THE PROVIDENCE JOURNAL — The White House and the Department of Justice on Friday honored Roger Williams University School of Law as one of 99 law schools nationwide that have offered help to those in need of rental assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. The federal government put out a call in late August asking lawyers and law students to  provide help with emergency rental assistance applications, volunteer with legal aid providers, and help courts implement eviction-diversion programs, aimed at increasing housing stability and access to justice, according to a news release. At a virtual event on Friday, Attorney General Merrick Garland, who put out the call to action, credited those who stepped up with helping society’s most vulnerable. He praised them for taking up the “torch of legal obligation.” In all, officials said 81,000 volunteer hours were dedicated to assisting some 10,000 households.