Taft partner Rob Bilott will be the commencement speaker at this year’s New College graduation on May 21 in Sarasota, Fla. Bilott, who is a 1987 graduate of New College, will be awarded an honorary doctorate at the ceremony.

Dubbed by The New York Times Magazine as “The Lawyer Who Became DuPont’s Worst Nightmare” in an article published on Jan. 6, 2016, Bilott has represented a diverse array of clients, nationwide, who have been harmed by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “Forever Chemicals.” His work is the subject of a recent feature film, “Dark Waters,” and the documentary “The Devil We Know,” and is detailed in his book, “Exposure: Poisoned Water, Corporate Greed, and One Lawyer’s Twenty-year Battle Against DuPont.”

Bilott is a member of Taft’s Environmental, Litigation, and Product Liability and Personal Injury practices and is a board member of Less Cancer and Green Umbrella.