All May 2013, August 2013, and December 2013 graduates are welcome to participate in the Brandeis School of Law Convocation.  August 2012 and December 2012 graduates may also participate.

Brandeis School of Law Convocation – Date, Time, and Location

May 11, 2013
W. L. Lyons Brown Theatre
315 West Broadway
Louisville, KY 40202

The ceremony begins at 5 p.m.

University of Louisville Commencement

Law school graduates may also participate in the University-wide graduation ceremony on May 11, 2013.  The morning session will include A&S, Dentistry, Law, Medicine, Music, Nursing, Public Health and SIGS.  All students attending the University-wide ceremony are required to attend rehearsal on Friday evening, May 10, 2013, at the KFC Yum! Center. 

Visit the University of Louisville Commencement page for more information.

On Saturday, May 11, the University Commencement processional will start at 9:30 a.m. at the KFC Yum! Center’s Practice Court and the line-up will form at the law school sign. Please join law students as the Brandeis School of Law banner is carried into the KFC Yum! Center.  The ceremony will begin at 10:00 a.m. President and Mrs. Ramsey will host a reception on the Main Concourse after the Commencement from 12:30-1:30 p.m.

Parking Information for Law School Convocation

Paid parking is available in the Brown Hotel parking garage off 4th Street near Theatre Square, and off 3rd Street just before the corner of 3rd and Broadway. There is also parking available in the parking lot across the street from The Brown Theatre on Broadway.  Metered parking may be available on the street.

Ordering Graduation Apparel – March 31 Deadline

If you are planning to participate in the May 11, 2013 Brandeis School of Law Convocation, you must order your apparel by midnight, Sunday, March 31.  All law students must place orders for graduation apparel through Herff Jones.  Apparel must be ordered to participate in the law school's convocation.

For more information about apparel, please visit the university's Student Apparel page.  Style, colors, and trim are determined by the University of Louisville according to standards for academic apparel. Your tassel color and hood is determined by the degree you will be awarded. 

After submitting your order, you will receive a confirmation message with your order number. Your confirmation number is your proof of purchase, so please have the number available when picking up your apparel. The Red Barn distribution staff will have a complete list of orders.  You must use a valid debit or credit card to place your order for apparel.

J.D. Custom Rental (Tam, Gown, Tassel, and Hood) is $90.55, plus tax.

If you find that you are not graduating or cannot attend the ceremony and need to cancel your cap and gown order before the March 31 deadline, please send an e-mail to Commencement Staff so we may cancel your order for a full refund.  After the March 31 deadline, orders cannot be canceled for refund.

Graduation Apparel Pick-up at the Red Barn

You must pick up your academic apparel (cap, gown, and tassel) at The Red Barn on one of the following days: Thursday, May 9, or Friday, May 10.

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU RECEIVE YOUR CAP, GOWN, AND TASSEL IN THE PACKAGE.  THE LAW SCHOOL WILL BRING THE HOODS TO CONVOCATION. 

Apparel will not be available for pick-up after 4:00 p.m. on May 10.

Honor Cords

As a fundraiser, the Golden Key International Honour Society will sell honor cords to law students who are candidates for honors as of the Fall 2012 semester.  Eligible students may purchase cords and wear them with their caps and gowns at Commencement and Convocation.  Honor cords may be purchased at The Red Barn on Thursday or Friday at the same time you pick up your graduation apparel. Honor cords are $15.00 each and must be paid by cash or check made payable to the Golden Key International Honour Society. 

Students who are candidates for Cum Laude (3.2-3.499) should purchase a gold honor cord; Magna Cum Laude (3.5-3.799) should purchase a red honor cord; and Summa Cum Laude (3.8-4.0) should purchase a gold/red honor cord.

Law School Graduation Announcements

The law school has coordinated with the Balfour Company to create a customized law school graduation announcement. The University of Louisville's seal will be gold engraved on the front of the announcement with your name and degree printed inside.  A sample is available in the glass case outside Office 216. 

You may order your announcements by visiting the Balfour website and entering University of Louisville to see the available graduation announcement packages. You may also contact Balfour at 1-877-225-3687. 

Law school graduation announcements are available only through Balfour.

They cannot be ordered through the University of Louisville or the Brandeis School of Law. 

Price List

Hotel Accommodations for Guests

The law school has made arrangements with the Brown Hotel to supply hotel rooms for your guests staying in Louisville. Rooms are $147 per night, plus tax, for deluxe guestrooms from May 9-12, 2013. Please refer to the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law when making reservations.  Be sure to pass this information along to any family or friends you have visiting from out of town.

Details Regarding Arrival and Check-in - School of Law Convocation

The Law School Convocation will be held at the Brown Theatre, 315 West Broadway, at 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 11.  Graduates should arrive NO LATER THAN 3:45 P.M.  Graduates must check-in with the School of Law staff in the room to the right of the lobby.  During the check-in process, all graduates will receive a name card.  If you are concerned that your name may be mispronounced, please write it out phonetically on your card.  Please hold-on to your name card so that you can give it to Dean Ballard on stage.  Graduates will also complete a form to order graduation photos from Classic Photography.  Classic Photography will take the class photo before the ceremony, and will also take each graduate’s picture on stage.  If you wish to take some personal photos, please do so before the line-up begins since apparel must be turned in immediately following the ceremony.

