GRADUATION
Graduation 2023 Information
The S.J. Quinney College of Law Convocation Ceremony will be held on Friday, May 12th 2023.
Congratulations Class of 2023 Graduates
You deserve a celebration! The S.J. Quinney College of Law will hold a hybrid Convocation Ceremony on Friday, May 12 at Kingsbury Hall at 9:30 a.m. followed by a reception at the SJ Quinney College of Law.
Tickets will be available for graduates and their families. Details will be forthcoming in early spring 2023. The ceremony will also be streamed and recorded for family and friends who are unable to attend.
Live Streaming
The commencement ceremony will be streamed live.
Convocation Program
Virtual programs will be available for guests. A link to the program will be available on this webpage and at the ceremony. Graduates will be provided a commemorative printed program at the Convocation Ceremony.
Regalia – Pre-orders can be shipped to your home or picked up from the bookstore. Pickup from the bookstore will start March 30th. Orders will be charged in full when the product arrives. All regalia sales are final (no returns, no refunds). Pre-order here.
Juris Doctorate Regalia:
- PhD/Doctor Gown – Black with Red velvet trim
- PhD/Doctor Hoo – Purple with Red and White trim
- College Color Tassel – Purple
- Graduation Cap or Tam – Black Mortarboard or Tam (students' preference)
Masters Regalia:
- Masters Gown – Black with block U on the selves
- Masters Hood – Purple with Red and White trim
- College Color Tassel – Purple
- Graduation Cap – Black Mortarboard
*PILO will be offering limited quantities of rental regalia donated from previous law graduates. Please watch for emails from PILO with additional information.
Venue Access Tickets –
To enter Kingsbury Hall, ALL GUESTS MUST HAVE A TICKET INCLUDING CHILDREN. Tickets will be available for pick up at the S.J. Quinney College of Law in April. Graduating students can pick up tickets for the Convocation Ceremony:
- Beginning Thursday, April 7th, each graduating JD and MLS student can pick up their College of Law Convocation tickets.
- Tickets will be available to pick up at the 2nd Floor information desk. The desk is staffed Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm and Saturday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
- You need a photo ID when picking up tickets. Your UCard is just fine for this.
- All guests must be ticketed – this includes children and babes in arms (venue rules, not ours). Graduating students do NOT need a ticket to attend.
- Each student may get up to 10 tickets. Tickets must be picked up by 7:00 pm on Monday, April 18th (the last day of JD classes). Starting at 7:00 am on Tuesday, April 19th all remaining tickets will be released. At that time, students may get up to 10 additional tickets on a first-come, first-serve basis.
- Don’t misplace these tickets; they cannot be reprinted.
- When picking up your tickets, please indicate whether any of your guests need ADA accommodations.
- Finally, graduates will be asked to provide an RSVP count for those attending the reception at the Law Building following Convocation. The reception will run from 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm.
Diploma Name
By default, the Diploma Name is a student’s Primary Name unless the student requests a change. A Diploma Name may not have a prefix, however, a suffix can be added upon written request without it being listed on the Primary Name.
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- Example: John Smith Jr.
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Below are the guidelines through which a Diploma Name may be adjusted prior to the last day of classes for the semester the student is expecting to graduate:
Preferred Name:
A preferred name may be listed on a diploma as long as the student has designated that Preferred Name in their profile using the Student Homepage. The Preferred Name may include a preferred middle name.
First Name:
If a student has not designated a Preferred Name, a first name may be shortened in instances in which there is a commonly used short-version of the name that is recognizable as a part of the Primary Name.
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- Examples: Daniel/Dan, Frederick/Fred, Suzanne/Suzy, or Kathryn/Katie/Kate.
Middle Name:
If a student has not designated a middle name as part of their Preferred Name, a middle name may be adjusted per a student’s written request to the Graduation Division without requiring an official change to the student’s Primary Name in these circumstances:
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- Middle names may be shortened to an initial.
- Example: Elizabeth -> E or E.
- Middle names may be lengthened as long as the full middle name was listed as part of the student’s Primary Name at some point in the student’s history at the University of Utah.
- Middle names may be shortened to an initial.
If a student would like to add a middle name to their Primary Name, a Change of Personal Information Form should be sent to the main campus Office of the Registrar (registration@utah.edu) with the necessary documentation.
Last Name:
The last name that is used on a diploma must coincide with a student’s Primary Name. If a last name needs to be changed, a Change of Personal Information Form should be sent to the main campus Office of the Registrar (registration@utah.edu) with the necessary documentation.
Accented Characters:
The Diploma Name may be adjusted to have accented characters. The Notification of Graduation Change Form should be submitted to identify the characters that the student is wishing to accent on the Diploma Name.
Should you encounter any situations that are unique or if you have questions, please reach out to the Graduation Division of the Office of the Registrar (graduation@utah.edu).
How do I change my name for my diploma?
As outlined here, the University recognizes that students may wish to use a name other than their legal name in most university systems or communications. As such, prior to graduation, it is possible for a student to request to use a Preferred Name on their diploma according to the information below.
