Commencement
The Ceremony
School of Law (Boalt Hall)
Commencement Ceremony
May 16, 2009 at 9:00 a.m.
Hearst Greek Theatre
| 7:30 a.m. | Graduates arrive at the Law School and check-in to receive a name card. Please assemble at the fountain in Kroeber Plaza between the Law School and Kroeber Hall directly across the street from Cafe Strata. |
|---|---|
| 8:00 a.m. | Gates open at the Hearst Greek Theatre for guest seating |
| 8:30 a.m. | Processional leaves the Law School |
| 9:00 a.m. | Graduation ceremony begins |
Speakers
Guest Speaker: Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, School of Law, Univeristy of California - Irvine
Erwin Chemerinsky is the founding Dean of the University of California - Irvine School of Law. He holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School and a B.S. from Northwestern University. Prior to his Deanship at UC Irvine, he held faculty appointments at Duke Law School, Gould School of Law at USC and DePaul College of Law. He is a renowned scholar in the areas of constitutional law, federal practice, civil rights and civil liberties as well as appellate litigation. He is the author of six books and more than 100 law review articles. Dean Chemerinsky frequently argues appellate cases, often on a pro bono basis, in the US Supreme Court and the US Courts of Appeals .
Faculty Speaker: Professor Goodwin Liu
Goodwin Liu is Associate Dean and Professor of Law at Boalt Hall. His primary areas of expertise are constitutional law, education law and policy, civil rights, and the Supreme Court. He has published widely on these subjects in books, law reviews, and general media. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Stanford Univeristy in biology in 1991. He attended Oxford University on a Rhodes Scholarship and earned a masters degree in philosophy and physiology and then went on to graduate from Yale Law School in 1998, becoming the first in his family to earn a law degree. He joined the Boalt Faculty in 2003 and is a popular and acclaimed teacher. He recently received UC Berkeley’s Distinguished Teaching Award, the university’s most prestigious honor for individual excellence in teaching.
Tickets and Guests
Commencement is a ticketed event. Each graduating student will be allotted 12 tickets apiece. Students must pick up their tickets from the Office of Student Services after April 6 and before April 30. The capacity of the Greek Theatre is approximately 8,000 seats (although approximately 2,000 of those are lawn seats - guests sitting on the lawn should bring a blanket or towel). The Greek Theatre gates will open one hour before the ceremony and seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis. The highest attendance for a law school commencement was just under 4,000 people, so please be assured that there's plenty of seating for everyone.
Disability Accommodations
For wheelchair seating at the Greek Theatre, please email Stacy Holguin at Boalt Hall, or call her at (510) 643-7280. Stacy also serves as the contact person for any other disability accommodations (e.g.: sign-language interpretation). Advance notice is kindly requested.
Regalia
Graduating students should visit the Boalt Hall bookstore to place a cap & gown (aka:"regalia") order. All regalia orders must be placed by Monday, April 6, in order to guarantee delivery. After April 6 prices will increase due to rush delivery fees. Measurements will be taken at the Boalt Book Store M-F from 11-2pm. Students studying away from Boalt for the semester may place an order by calling the Boalt book store at (510) 540-7733 (no other phone orders will be accepted). Regalia will be available for pick-up in the bookstore during the week of May 11th. Students are advised to try on the regalia before leaving the bookstore, as re-orders are sometimes required to obtain a proper fit. Regalia must be returned to Booth Auditorium immediately following the graduation ceremony.
Regalia Prices
J.D. (Doctoral) Unit - cap,gown,hood,tassel......................................... $ 52.50
LL.M (Master's) Unit - cap,gown,hood,tassel...................................... $ 46.50
(Prices do not include tax or shipping & handling.)
Announcements
Graduation announcements can be ordered through the Herff-Jones website at http://www.herffjones.com/college/graduation/.
Announcement Prices
Custom announcements (pkg. of 25)..................................................... $ 56.95
Additional custom announcements (pkg. of 5)........................................ $ 11.95
Thank you cards (pkg. of 25)................................................................ $ 28.95
Package of 25 announcements, 25 thank you cards,
and 60 address labels........................................................................... $ 92.95
Package of 35 announcements, 25 thank you cards,
and 60 address labels........................................................................... $109.95
(Prices do not include tax or shipping & handling.)
Weather
The Greek Theatre is an outdoor venue and thus subject to the vagaries of the Bay Area's microclimates. Commencement is a rain-or-shine event, so please be prepared for meteorological contingencies. We recommend that audience members and graduates dress in layers and be prepared for varying weather. Check the weather before leaving your home at http://weather.berkeley.edu/ .
Parking
There will be several commencement ceremonies on campus on the day of our ceremony, and parking lots will be crowded. We suggest that graduates and guests take public transportation or carpool if at all possible. The campus shuttle will be operating between BART and the Hearst Greek Theater for those that use public transportation or park in lots on lower campus. For more information please see: http://pt.berkeley.edu/park/special/commencement .
