The School of Law commencement ceremony is for students graduating from the JD, LLM, and BA in Law programs.
As of March 2022, proof of vaccination against COVID-19 will no longer be required to attend commencement ceremonies in May. This applies to students, faculty, and guests. However, these updated COVID guidelines are subject to change. Read UB's updated Health and Safety Guidelines.
Commencement Registration is now closed!
If you did not register, you will not be eligible to participate in the May 21st ceremony.
Please contact law-studentlife@buffalo.edu with any questions.
Students who have completed the requirements for the JD, LLM, or BA in Law degrees and have diploma dates of February 1, 2023, June 15, 2023, or August 31, 2023, are eligible to participate in this Commencement Ceremony.
All prospective JD, LLM/BA graduates interested in participating in the School of Law Commencement Ceremony were required to register by March 3, 2023. If you did not register, you will not be eligible to participate in the ceremony.
In addition to registering to participate in the ceremony, students MUST apply to graduate (degree conferral). Applying to graduate and registering to participate in the ceremony are not the same thing.
For dual or collaborative degree candidates, (e.g., JD/MLS, JD/MBA, JD/MSW): if you choose to participate in multiple ceremonies, you will need to separately register for each ceremony with each applicable school.
If you need accommodations to enable you to participate in the Commencement Ceremony, or should you or your guest require a sign language interpreter, please contact the Commencement Coordinators at law-studentlife@buffalo.edu.
Graduating students are asked to report to the Center for the Arts, Drama Theater no later than 1:45 p.m. to check-in. A photographer will be taking a class photograph at 2:15 p.m. From there we will line up and the procession will begin promptly at 2:45 p.m.
Theater doors open at 1:45 p.m. for seating. We ask that guests are assembled in the theater no later than 2:45 p.m. for the academic procession. All guests MUST have a ticket to enter the theater. Students are responsible for ticket distribution to their guests and tickets cannot be replaced or re-issued.
The ceremony will last approximately 2 hours. There will be a light reception following, which is a great opportunity to take photos with friends, family and professors.
The University requires all graduates to wear the authorized University at Buffalo School of Law academic regalia. Caps and gowns can be ordered for rental or purchase through the University Bookstore, located on the North Campus.
Information about placing your order, including pricing and a specific timeline, can be found on the University’s Caps and Gowns website.
Dual or collaborative degree candidates, (e.g., JD/MLS, JD/MBA, JD/MSW): if you choose to participate in multiple ceremonies, you will wear your School of Law doctoral regalia (robe and cap/tam) at each ceremony. You will also purchase a Master's hood, which you will wear for your Master’s ceremony. The University Bookstore staff can assist you with your requirements and options.
As part of Commencement, we offer graduating JD and LLM students the opportunity to signify their participation in various student activities by wearing “cords” during the Commencement Ceremony. Cords are provided compliments of the School of Law and instructions on obtaining them will be provided closer to the ceremony.
The School of Law recognizes the following Commencement Cords:
When registering to participate in the Commencement Ceremony, please indicate which cord(s) apply to you so that an accurate number can be ordered.
In addition to the above Cords, the School of Law also recognizes the following academic recognition items bestowed by the School of Law or the University:
Any other additions or modifications to commencement regalia must be vetted with the Commencement Coordinators prior to the ceremony.
For BA in Law graduates, information about Gold Cords, which recognize Latin Honors, is listed under the Latin Honors section of this page.
Tickets
Each graduate may claim up to six (6) tickets for guests, which you will request when you register to participate in the ceremony. You do not need a ticket for yourself as graduates will be seated in a special section.
All guests will require a printed ticket to be admitted into the Center for the Arts. Physical tickets will be distributed to students closer to the Commencement Ceremony. Students are responsible for distributing their tickets to their guests. Tickets cannot be replaced or re-issued.
If venue capacity and health and safety guidelines permit, additional tickets may be available and will be distributed via a lottery to students who have requested additional tickets. Lottery determinations for additional tickets will take place after the registration window has been closed.
Health and Safety
The University at Buffalo’s top priority for our 2023 Commencement Weekend is the safety of everyone in our UB community. All New York State guidelines for a safe celebration to honor our graduates will be followed. Thank you for remaining flexible.
For more information, please visit the UB’s Countdown to Commencement webpage for additional information.
Directions, Parking, Prohibited Items and Accessibility
Up-to-date information for guests regarding directions, parking, prohibited items and accessibility can be found on the Countdown to Commencement Guest Information website.
Be sure your guests arrive with plenty of time to find parking as other ceremonies may be running concurrent to our ceremony. Handicap parking will be available.
Live Stream
For those unable to attend in person, the Commencement Ceremony will be available for live stream and post-ceremony viewing. You can find more information, including the viewing links, at the Countdown to Commencement Ceremony Streaming website.
A photographer will be present and capture a photo of each student at the ceremony as well as each JD/LLM student as they are hooded. During registration, you will be asked to permit release of your email to the photographer who will contact you with details and purchase information after the ceremony.
The Office of the Registrar will mail a printed diploma, free of charge, to your permanent address approximately four to six weeks after the conferral date. Students are responsible for making address changes; these should be made by the term conferral date to ensure that you receive your diploma.
Students who graduated June 2020 and later have the option to purchase a certified electronic diploma (CeDiploma) for $15.95. Notification will be sent to your UB email, from info@credentialtrust.com, approximately 3-6 weeks after your degree conferral date.
Please visit the School of Law’s Graduation, Diplomas, Honors and Class Ranks website.
Students earning baccalaureate degrees (including those awarded as part of combined degrees) are eligible to receive Latin honors based on their UB cumulative grade point average (GPA) on the following scale:
Average (based on 4.000=A)
To qualify for Latin honors, students must present a minimum of 60 credit hours of UB undergraduate coursework, at least 54 of which must be graded credits (i.e., not grades of 'P',’NP’, 'S' or 'U').
February ’23 graduates:
These graduates whose diploma indicates Latin honors, will also receive this recognition in the program book and be eligible to purchase a gold cord.
June ’23 degree candidates:
To receive the Latin honors designation in commencement program books, and to be eligible to wear the honorific gold cord at the time of ceremonies, candidates for the June ’23 degree conferral date must qualify based upon their UB cumulative GPA through the winter intersession of that year and projected UB credit hours through the spring semester of that year.
August ’23 degree candidates:
To receive the Latin honors designation in commencement program books, and to be eligible to wear the honorific gold cord at the time of ceremonies, candidates for the August ‘23 degree conferral date must qualify based upon their UB cumulative GPA through the winter intersession of this year and projected UB credit hours thru the upcoming summer.
Standings for Latin honors may change once final grades are posted or degrees conferred.
Gold cords are provided to our BA in Law students compliments of the School of Law. If you believe that you are eligible for Latin Honors, and wish to wear a gold cord during Commencement, please contact Melinda Saran, Vice Dean for Undergraduate Student Affairs, at saran@buffalo.edu. Vice Dean Saran will verify your eligibility and provide information about obtaining your gold cord.
Please email general commencement questions to law-studentlife@buffalo.edu.