General Information

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:

• Blue and White Cord, for students who participated in one or more student social groups.
• Burgundy Cord, for students who participated in the Buffalo Law Review.
• Green Cord, for students who participated in a specialty journal.
• Purple Cord, for students who participated in moot courts and trial teams.
• Royal Blue Cord, for students who participated in one or more law affinity groups.
• White Cord, for students who exhibit a strong commitment to pro bono services while in law school, having delivered more than 400 pro bono hours, or engaged in other extraordinary pro bono service.

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:

• The Coif Disk, awarded to JD/LLMstudents who are graduating in the top 10% of the class.
• The Grey and Red Stole, provided to graduates of the University Honors College.
• The Kente Stole, provided to participants in the ALANA Celebration of Achievement.
• The Rainbow Tassel, provided to participants in the Lavender Ceremony.
• The Red, White and Blue Cord, provided to participants in the Veterans and Military Recognition.

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.

• Michael Hilburger, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, Commencement Co-Coordinator
• Jamila Lee, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, Commencement Co-Coordinator

Please email general commencement questions to law-studentlife@buffalo.edu.