If you are driving, public parking will be available for a fee in the following areas:
Flat fee $10, parking attendant will take fees:
- Upper Hearst Structure (Hearst Avenue & Gayley Rd)
- Foothill Lot (Hearst Avenue east of Highland)
Hourly rate, parking machines can be found in lots, bring $1.00 bills
- Underhill Parking Lot (Channing Way and College Avenue)
- Anna Head Parking Lot (Channing Way between Bancroft and Telegraph)
Disabled persons with certified handicapped placards or license plates may park at no charge in disabled spaces.
Driving Directions
Driving directions to the law school and campus are available at http://www.law.berkeley.edu/administration/visitors/directions.html.
Photographs
Guests are welcome to take photographs during the processional and ceremony as long as they do not block the walkways. Each graduating student will have his or her photo taken by Chappell Studio twice during the ceremony. Graduating students should visit the Registrar's Office to fill out a name card. Name cards will be returned to students at check-in tables at the Law School on the day of the ceremony. Graduates carry this card with them to the commencement ceremony and, during the ceremony, hand it to the faculty announcer. After the ceremony, the name cards are given to Chappell Studio photographers. Chappell Studio will mail proofs within one week of the ceremony.
Diplomas
At the graduation ceremony, graduates will receive a ceremonial scroll in lieu of an actual diploma. Approximately 4 months after your graduation date, you may obtain your diploma in person at the Office of the Registrar, 120 Sproul Hall, or you may request to have it mailed to you. Further information is available on the UC Registrar's website: http://registrar.berkeley.edu/?PageID=diplomas.html .
Post Graduation Reception
LOCATION: CLARK KERR COURTYARD and GRAND HALL
TIME: 11:30am - 1:30pm
Graduates and their guests are invited to a Gala Reception at Clark Kerr Courtyard and Great Hall immediately following the commencement ceremony. The Reception will be held from 11:30-1:30. Clark Kerr is 6/10s of a mile south on Gayley Road (which turns into Piedmont Avenue). The walk is level for the first half and then has a gradual incline along the second half. It takes 10-15 minutes to walk comfortably to the reception area. Graduates and guests should cross Gayley Road and then proceed south past the Memorial Football Stadium, where Gayley Road becomes Piedmont Avenue. Continue along Piedmont Avenue until you reach Clark Kerr Campus. Turn left into the horseshoe drive and proceed up the stairs past the administration building. You will walk into the Courtyard area.
Reception Shuttle Bus
For those that have difficulty walking, we have arranged shuttle buses to run from the Greek Theater to Clark Kerr Campus. The buses will load on Gayley Road directly across the street from the North entrance to the Greek Theater. They will run continually from 11:15 to 1:45. Due to vehicle traffic, the bus ride will be approximately 10 minutes in each direction. Please allow those with difficulty walking to board the shuttle buses first. Space is limited and not all attendees will be able to ride the shuttles and arrive at the reception in a timely manner.
The Underhill and Anna Head parking lots are located conveniently between the Hearst Greek Theater and Clark Kerr Campus.
Class Gift
The Class of 2009 has established the Class of 2009 Campaign, led by members of the 3L class, to raise money for Boalt Hall. Every gift or pledge made during the campaign will be matched 2 to 1 through a challenge gift from members of the Board of Directors of the Boalt Hall Alumni Association. The campaign is open to graduating students as well as their family and friends who wish to donate in their name. Contributors can specify that their donation be directed to a particular fund or funds. Go to the Class Campaign website for further information: http://www.law.berkeley.edu/classgift.htm .
Career Development
Graduates should be sure to complete the online employment survey before the end of spring semester. To reach the survey click http://www.law.berkeley.edu/234.htm and then, once you have signed into b-Line, click on the Graduate Employment Survey quick link on the homepage. This type of information helps us improve on the advice we give to alums and future and prospective students. If you have encounter any difficulties in filling out the survey, please contact Marty Grenhart at: mgrenhart@law.berkeley.edu.
Boalt treats this information as confidential releaseing employment information only in an aggregate statistical format -- with no individual identifying information -- on its website and to national surveying entities such as, NALP, U.S. News and the American Bar Association.
For those of you still in the job market, please make an appointment to see one of our attorney-counselors -- we want to know the type of work you are looking for so we are watching for opportunities for you and we can work together on a plan to individually assist you in landing a position.
Help Us Stay in Touch
When your phone, e-mail, name or address information changes, please let us know by contacting the Office of Alumni Relations.
Local Hotels & Motel
A list of local hotels and motels is available through the CalRentals website.
Information About Berkeley & the San Francisco Bay Area
The following links to commercial or non-University sites do not represent endorsement by the University of California or its affiliates.
Professor Sugarman's Dining Guide
UC Berkeley Campus Visitor Services
Berkeley Convention & Visitors Bureau
San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau
Oakland International Airport
San Francisco International Airport
For questions or comments regarding this section, please contact Student Services.