Spring Commencement
All times listed are in Central Time Zone (CDT).
Law School Open House
When: Thursday, May 11, 2023, 4-6 p.m.
Where: UW Law School, Atrium
Families are invited to join graduates, faculty, staff, and students to celebrate at the Law School. Enjoy light refreshments and great company.
Law School Hooding Ceremony
When: Friday, May 12, 2023 at 1 p.m.
Where: Monona Terrace Convention Center*
Virtual Option: Live-streamed on the UW Law YouTube Channel
The hooding ceremony is a special ceremony for UW Law School graduates. During the ceremony, a faculty member places the hood on students, symbolizing completion of the program.
Guests, family members and friends are welcome to attend. There is no ticketing for attendance and seating is general admission, first come, first served. We do request that graduates and guests register for the event for planning purposes.
View the Video Stream »
Live stream will start at 1 p.m. CDT on May 12.
*Parking at Monona Terrace: There will be construction at the Monona Terrace parking garage during this time. The parking ramp will only be accessible from the John Nolen Drive entrance (view parking entrance map PDF). In the event that you have trouble finding parking, check the City of Madison's real-time parking lot availability.
UW Commencement Ceremony
When: Saturday, May 13, 2023 at noon
Where: Camp Randall Stadium
Questions? Contact Kimberly Raether.
Academic Regalia for Graduation Ceremonies (Attire)
The gown for UW Law School graduates is called the doctor-of-law or juris doctorate gown, and the hood is purple.
Honors stoles for those receiving Dean’s Academic Achievement Awards are solid red. Once UW Law School has determined the list of students receiving the Dean’s Academic Achievement Awards, it sends the list to The University Book Store. Students eligible to wear an honors stole will be notified. Eligible students should request their honors stoles when they pick up their tams and gowns.
Candidates should wear the academic attire appropriate to the degree to be conferred. Orders for academic attire should be made as early as possible through the University Book Store.
Rental Agency
The University Book Store handles all arrangements for tams, gowns, hoods and honors stoles. To confirm ordering dates and get more information about rentals, check the University Book Store.
You can order your tam, gown and hood:
- By phone: 608-257-3784 ($10 service fee added)
- In-store: The University Book Store, 711 State St.
- Online: www.uwbookstore.com
Bar Admissions
Bar Admissions Large-Group Swearing-in
When: Tuesday, May 30, 2023
Where: Wisconsin Supreme Court Chambers
The Bar Admissions large-group swearing-in for May graduates will take place on May 30 in the Wisconsin Supreme Court Chambers.
To be considered for the group swearing-in ceremony, applicant files must be deemed complete by Board of Bar Examiner staff by May 12, 2023.
Exit/Graduation Photographs
Graduates may elect to submit a photo for the alumni photo collection located in the online UW Law Library Repository.
We plan to schedule a photography session in the Law School for students graduating in May. Photographs will be taken in the Mike Hall Student Lounge (located on the second floor of the building next to the lockers). Dates and details on when to register will be forthcoming. Students will be seated for their portraits on a first-come, first-served basis within half-hour sessions.
Students may also participate by submitting a high-resolution digital copy of their own photograph, using their name as the file name.
Please contact Kimberly Raether with any questions.
Additional Graduation Information
Additional graduation information is available in the Student Handbook:
