Congratulations to the graduating Class of 2025! UC Davis School of Law will hold a commencement from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Friday, May 16, 2025, at the Mondavi Center.
For more information, please contact the Law Commencement team at commencement@law.ucdavis.edu.
Graduation vs. Commencement
The language can sometimes be used interchangeably but “graduation” is used to describe the completion of your academic work and degree, while “commencement” refers to the celebratory event. Please read the following instructions which will help you prepare for both graduation and commencement.
Submit your Application for Graduation
UC Davis School of Law awards J.D. and LL.M. degrees in December and May. To be awarded a degree, you must complete the Law School’s Application for Graduation Form and all degree requirements. A ceremony to recognize graduates is held at the end of the Spring term in May. Those who graduate in December have the option to either participate in the commencement ceremony one semester before or one semester after they graduate.
Please submit your Application for Graduation during your final semester of law school. This form will be provided to anticipated graduates by email and is linked from the Intranet Commencement page. Failure to apply to graduate before the deadline may impact the timely awarding of your degree and certification for the bar exam, as well as the number of commencement tickets available to you and inclusion of your name in the Commencement Program. Please apply by the deadline! There is no application fee.
Deadline to submit Application for Graduation: March 1, 2025
Review Your Academic Record
It is your responsibility to verify your graduation requirements and ensure you’re on track to complete your degree. Please review your degree progress now and contact the Registrar’s Office if you have any questions or concerns. J.D. students may find it helpful to utilize the Graduation Checklist on the Law School Intranet site under the "Course Tools" tab, as well as your unofficial transcript. After your Application for Graduation is submitted, the Registrar's Office will review your transcript to confirm graduation requirements and reach out with any concerns.
Diploma Name Verification
By default, UC Davis will print your Lived Name on your law school diploma, but you will have the option to provide a different diploma name when you complete your Application for Graduation. (Please check the UC Davis Directory to confirm how your Lived Name is listed on your academic record. If your Lived Name is listed incorrectly, please update it by clicking here). Common changes include wanting to include/exclude a middle initial or middle name, or preferring to be listed by your Legal Name on your diploma.
Post-Graduation and Bar Exam
Most J.D. graduates and some LL.M. graduates will sit for a bar exam following graduation and the Law Registrar will need to file proof of graduation with the state bar on your behalf. Each state has a unique deadline and process by which the Law Registrar will certify you as a graduate. Please provide your post-graduation plans on your Application for Graduation (or if you don't plan to take a bar exam, please note that) so we can begin our process to prepare the necessary certification documents. If your post-grad plans change after you submit your Application for Graduation, please email the Law School Registrar’s Office at registrar@law.ucdavis.edu.
Certificates
The School of Law has eight certificate programs that allow students' specialization to be recognized upon graduation. The Pro Bono program recognizes students who fulfill a minimum number of hours performing volunteer legal work without compensation or academic credit and under the supervision of an attorney. The Public Interest Law Certificate program allows students who have taken a certain number of course hours in this concentration to receive a certificate. We also have six academic subject matter certificates: Environmental Law, Intellectual Property Law, Business Law, Criminal Law and Policy, Immigration Law, and Tax Law.
Even if some of your certificate work is still pending completion, please submit your Completion of Requirements Form by March 1 to have your certificate listed in the Commencement Program.
Deadline to submit Certificate Completion of Requirements Form: March 1, 2025