Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul will be Northeastern Illinois University’s May 2023 Commencement speaker.
Raoul was born in Chicago to Haitian immigrants. Throughout his career, he has fought to uphold the civil rights of all individuals by defending access to quality healthcare and reproductive health services for all, protecting our natural resources, fighting for just immigration policies and curbing gun violence. He was sworn in as Illinois’ 42nd Attorney General in 2019 and took the oath to serve a second term on Jan. 9, 2023.
“Northeastern’s values are: Integrity, Excellence, Access to Opportunity, Diversity, Community and Empowerment Through Learning,” University President Gloria J. Gibson said. “Attorney General Raoul encapsulates these values in a multitude of ways.”
Raoul launched his legal career as a Cook County prosecutor and went on to be a partner at two national corporate law firms. He also served as an Illinois State Senator for 14 years. Raoul has initiated legislation to counter the long-term effects of violent crime and to support survivors, partners with federal law enforcement to prevent mass shootings in schools, and safeguards Illinois consumers. His office manages tens of thousands of consumer fraud complaints, saving residents millions of dollars through litigation and mediation each year. He continues to fight against scams related to home repairs, auto sales, mortgages, identity theft and student lending.
Raoul is a graduate of DePaul University and earned his law degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law.
Commencement is scheduled for 4 p.m. May 12 at Credit Union 1 Arena (formerly UIC Pavilion), 525 S. Racine Ave. in Chicago. Tickets are required. The ceremony will be streamed live at neiu.edu.
Kwame Raoul
