2026 Commencement

We are proud to celebrate the accomplishments of our Class of 2026 graduates. USC Gould School of Law will host two separate commencement ceremonies on the same day to honor our undergraduate, JD, and Graduate and International Programs students.

For students graduating from the following programs:

B.S. in Legal Studies degree in December 2025, May 2026 and August 2026
Juris Doctor (JD) in May 2026

Check-in: 8:00 a.m. PT
JD and undergraduate students should arrive at the USC University Village Great Lawn entrance no later than 8:00 a.m. to check in.

Ceremony: 9:00 a.m. -11:00 a.m. PT

Students who have earned or are graduating with the following degrees or certificates in December 2025, May 2026, or August 2026:

Master of Laws (LLM)
Master of Laws in Alternative Dispute Resolution (LLM in ADR)
Master of Laws in Business Law (LLM in BL)
Master of Laws in International Business and Economic Law (LLM in IBEL)
Master of Laws in Media and Entertainment Law (LLM in MEL)
Master of Law in Privacy Law and Cybersecurity (LLM in PLCS)
Master of Studies in Law (MSL)
Master of Comparative Law (MCL)
Master of Dispute Resolution (MDR)
Master of International Trade Law and Economics (MITLE)
Master of Science in Innovation Economics, Law and Regulation (MIELR)
Standalone Certificates in Law and Compliance

Check-in: 12:00 p.m. PT
G&IP students should arrive at the USC University Village Great Lawn entrance no later than 12:00 p.m. to check in.

Ceremony: 1:00 p.m.- 3:00 p.m. PT

USC University Village Great Lawn
USC Gould ceremonies will take place at the USC University Village Great Lawn, adjacent to the USC campus.

Download Maps:

USC Campus Map (PDF) University Village Map (PDF)

No tickets are required for the USC Gould commencement ceremonies, however they are required for the mainstage USC Commencement Ceremony taking place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum May 14 at 6:30 p.m. For more information, please visit USC's Commencement website.

USC Commencement Website

Author and Advocate

Sister Helen Prejean is a religious sister from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with a passion for justice, who is known worldwide for her work and ministry as a foremost advocate against capital punishment. She is the best-selling author of acclaimed books that contributed to shaping national dialogue such as Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States – which inspired an Academy Award winning movie – and River of Fire: My Spiritual Journey.

In her ministry, Sister Prejean works with people of all faiths. She dedicates her time to educating the public, advancing efforts against the death penalty, counseling individuals on death row, and working with the family members of victims.

In 1957, she joined the Sisters of St. Joseph of Medaille (now known as the Congregation of St. Joseph). In 1962, she received a BA in English and Education from St. Mary’s Dominican College, New Orleans, and then her MA in Religious Education from St. Paul’s University in Ottawa, Canada, in 1973.

Attorney and USC Gould Board of Councilors Member

Nicolai Schwarz-Gondek is a partner at the global law firm of Sidley Austin, where he focuses his practice on private equity, mergers and acquisitions, and other complex corporate transactions. He serves as co-chair of Sidley’s Greater Los Angeles Pro Bono Committee.

In addition to his practice, Schwarz-Gondek is an active leader in the USC Gould community. He is the first Master of Laws (LLM) grad to serve on the law school’s Board of Councilors, and he is a Lecturer in Law, teaching a course in Contract Drafting, Analysis and Negotiation.

Schwarz-Gondek earned his LLM in 2005 from USC Gould, where he graduated first in his class, and received a PhD, summa cum laude, from the University of Augsburg with a doctoral thesis on German tax law. Schwarz-Gondek is also a graduate of Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich, where he earned his JD and Diplom-Jurist. He spent one year as a visiting scholar at the University of Geneva in Switzerland with a scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service.

View the rental and purchasing options below to get started. Feel free to email questions to the bookstore grad team at gradproducts@usc.edu. Please note: All rented regalia should be returned directly after the ceremony at a designated regalia drop-off bin.

BLACK USC logoed bachelor gown
No hood
BLACK cap with a BLACK tassel with USC signet

RED doctoral gown
DARK PURPLE (not lavender) hood
YELLOW (not black) tassel

LLM, LLM in ADR, LLM in BL, LLM in IBEL, LM in MEL, LLM in PLCS, MSL, MCL, MDR, MITLE, MIELR, and Standalone Certificate students

BLACK master’s degree gown
DARK PURPLE (not lavender) hood
BLACK tassel

For additional questions, please email the bookstore grad team at gradproducts@usc.edu. Please note: All rented regalia should be returned directly after the ceremony at a designated regalia drop-off bin.