To update the Preferred Name in CIS, please follow these steps:
- Login to CIS and then go to the Student Homepage tile.
- Click on the Profile tile, which is the one with your name and UNID on it, and then click on the Preferred name type row.
- Enter the new name information. (Last names cannot be changed via this method).
- Click the save button.
- Notify the Graduation Division (graduation@utah.edu) and Cc the Law Registrar (registrar@law.utah.edu) in writing that you desire to use your Preferred Name on your diploma. This must be done by the last day of classes for the semester the student is expecting to graduate. In addition, to have the Preferred Name included in the Spring Convocation Programs, these steps must be completed by March 1st.
Diploma Size
The JD diploma is 12 x 17 inches.
When will I receive my diploma?
Diplomas are typically ordered within a week of your degree being awarded after review by the Graduation Division, however, students most likely will not receive their diploma for three months. Please use the online Campus Information System (CIS) to make any corrections to your mailing address to ensure the proper delivery of your diploma.
Diploma Tracking & Replacement
Please click here for more information.
Can I get my diploma if there is a hold on my records?
If the hold restricts release, your diploma cannot be released until the hold has been removed. Diplomas will not be issued until all financial obligations to the University of Utah have been cleared.
Should you encounter any situations that are unique or if you have questions, please reach out to the Graduation Division of the Office of the Registrar (graduation@utah.edu).
The 2023 Convocation Ceremony is being held on Friday, May 12, 2023, 9:30 a.m.
KINGSBURY HALL
1395 E. PRESIDENTS CIRCLE
SALT LAKE CITY, UT 84112
The 2023 Convocation Reception will be held immediately following at:
S.J. QUINNEY COLLEGE OF LAW
383 S. UNIVERSITY STREET
SALT LAKE CITY, UT 84112
More info coming soon!
Anyone requiring an interpreter (ASL or foreign language) or reserved ADA seating, please contact Kris Monty at Kris.Monty@law.utah.edu by Friday, April 29, 2022 for proper accommodations.
Students with disabilities may also give reasonable prior notice and request accommodations through the Center for Disability Services at (801) 581-5020 (voice/TDD).
To enter Kingsbury Hall, ALL GUESTS MUST HAVE A TICKET INCLUDING CHILDREN. Tickets will be available for pick up at the S.J. Quinney College of Law in April. Graduating students can pick up tickets for the Convocation Ceremony:
- Beginning Thursday, April 7th, each graduating JD and MLS student can pick up their College of Law Convocation tickets.
- Tickets will be available to pick up at the 2nd Floor information desk. The desk is staffed Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm and Saturday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
- You need a photo ID when picking up tickets. Your UCard is just fine for this.
- All guests must be ticketed – this includes children and babes in arms (venue rules, not ours). Graduating students do NOT need a ticket to attend.
- Each student may get up to 10 tickets. Tickets must be picked up by 7:00 pm on Monday, April 18th (the last day of JD classes). Starting at 7:00 am on Tuesday, April 19th all remaining tickets will be released. At that time, students may get up to 10 additional tickets on a first-come, first-serve basis.
- Don’t misplace these tickets; they cannot be reprinted.
- When picking up your tickets, please indicate whether any of your guests need ADA accommodations.
- Finally, graduates will be asked to provide an RSVP count for those attending the reception at the Law Building following Convocation. The reception will run from 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm.
Anyone requiring an interpreter (ASL or foreign language) or reserved ADA seating, please contact Kris Monty at Kris.Monty@law.utah.edu by Friday, April 29, 2022 for proper accommodations.
Parking and Shuttle Service will be available at the Rice-Eccles Stadium parking lot. This parking lot may be used at no charge during convocation. The shuttle will be in operation beginning at 9:00 a.m. and will transport guests from the Rice-Eccles Stadium parking lot to Kingsbury Hall. The return shuttle will be from Kingsbury Hall to the SJ Quinney College of Law east entrance for the reception. Shuttle service will end at 1:00 p.m.
Families/guests are encouraged to drop graduates off at Kingsbury Hall by 9:30 a.m. to prevent late arrivals for the processional line-up.
New for 2022 – Students will not be lined up alphabetically. Instead, students are welcome to line up by their degree and with their cohort (friends) as they want. Master’s candidates will process first, then Juris Doctorate candidates, followed by LLM candidates.
Upon arrival at Kingsbury Hall, all students should check in at the west entrance to Kingsbury Hall:
Master’s Candidates should be ready in cap, gown, and hood by 9:30 a.m. for the processional behind the dean and faculty.
Doctoral Candidates (JD) should be ready in cap and gown at by 9:30 a.m. for the processional, behind the master’s candidates. Your hood should be folded and carried over an arm onto the stage where you will be hooded as part of the ceremony.
Professional photographers have been authorized to photograph all graduates and will send a color proof to each graduate. Photos will be taken as the graduate is crossing the stage and a photo in front of a backdrop backstage. You are not obligated to purchase these photographs. Please note that guests may take photographs, but will not be allowed on the stage, in the aisles during the processional, or in the areas marked for graduate reseating during the Convocation ceremony.