Puerto Rico Chief Justice Federico Hernández Denton,
Environmental Law Pioneer Louise Durfee and Senior U.S. Magistrate Judge Jacob Hagopian will receive honorary degrees on May 22
BRISTOL, R.I., May 1, 2009 - Roger Williams University School of Law will welcome the Honorable Federico Hernández Denton, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico, as keynote speaker and honorary law degree recipient at its Commencement ceremony on Friday, May 22, 2009.
The law school will also award honorary degrees to Louise Durfee, an attorney notable for her lifelong efforts protecting Rhode Island's environment and waterways, and the Honorable Jacob Hagopian, senior U.S. magistrate judge for the U.S. District Court, District of Rhode Island.
Chief Justice Denton will address the law school graduates and receive an honorary doctorate of laws degree at the School of Law's ceremony on Friday, May 22, at 1 p.m. An influential scholar, jurist and public servant, Denton was appointed to the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico in 1985 and sworn in as Chief Justice in 2004.
A graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, Chief Justice Denton has served as General Counsel to the President of the University of Puerto Rico, taught in the University's School of Business and the Inter-American University School of Law in San Juan, and held the post of Secretary of the Department of Consumer Affairs in Puerto Rico. Chief Justice Denton is also a respected and widely published legal scholar.
Louise Durfee is a trail-blazing lawyer and an early champion of legal protections for Rhode Island's environment. A past president of Save the Bay and first general counsel of the Narragansett Bay Commission, she was Rhode Island's Director of the Department of Environmental Management from 1991 to 1994. Over her five decades in the law, Ms. Durfee also served as a partner in the law firm of Tillinghast, Collins & Graham and later with the law firm of Brown, Rudnick LLP. She was the first woman ever appointed to Rhode Island's Board of Bar Examiners, and served on the state's Committee on the Treatment of Women in the Courts.
Senior U.S. Magistrate Judge Jacob Hagopian has dedicated his outstanding career to judicial service. During a quarter century in the military, Judge Hagopian served in Korea, Japan and Germany, qualifying as a parachutist, gliderist and jumpmaster before retiring as a colonel in 1970. He was an appellate judge of the U.S. Court of Military Review until being appointed as a Magistrate Judge in the U.S. District Court in 1971, and taught at in the continuing education division of Roger Williams for more than 17 years. He has also taught at Suffolk University, American University, the University of Rhode Island and the U.S. Naval War College.
For additional information on the 2009 Commencement ceremonies or the honorary degree recipients, contact Michael M. Bowden of University Communications at (401) 254-3881. The event is closed to the public, but members of the media are welcome to attend with advance reservations only.
Roger Williams University School of Law is the only law school in the State of Rhode Island, offering future attorneys a rigorous, world-class legal education in a supportive, personalized environment. A top-notch faculty and strong student culture drive the school's rapidly growing reputation with a focus on integrity, academic excellence and professional success.