The class photo will be taken at 4:15 p.m. The SBA will start the line-up in the same area immediately after the class photo.  The SBA traditionally assists the administration on graduation day by lining up graduates and helping with instructions.

Information Regarding Ceremony

Graduates will follow the faculty in a single-file procession to the stage.  When Dean Duncan asks the class to come forward, the first row will stand and walk to the right area of the stage. At the direction of Dean Ballard, please hand your name card to her. She will call your name and you will walk to the professors to be hooded.  Do not remove your cap.  After receiving your hood, please walk across the stage to Dean Duncan for a handshake. A professional photographer will capture this moment (proofs may be viewed online and your photo will be available for purchase).   Walk back to your row and be seated (since the order will be reversed, you will not be sitting in the same seat when you return—you will be on the opposite side of the stage).  A program will be placed on each seat. Please do not take additional programs, purses, etc. on stage.

At the end of the Convocation, there will be a single-file recessional. The class will stand when directed by Dean Duncan. Graduates should remain standing at their seats until the Dean leads the recessional.

Important Information About Returning Graduation Apparel

Immediately following the ceremony, please return to the line-up room to return your apparel. 

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR NAME IS CHECKED OFF WHEN YOU RETURN THE CAP/GOWN/HOOD; YOU WILL BE ASSESSED A SUBSTANTIAL FEE IF YOU FAIL TO DO SO.

                         
Brandeis School of Law Convocation Speaker – Howard Fineman

Howard Fineman has agreed to be the Brandeis School of Law 2013 graduation speaker. He is a huge University of Louisville fan and recently wrote an article about UofL joining the ACC.

Howard Fineman is Editorial Director of the AOL Huffington Post Media Group, the leadership team bringing the HuffPost's unique blend of news, commentary and reader engagement to all AOL content sites and 250 million users worldwide. He continues to report and write on politics for the Huffington Post main site.

A long time political reporter and commentator, Fineman serves as an analyst for NBC News and MSNBC. He is a regular on MSNBC's "Hardball with Chris Matthews" and "The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell." He also appears on MSNBC's "The Rachel Maddow Show," "Morning Joe," NBC's "Today Show" and the weekend NBC-syndicated "Chris Matthews Show."



Fineman joined The Huffington Post in October 2010 after many years as a reporter, columnist, editor and Deputy Washington Bureau Chief at Newsweek Magazine. When HuffPost was acquired by AOL in March 2011, Fineman was named Editorial Director of the new media group by Huffington Post founder and editor-in-chief Arianna Huffington. 


The author of scores of Newsweek cover stories and a Newsweek column called "Living Politics," Fineman's work also has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post and The New Republic. He has interviewed every major presidential candidate since 1985 as well as business and entertainment leaders and has appeared on most major news and commentary shows.



His book, The Thirteen American Arguments, was published by Random House in 2008 and was a national best seller. The paperback edition of the book, published in 2009, went to new printings in 2010 and is available in major bookstores or on Amazon.com.   He is the winner of numerous awards, including the Alumni Award from his professional alma mater, the Columbia Journalism School; an American Bar Association "Silver Gavel" Award; a New York Press Association "Headliner's Award; and Fineman's work helped Newsweek win three National Magazine Awards.  In May 2011 he was awarded an honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters by Colgate University, his college alma mater.

A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Colgate, Fineman earned an M.S from Columbia and a J.D. law degree from the University of Louisville during his years as a reporter with The Courier-Journal in Kentucky. He won a Watson Traveling Fellowship while at Colgate and a Pulitzer Traveling Fellowship at Columbia.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Must law graduates attend the University-wide Commencement on Saturday morning?
Answer:  NO.  Law graduates may choose to attend the University-wide ceremony, but are not required to attend.  If a law graduate chooses to participate in the University-wide Commencement, he/she must attend the practice the night before at the KFC Yum! Center.  Most law graduates attend the law school convocation only.

2. Are tickets to the Law School Convocation at the Brown Theatre required?
Answer:  NO.  Tickets are not required.  Law graduates may invite as many friends and family to attend the convocation as they wish.  Seating will be available on the main floor and in the balcony area.

3. Can I return my apparel the following morning?
Answer:  NO.  JD student caps and gowns are custom rental and must be returned immediately following the ceremony. Herff Jones will charge graduates a fee for late returns.  It is important to take your graduation photos before the ceremony begins!

4. When is the deadline for me to order graduation apparel?
Answer: The deadline to order a cap and gown is midnight, Sunday, March 31, 2013.

5. What is the University’s website with Commencement Information?
Answer:  Please visit the University of Louisville's Commencement FAQs page