Commencement Ceremony Details
Robing
Graduates should arrive on the main campus by 1:00 p.m. on Sunday.
Graduates will be provided assistance in donning the full regalia before the ceremony(including the hood). J.D. graduates robe in the Dahlgren Quad, located behind Healy Hall, and LL.M. graduates robe on the north side of Healy Hall, between Healy and Copley Halls. (Rain Site robing is in McDonough Arena, beginning in the first floor hallway.)
Line-up
Graduates will be directed to form a line. The person standing directly in front of and behind you will be seated next to you for the ceremony. (Rain Site line-up is in McDonough Arena, beginning in the first floor hallway.)
Procession
The procession begins promptly at 1:30 p.m.
The LL.M. students and J.D. students proceed together in separate side-by-side columns. The procession goes around the Healy Statue, through the back of the guest seating and into the rows of graduate seating facing the Healy stage. The faculty follows the students. Students should stand until all faculty have processed onto the stage and have been seated.
Conferral of Degrees
At the main ceremony, the honorary degree recipients will be awarded their degrees. The President will confer degrees upon the graduates. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the faculty will process off the stage. Students do not follow or process. Students should wait until the music stops and then go to their diploma distribution site.
Diploma Presentation Sites
Following the main ceremony, graduates and their families should proceed to their diploma site.
J.D. diplomas are distributed by first year section(1,2,3,4,6:Transfer,7). All LL.M. diplomas are distributed at the same presentation site. The diploma presentation ceremony will begin with a student speaker. After the student speaker, names will be called and graduates will come forward to accept their diplomas. A photographer will take pictures of each graduate and the photos may be ordered after the ceremony.
Reception
All guests are invited to the Dean's reception following the diploma presentation ceremonies. Each section will hold its reception at a different location. Please see the Schedule of Events for the specific locations, which may differ in the case of rain. Light refreshments and champagne will be provided at the receptions. Tickets are not required.
