PUBLISHED:April 27, 2007

Richardson and De Achaval to Speak at Graduation Hooding Ceremony

Family and friends will gather in Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium May 12 to celebrate the class of 2007 at the Law School’s annual hooding ceremony. In addition to remarks by Dean Katharine Bartlett, and Charlie Rose ’68, host of PBS’ “The Charlie Rose Show,” Chris Richardson and Federico de Achaval will speak on behalf of the graduation class -- Richardson will represent the graduating JD class and Federico de Achaval will represent his fellow LLMs.

Nominated and elected by their peers, Richardson and De Achaval say they are humbled to have been selected by their classmates. “Duke Law, as an institution and, more importantly, as a family, has been so kind and generous to me,” Richardson said. “It is truly a great honor to be asked to represent my class in this way.”

A native of Charleston, South Carolina, Richardson is a 2003 graduate of Emory University, where he served as president of the Student Government Association. Before law school, he worked with the Atlanta Legal Aid Society to develop an outreach program aimed at helping cancer patients obtain legal services and assistance. At Duke, Richardson is active in the School’s Guardian ad Litem program and serves on the Journal of Gender Law and Policy and the Moot Board.

De Achaval is a lawyer with the Buenos Aires law firm Durrieu, where he specializes in criminal law and economic crimes. A graduate of Argentine Catholic University, De Achaval is active in his family’s non-profit organization, which is dedicated to helping children with neurological disorders. He is a member of the Buenos Aires Rugby Union.

Graduation festivities begin Wednesday, May 9, with the Graduation Gala at Durham’s American Tobacco Campus, and end Sunday, May 13 with University Commencement and a farewell tea.

For more information on the commencement activities, please visit the Graduation 2007 page.