Commencement
The Ceremony
School of Law (Boalt Hall)
Commencement Ceremony
May 17, 2008 at 9:00 a.m.
Hearst Greek Theatre
| 7:30 a.m. | Graduates arrive at the Bordon and Darling Courtyards at Boalt and check-in to receive a name card. |
|---|---|
| 8:00 a.m. | Gates open at the Hearst Greek Theatre for guest seating |
| 8:30 a.m. | Processional leaves the courtyard area |
| 9:00 a.m. | Graduation ceremony begins |
Speakers
Guest Speaker: The Honorable Mary M. Schroeder
Hon. Mary M. Schroeder is the Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. After receiving her J.D. from the University of Chicago in 1965, she practiced as a trial attorney with the Civil Division of the United States Department of Justice and then joined Lewis & Roca in Phoenix in 1971. She was appointed to the Arizona Court of Appeals in 1975 and served until 1979, when she was nominated by President Jimmy Carter and appointed to the Ninth Circuit. She was elevated to Chief Judge in December of 2000, the first woman to hold that position.
Faculty Speaker: Anne Joseph O'Connell
Anne Joseph O'Connell has a Ph.D. from Harvard University, a J.D. from Yale Law School, and an M.Phil. from Cambridge University. At Boalt, she teaches Administrative Law and Civil Procedure. She has taught a graduate seminar in UC Berkeley's Department of Political Science. Before joining the Boalt faculty in July 2004, Joseph O'Connell clerked for Justice Ruth Bader Gingsurg of the U.S. Supreme Court. Joseph O'Connell is a member of the New York bar.
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 March 10 and before May 9. 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 Mindi J. Mysliwiec at Boalt Hall, or call her at (510) 642-3263. Mindi 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 Friday, March 28, in order to guarantee delivery. After March 28 prices will increase. 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 5. 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. Announcement and regalia prices are available here.
Announcements
Graduation announcements can be ordered through the Herff-Jones website at www.herff-jones.com/college/graduation/.
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.
Parking
There will be five 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 Theatre for those who use public transportation or park in lots on lower campus. It will run only on the north side of campus, however, and will not make the entire loop around the south side. For more details,see the UC Parking & Transportation website:
http://pt.berkeley.edu/parking/special_events/commencement.html
If driving is the only option, public parking (for a fee of $7.00, payable to the attendant) will be available at the following locations:
- Kleeberger Lot (Stadium Rimway, off Gayley Rd.)
- Foothill Lot (Hearst Ave., east of Highland)
- Upper Hearst Structure (Hearst Ave. and Gayley Rd.)
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 in the Bordon/Darling Courtyard 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.
Flowers
Commencement Flowers will offer leis, bouquets and corsages for guests to purchase at the Greek Theatre. Prices range from $8.00-$23.00.
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/Records/diplomas.html
Post Graduation Reception
Graduates and their guests are invited to a Gala Reception in the Bordon & Darling Courtyards of Boalt Hall following the commencement ceremony.
Class Gift
The Class of 2008 has established the Class of 2008 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/alumni/2008/index.html
Career Development
Graduates should be sure to complete the online employment survey before the end of spring semester. A "quick link" to the survey form can be found on the homepage of b-Line.
This type of information helps us improve on the advice we give to alums and future and prospective students.
Boalt will treat this information strictly confidentially (it releases 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).
If you have encounter any difficulties in filling out the survey, please contact Marty Grenhart at: mgrenhart@law.berkeley.edu.
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.