law's Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Essay and Art Contest, which invites Rhode Island students in grades K-12 to reflect on the theme, "How Has Ruth Bader Ginsburg Inspired Me?" This year's winners included Adequoyah Matthews, a senior at the Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center; Gunivere Sloane, a seventh grader at Warwick Veterans Middle School; and Sophie Noel, a fifth grader at Lincoln Central Elementary School.

Goldberg is nationally known for her work in survivor advocacy and has represented high-profile clients, including former U.S. Rep. Katie Hill and several accusers of film producer Harvey Weinstein.

Goldberg has built a national reputation advocating for survivors and challenging the role technology platforms play in facilitating harassment and abuse. Her firm has represented high-profile clients, including former U.S. Rep. Katie Hill and several accusers of film producer Harvey Weinstein, while also pursuing major litigation involving online platforms under a theory of product liability.

During the conversation, Goldberg discussed one of her early cases involving the dating app Grindr, in which she pursued an unconventional legal strategy by framing the platform as a defective product rather than focusing on user-generated content protected under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.

"You might feel something in your gut that a theory is right, even when everyone tells you it's stupid," Goldberg said, reflecting on the persistence required to pursue the case. The strategy has since gained broader recognition and is now used in litigation involving major technology companies.

Goldberg also spoke about a recent legal battle involving families whose children died after purchasing a toxic chemical sold online. Her firm represents multiple families pursuing legal action against Amazon, arguing the company continued selling the product despite warnings about its connection to suicides.

"It's the most stark example I have of a company being a serial killer," Goldberg said, describing the case and the years of litigation that followed. The lawsuit recently survived a series of motions to dismiss and received a unanimous ruling from the Washington Supreme Court allowing the case to proceed.

Throughout the conversation, Goldberg encouraged students to trust their instincts as advocates and to pursue difficult work even when success is uncertain. "When you become a lawyer, sometimes you have to trust that instinct," she said.

"The Women in Law Leadership Lecture Series was developed at the law school to recognize both the prominence of women in the legal profession and the challenges that they continue to face," Sack said. "Now in its seventh year, Women in Law Leadership has become a signature event at the law school, and the speakers inspire our students with their stories of determined and passionate lawyering."

Sack added that Goldberg's work reflects the purpose of the series by demonstrating how lawyers can use the legal system to advocate for victims and challenge powerful institutions.

"Our Women in Law Leadership speaker this year, Carrie Goldberg, embodies all that the Lecture Series was meant to promote," Sack said. "Carrie is a fighter for victims of sexual assault and harassment, both online and off, and she shows just how much a lawyer can achieve."

When asked about her hopes for the next generation of women attorneys, Goldberg encouraged students to confront the challenges that intimidate them.

"Get up and do the hard things that scare you," she said. "You have something important to say. Only you can say it, and the people who need to hear it deserve to hear it."