All graduates can place their regalia rental orders online. Click here to begin your order.

Graduates are encouraged to pre-order their cap and gown rental online by April 12. The bookstore will have a limited supply of regalia available for walk-ins beginning May 11.
Walk-in orders are available for pick-up beginning May 11. Distribution of regalia will be held outside on the bookstore patio. View more information here.
If you have pre-ordered your regalia, you'll need your ID (student or government issued). It always helps to have your order confirmation from Herff Jones.
All caps are one size fits all. Students can keep their cap and tassel as a souvenir.
All rented regalia should be returned directly after the ceremony at a designated regalia drop-off bin.
- Undergrad students: BLACK USC logoed Bachelor gown, no hood, and black cap with a BLACK tassel with USC signet.
- JD students: RED doctoral gown, a DARK PURPLE (not lavender) hood, and a YELLOW (not black) tassel.
- LLM, LLM in ADR, LLM in BL, LLM in IBEL, LLM in MEL, LLM in PLCS, MSL, MCL, MDR, MITLE, MIELR students, and Standalone Certificate Students: BLACK master's degree gown, a DARK PURPLE (not lavender) hood and a BLACK tassel.

All items are available for purchase online. This includes masters and doctoral regalia. Click here to begin your order.
JD students have the option to purchase a Tam, if preferred, over the red mortar board cap. Tams are available in size 6 7/8 up to 7 ½. Shipping is free and curbside pick-up is available as well. Click here to order your Tam.

All students in all degree levels can wear sashes.
Sashes are optional and are only available for purchase.
Standard sashes are $54.99, available in store and online. Click here to purchase your sash.
Custom sash pricing begins at $75. Deadline to order a custom sash is March 26 in order to receive it in time for Commencement.

You will be given a complimentary diploma cover from the law school during the graduation ceremony.

Official graduation announcements, rings, and diploma frames are sold by Herff Jones and should be ordered through USC's Commencement Accessories webpage.

Please read the following important information to plan your commencement day.

Please review the security information on USC's Commencement FAQ page for more information about personal items restrictions, including the clear bag requirements.

We strongly advise all graduates to wear flat, comfortable shoes in order to navigate the grassy area and the steps leading up to the stage.

Parking will be available free of charge and is on a first-come, first-served basis. The closest parking to the USC University Village will be the Shrine Parking Structure and the Royal Street Structure (for ADA parking). Click here for a campus map.

For information about parking, rideshare options and public transit, please visit the USC Commencement Parking and Transit web page.

Guests will be able to secure seats on a first come, first served basis. We ask that your family and friends take only the seats they will use so that we are able to provide seating for everyone. Law school staff members will be available to answer questions and direct your guests.

If someone in your group will require wheelchair seating at the law school ceremony, please contact the law school Events Office events@law.usc.edu by Wednesday, May 6. Wheelchair seating must be reserved through this office in advance and is limited to (2) people per graduate in an effort to accommodate all requests.

If your guest will require a wheelchair, you will need to provide one or rent one in advance. The law school and the University will not have wheelchairs.

Balloons and air horns will NOT be permitted in the general area.

A professional photography service, GradImages, will be at the ceremony taking pictures of each graduate. Several days after the ceremony, the photographer will send, via regular mail and email, free color proofs to each graduate with an offer to purchase prints.

GradImages

Customer Service #: 800-261-2576
Customer Service Email: service@gradimages.com
Website: www.gradimages.com

Please share USC Gould commencement photos and stories with #GouldGrad.

The ceremony will take place rain or shine. If severe or inclement weather is at risk of becoming hazardous, a rain contingency plan will go into effect. Details of the rain plan will then be posted on the law school website and an email will be sent to all graduates. If you have questions regarding inclement weather prior to event day, contact the law school Events Office at events@law.usc.edu.

For questions regarding commencement, please contact the USC Gould Events Office at events@law.usc.edu.

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USC Gould School of Law Commencement 2026

Undergraduate Ceremony and JD Ceremony

Graduate and International Programs Ceremony

Ceremony Location

University Commencement Ticketing

Keynote Speakers

Sister Helen Prejean

Nicolai Schwarz-Gondek

Regalia and Commencement Materials

Undergrad Students

JD Students

Master's & Certificate Students

Rental and Purchasing FAQs

Day-Of Information

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